Practice Policy
Practice policies are underpinned by current legislation and guidance.
For information on the NHS Constitution for England, visit: GOV.UK - Handbook to the NHS Constitution for England
Confidentiality & Medical Records
The Practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practioners and the Practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the Business Manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be submitted via a signed request by the patient, for the attention of the Senior Secretary. These requests may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
For information on how to access your digital health record, visit: NHS - How to get your medical records
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who
attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact Catherine Eyre, Duty Manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. If you wish to submit a written complaint, our complaints procedure, including a complaints form can be viewed by clicking here. Please note; completed patient complaint forms should be returned to the Practice directly for investigation.
For more information, visit: NHS - How to complain to the NHS
Travelling Outside The UK
If you need prescribed medicine for your health condition, talk to your GP or Practice Nurse about your travel plans at least 2 months before your departure date. They can tell you if you need to make any special arrangements.
An NHS patient travelling abroad may receive an FP10 from their surgery to cover their time abroad. This is at the discretion of the surgery but must be for no longer than three months. This should give the patient enough medication to last until they can make arrangements for alternative supply in the country they are visiting. New NHS prescriptions will not be issued until the patient has returned to the UK.
NHS prescriptions must never be obtained by relatives or friends on behalf of patients who are currently abroad, irrespective of such factors as owning a house in the UK or paying UK taxes. Patients are responsible for ensuring that any drugs they take into a country conform to local laws.
For more information, visit: Castle Healthcare Practice - Travel Advice & Services, BMA or NHS
Violence & Aggression Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard Practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Did Not Attend Policy
Due to an increase in the number of wasted appointments through patients none attendance, it has become necessary to implement the following policy:
If you repeatedly fail to attend appointments over a 12 month period you may be removed from this practice list and required to register at a different General Practice.
If you cannot attend your appointments for any reason please let us know as soon as possible, giving at least 24 hours notice. We can then offer the appointment to someone else.