Deans & Eliburn Medical Practice

Complaints Procedure

Please let us know sooner rather than later if you have any complaints. We take these seriously and all are discussed at length with doctors and staff.

To complain, please ask to speak to the practice manager in the first instance.

If your complaint is of a serious nature it is better to put it in writing. You will receive a reply within seven days and will normally be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss your complaint. If your complaint is of a complex nature it may take a little longer, but we will keep you informed of all progress. You may bring a friend or relative to the meeting with you. During the meeting we will try to address your concerns and give you a full explanation and discuss any action required. If, at the end of the meeting, you are still not satisfied and wish to continue with your complaint, we will direct you to the relevant department.

Confidentiality Of Personal Records Held On Computer And Paper And The Data Protection Act 1998

To provide you with the care you need, we hold the details of your consultations, illnesses, laboratory tests, prescriptions and other treatments that have been recorded by everyone involved in your care and treatment, eg GP, health visitor, practice nurse. This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer files by practice staff.

We sometimes disclose some of your personal health information to other organisations involved in your care. For example, when your GP refers you to a specialist at the hospital we will send relevant details about you in the referral letter and receive information about you from them. Our practice also participates in regional and national programmes such as the cervical cytology screening service and your name and address, date of birth and health number will be given to them in order to send an invitation to you.

We need to use some of your personal health information for administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose basic details about you to the NHS, Lothian Health Board and to the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. These organisations have a role in protecting public funds and are authorised to check that payments are being properly made. We are required to co-operate with these checks and the disclosure of your data is a necessary part of our provision of healthcare services.

Sometimes, we may participate in studies that are designed to improve the way services are provided to you or to check that our performance meets required standards and benchmarks. Whenever we take part in activities such as these we will ensure that as far as possible any details that may identify you are not disclosed.

We are sometimes involved in health research and the teaching of student nurses, doctors and other health professionals. We will not use or disclose your personal health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand and given your consent for us to do so.

Where you need a service jointly provided with a local authority, we will seek your permission before giving them your details.

Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information. For example, it is a legal requirement to notify the government of births, deaths and certain diseases or crimes.

Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality, and is regulated by the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act gives you a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including a right to access the information we hold about you.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and adheres to a Code of Practice on protecting patient confidentiality. Further information on this can be found at www.nhsis.co.uk/confidentiality

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Section 7 of the act details rights of access. All requests for access must be in writing on a Data Access form which will be provided on request, accompanied by a £15.00 fee, which is non-refundable should the request be declined. The form must be fully completed.

A response will be provided as soon as possible and in any given event within 40 days. Where an application is declined, a reason will be given. In some circumstances some parts of your record may be withheld.

If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your personal health information, or would like to access your information, please contact our practice manager.

Patients' Rights And Responsibilities

Deans and Eliburn Medical Practice is a very busy practice and patients should act responsibly at all times within the Health Centre, particularly when dealing with staff. Parents/guardians are reminded that they are responsible for the conduct of any child they bring into the centre. It is a patient's responsibility to keep their appointments or cancel them with enough notice being given for the appointment to be offered to another patient. The practice has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards abusive and violent patients including threats of violence. Patients will be removed from the practice list if they act in such a manner. Patients may also be removed if they constantly fail to attend appointments without a reasonable explanation.

Freedom of Information - Publication scheme

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the 'classes' of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This Scheme is available from reception.