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Practice Policies
Learn about your rights, how we protect your information, and the standards you can expect from our practice.
Access to Medical Records
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.
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 made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Your Health Records
The staff at this practice record information about you and your health so that you can receive the right care and treatment. We need to record this information, together with the details of the care you receive, because it may be required if we see you again.
We may use some of this information for other reasons, for example, to help us to protect the health of the general public generally, to plan for the future, to train staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.
We are currently involved in research studies for which we provide anonymised information from patients’ notes. You cannot be identified in any way from this information as none of your personal details are given to researchers. Individual patients’ records are added into a much larger anonymous database, containing records from millions of patients. This information is used by researchers outside this practice. The database to which we contribute anonymised records is known as The Health Improvement Network (THIN). This data may be anonymously linked to other data, such as hospital data. This database is managed by a company outside the NHS which does not have access to your personal details, only to anonymous medical records. The data are used for research into such topics as drug safety, disease patterns, prescribing patterns, health economics and public health. Many of these studies provide useful information to medical staff on diseases, the use of drugs or outcomes of disease or treatment.
These studies may be performed by academic researchers or commercial companies amongst others. However, no researcher has access to your full details such as your name and address, initials or your full date of birth. The researchers are not given information about the patient, nor the practice name, address or post code.
If you would like to opt out of this data collection scheme, please let your doctor know and no data from your records will be collected for use in research. This will not affect your care in any way.
If anything to do with the research would require that you provide additional information about yourself, you will be contacted to see if you are willing to take part; you will not be identified in any published results.
Note that you have a right of access to your health records. If at any time you would like to know more, or have any concerns about how we use your information, you can speak to Wendy McDonagh on 0161 748 5559 ext. 1015.
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning.
You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13.
Your choice will only apply to the health and care system in England. This does not apply to health or care services accessed in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Find out how this data is used and how to opt out on the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/
Chaperone Policy
It is our policy to respect the privacy, dignity, religious and cultural beliefs of our patients. A chaperone is available at the request of clinician or patient. If you feel you would like a chaperone to be present during a physical examination by a Doctor or any other Health Professional, or if you would prefer to be examined by a Doctor or health professional of the same gender as yourself, please ask and we will do our best to comply with your wishes.
Complaints and Compliments
We continually strive for excellence in healthcare and are keen to know how you think we can improve our service. We would welcome your comments as part the NHS Friends and Family Test: a quick and anonymous way for patients to give opinions on the care and treatment they receive.
You can comment without providing your name and we will use the feedback to plan improvements to our services. If you would like to comment on how likely you are to recommend Davyhulme Medical Centre, please complete the short online survey.
For further information please see NHS information on the Friends and Family Test.
Complaints
We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. We encourage our patients to raise issues or suggestions so that we may learn and improve our services. If you do wish to make a complaint, please either write to our Patient Services Manager or contact via telephone on 0161 748 5559 and we will do our best to provide you with a quick and thorough response which answers your concerns properly. Alternatively, please ask one of the reception team if you can make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the Patient Services Manager.
Please view our Complaints Leaflet here.
- If you are dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to: Trafford CCG,
1st Floor,
Trafford Town Hall,
Talbot Road,
Stretford,
M32 0TH
Tel: 0161 873 9500 (main switchboard)
Fax: 0161 873 9501
Email: customercare.trafford@nhs.net
Please note: NHS Trafford CCG accepts text relay calls, so if you are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech problems and use a textphone, please call: 18001 then 0161 920 6026 or NHS England Customer Contact Centre, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
Email: England.contactus@nhs.net - You also have the right to contact the Ombudsman:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman,
Millbank tower,
Millbank,
London,
SW1 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Visit the website: www.ombudsman.org.uk - If you remain dissatisfied, you may contact: NHS England
3 Piccadilly Place,
London Road,
Manchester,
M1 3BN
Tel: 0161 625 7100 (08:00-18:00)
Email: gm.hscinfo@nhs.net - Complaints can also be dealt by:
Care Quality Commission,
National Customer Service Centre,
Citygate,
Gallowgate,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 4PA
Tel: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk - Complaints advocate: an NHS Complaints Advocate is independent of the NHS and may help write a letter, attend a meeting or explain the options available. This service is free to anyone making a complaint about their NHS treatment or care.
- Healthwatch can guide you to independent NHS complaints advocacy services in the local area:
Healthwatch,
150 Washway Road,
Sale,
M33 6AG
Tel: 0300 9990 303 - POhWER is a charity that helps people to be involved in decisions being made about their care. Call POhWER’s support centre on 0300 456 2370 for advice.
- SeAp Advocacy gives advocacy support. Call 0330 440 9000 for advice or text SEAP to 80800 and someone will get back to you.
- Age UK may have advocates in your area. Visit their website or call 0800 055 6112.
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 practice manager.
GP Net Earnings
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Davyhulme Medical Centre in the 2022/23 financial year was £77,347 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 11 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
Please note: NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown above. However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.
NHS Digital & Data Opt-Out Choices
There are two types of ‘Data Opt-out’:
- Type 1 Opt-out, your GP will not share your data for research and planning. However, NHS Digital will still be able to collect and share data from other healthcare providers, such as hospitals. Please complete this form and hand it into the Reception – DMC Type 1 Opt-out form.
- National Data Opt-out; this is processed by NHS Digital, more details can be found here.
Patient Confidentiality
We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible care.
This information may be used for management and audit purposes. However, it is usually only available to, and used by, those involved in your care. You have the right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records please contact the Practice Manager.
Privacy Policy
As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and GDPR law 2018. This means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled in ways that are safe, transparent and what you would reasonably expect. Please find documents and links below. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances: Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs effectively. These members of staff are bound by the same confidentiality rules as the medical staff. Please read our practice Data Protection Policy and Practice Privacy Notice below for more detailed information about how we keep your information safe. Please contact the Practice Manager at the surgery if you would like to discuss this policy in more detail or would like to receive copies of the appendices mentioned in our policy. GDPR and My GP Patient Record – FAQs for patients The current NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes (known as the GPDPR) has been delayed due to NHSD wishing to review the way in which this data will be collected, to conduct more public involvement and information about the plans and change the way in which patients can opt out of the extract of their GP data. Currently the only way to opt out is to complete a Type 1 opt out form and return this to the practice by the 1st September. However, this extract will not be taken until the NHSD have changed the way it will take the data and respect the patient’s choice for using their data. NHSD are introducing the following changes to the opt out process which will mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time: This means that you can opt out at any time in the future and NHSD will delete data that they already have taken for research purposes, the deadline has been delayed until a new system of opt out is developed. Hopefully, this will be a simple centralised approach via the NHS app or NHS website to avoid paper form and administration work for your GP. We will update you when we know more about the NHSD plans to change how you can control who has access to your data. Patients can view medication, allergies and vaccination status through our online Patient Access service or may submit a Subject Access Request for more detailed information; please ask our reception staff for more details.
Important Notice
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by asking your GP.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery.
Download the Opt -Out form here.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS website.
Violence 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.