Practice Policies

The aim of the accessible information standard is to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need.

As part of the accessible information standard, organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must do five things. They must:

1. Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
2. Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
3. Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs
4. Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
5. Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

If you need any of the information we send out to you in an alternative format (e.g. large print or easy read) or if you need help with communication with us (e.g. use British sign language or are hard of hearing) then please let us know to enable your records to be updated. You can telephone us on 01458 250464

See the NHS Accessible Information Standard update July 2015 BSL & subtitles

More information about the standard can be found at NHS England – Accessible Information

Other useful websites

Easy Health

More coming soon.

If you require a chaperone please inform the receptionist at the time of booking or on arrival for you appointment and we will be pleased to help you. A doctor will also ask for a chaperone should he feel it necessary.

We ask you for personal information so you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team. Access to confidential patient information is given only to those NHS healthcare professionals who need it in order to provide a service to the patient. All staff working in the surgery are subject to stringent confidentiality requirements and no information from your record will be released to third parties outside the NHS without your specific consent.

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 Authority 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.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005. The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

FOI replaced the Open Government Code of Practice, which has been in operation since 1994.

Data Protection and FOI – how do the two interact?

The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It provides living individuals with a right of access to personal information held about them. The right applies to all information held in computerised form and also to non-computerised information held in filing systems structured so that specific information about particular individuals can retrieved readily.

Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves (personal data), which is held on computer and in some paper files under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The right also applies to those archives that meet these criteria. However, the right is subject to exemptions, which will affect whether information is provided. Requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

The Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. A few of its strategic objectives being:

• To improve people’s knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities
• Seeking to encourage an increase in openness in the public sector
• Monitoring the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information
• Developing a data protection policy which properly balances personal information privacy with the need for public and private organisations to process personal information

The Data Protection Act does not give third parties rights of access to personal information for research purposes.

The FOI Act does not give individuals access to their personal information, though if a request is made, the Data Protection Act gives the individual this right. If the individual chooses to make this information public it could be used alongside non-personal information gained by the public under the terms of the FOI Act.

Preston Grove Medical Centre statement of general policy

General Public

• To employ only trained staff (or trainees that are supervised by a suitably qualified person)
• To provide suitably safe facilities and equipment [that has regular safety checks]
• To have established procedures for evacuation of the premises in case of an emergency
• To have Infection control procedures in place

Staff

• To provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities
• To consult with our employees on matters affecting their health and safety
• To provide and maintain safe plant and equipment
• To ensure safe handling and use of substances
• To provide information, instruction and supervision for employees
• To ensure all employees are competent to do their tasks, and to give them adequate training
• To prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health
• To maintain safe and healthy working conditions

Specific Arrangements

• All work areas to be kept clean and tidy
• All rubbish to be cleaned away
• All gangways and staircases to be kept clear at all times
• All spillages of water, chemicals or other substances to be cleared immediately with due respect to the content of the material spoilt
• No machinery or other equipment to be run without necessary guards and safety equipment in position and in full working order
• Excepting for clinical emergencies, no person will be allowed on site under the influence of alcohol and/or non-prescribed drugs
• To establish and maintain fire extinguisher and fire points
• To prevent accidents and cases of work related ill health
• To record any accidents in the Accident Book and immediately report any such accident to the Practice Manager
• To review and revise this policy as appropriate at regular intervals

Infection Control Statement – May 2023

It is a requirement of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance that the Infection Prevention and Control Lead produces and annual statement with regard to Compliance with good practice on infection prevention and control.

It summarises:-

• Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Event Procedure).
• Details of any infection control audits undertaken and actions undertaken.
• Details of any risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection.
• Details of any staff training.
• Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines.

Infection Transmission Incidents (Significant Events)

Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are investigated in detail to see what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements.  All significant events are reviewed and learning is cascaded to all relevant staff.  They are logged on our Intranet (TeamNet) and discussed at the practice.

There have been no infection control incidents in the past 12 months which have resulted in a Significant Event Analysis at Preston Grove Medical Center Surgery, however following discussion we have decided to:

• Continue to provide annual infection control updates for both clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Ensure infection control guidance remains accessible to all staff via TeamNet.
• Training is logged on TeamNet.

Infection Prevention Audits and Actions

The Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit was completed by Sue Jay, (Lead Nurse and Infection Control Lead) adn Karen Goodwin ( Practice Nurse)  in January 2023. There were no actions required following this audit.

The Practice plan to undertake the following audits in 2023:

• Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are carried out so that best practice can be established and then followed.  In the last year the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed.

• Legionella (Water) Risk Assessments: The practice reviews its water safety risk assessment to ensure that the water supply does not pose a risk to patients, visitors or staff.

• Immunisation: As a practice we ensure that all our staff members are up to date with their Hepatitis B immunisations and offered any occupational health vaccinations applicable to their role (i.e. MMR, Seasonal Flu). We take part in the National Immunisation campaigns for patients and offer vaccinations in house and via home visits to our patient population.

Training

All our staff members receive annual training in infection prevention and control.

Members of staff either attend an annual Infection Control Update or complete an e-learning update.

Policies

All Infection Prevention Control related policies are in date and have been reviewed.

Policies relating to Infection Control are available to all staff and are reviewed and updated regularly, and all are amended on an on-going basis as current advice, guidance and legislation changes.  Infection Control policies are available on TeamNet for all staff to read.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each individual to be familiar with this Statement and their roles and responsibilities under this.

Review Date

May2024

Responsibility for Review

The Infection Prevention and Control Lead and the Performance Manager are responsible for reviewing and producing the Annual Statement.

Karen Goodwin (Nurse Manager)

Cheryl Gulliford (Performance Manager)

For and on behalf of Preston grove Medical Centre

NHS Digital is developing a new system to support the national data opt-out which will give patients more control over how confidential patient information is used. The system will offer patients and the public the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether they wish their confidential patient information to be used just for their individual care and treatment or also used for research and planning purposes.

Patients and the public who decide they do not want their confidential patient information used for planning and research purposes will be able to set their national data opt-out choice online.

For further opt-out information, please visit the NHS Digital website:

If you choose to opt out you only need to do this once, and that registration applies to all healthcare settings and organisations, not just general practice. You can do this by using one of the following:

1. Online service – Patients registering need to know their NHS number or their postcode as registered at their GP practice
2. Telephone service 0300 303 5678 which is open Monday to Friday between 0900 and 1700
3.  NHS App – for use by patients aged 13 and over (95% of surgeries are now connected to the NHS App). The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google play
4. “Print and post” [1] registration form. Photocopies of proof of applicant’s name (e.g. passport, UK driving licence etc.) and address (e.g. utility bill, payslip etc.) need to be sent with the application.  It can take up to 14 days to process the form once it arrives at NHS, PO Box 884, Leeds, LS1 9TZ

The following resources are available:

British Sign Language video of the patient hand-out

Audio version of the patient hand-out

Braille version of the patient hand-out which can be ordered from NHS England Health Publications

An easy read booklet of the patient hand-out for patients with learning disabilities as well as a larger print version can be downloaded from the resources for patients NHS Digital web page

You can find information about the privacy notice relating to the National Data Opt-Out here

In line with the whole of the NHS, the practice operates a zero tolerance policy towards aggressive behaviour. The practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, physical contact and/or aggressive gestures. The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property. All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.