Practice Policies
Data protection and who has access to your records
This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any that we may collect from or about you.
To continue reading our privacy notice please follow the below link:
Choosing which organisations can view your record
You can choose which other organisations involved in your care can view your full medical records. You can choose this on an individual organisation basis or apply the setting across all organisations.
Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost, and how decisions are made. The Practice fully complies with this Act, and if you require a copy, please contact the Practice Manager.
NHS Summary Care Records
As part of a mandatory, national programme each GP Practice will have to make a summary care record for each patient (unless the patient has already opted out). Please read the information regarding this.
If you wish to opt out download and complete the opt out form and return to the Practice (see below).
Transferring Your Electronic Health Record
If you have previously registered with a different GP in England, upon registering at this practice your electronic health record will, where possible, be transferred automatically from your previous practice through the use of an NHS system called GP2GP.
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.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities
We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way.
It is your responsibility to keep your appointments, inform us of your past illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and any other relevant details.
You should inform the surgery of any change to your personal details including your change of address.
Statement of Intent
Hawthorn Medical Centre Statement of Intent
IT/ELECTRONIC PATIENT RECORDS
New contractual requirements came into force from 1st April 2014 requiring that GP practices should make available a statement of intent in relation to the following IT developments:
1. Referral Management
2. Electronic Appointment Booking
3. On-line booking of repeat prescriptions
4. Summary Care Record
5. GP2GP transfers
6. Patient Access to records.
Please find below details of the practice stance with regards to these developments:
- Referral management
All practices must include the NHS Number as the primary identifier in all NHS clinical correspondence issued by the practice.
We include all NHS numbers in our referral letters and clinical correspondence issued by the practice.
- Electronic appointment booking
Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to, to book, view, amend, cancel and print appointments online.
We currently offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments online.
- Online booking of repeat prescriptions
Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to, to order online, view and print a list of their repeat prescriptions for necessary drugs, medicines or appliances.
We currently offer the facility for ordering repeat prescriptions online.
- Interoperable records/Summary Care Record (SCR)
Practices are required to enable successful automated uploads of any changes to a patient’s summary information, at least on a daily basis to the Summary Care Record.
Having your Summary Care Record available will help anyone treating you without your full medical record. They will have access to information about any medication you may be taking and any drugs that you have a recorded allergy or sensitivity to.
Hawthorn Medical Centre is already live with SCR. However, if you do not want your medical records to be available in this way then you need to let us know so that we can update your record. You can do this via the ‘opt out form’ which is available in the practice.
- GP2GP record transfers
There is a contractual requirement to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers.
It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded on to your new GP via NHS England. It can take several weeks for your paper records to reach your new surgery. With GP2GP record transfers, your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.
Hawthorn Medical Centre confirms that GP2GP transfers are already active, and we send and receive patient records via this system.
- Patient access to their GP record
Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for patients to view online, export or print any summary of information from their records relating to medications, allergies, adverse reactions and any other items/date such as ‘additional’ record elements which has been agreed between the contractor and the patient.
We currently offer this service of patient access to their GP record.
Violent or Abusive Behaviour
We take any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff or patients very seriously. If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.
