Confidentiality

Confidentiality is very important to us. As a patient you do have certain rights to see information held about you. Please ask for details. We may also release information about you to third parties, but only other health care professionals and only if they need to know in connection with your treatment. 

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.

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Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Suggestions

We welcome your suggestions and comments about the service we provide. If you have a problem or want to make a suggestion that you feel would improve the service, please write to, telephone, or ask to speak to the Practice Manager, Mrs. Lesley Dennis.Alternatively there is a suggestion box in the waiting room where you can leave a comment.

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

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What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

• Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
• Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
• Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
• Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
• Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
• Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
• Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

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Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

YOUR RESPONSIBILTIES AS A PATIENT

Although as a Practice, we have the responsibilities to you, as a patient, you have
responsibilities to the Practice.

• We will expect you to treat doctors and staff with courtesy.
• We do not expect you to ask for a home visit unless it is absolutely necessary for medical reasons.
• Please for not expect to interrupt a doctor while he is consulting for a routine matter.
• Please be punctual: arriving late causes delay for other patients.  If we are running late, please remember that next time it could be you who needs extra time or your home visit which is causing the delay.
• Please try not to FORGET your appointment, and above all always tell us in good time if you no longer require your appointment.  Patients that waste appointments are blocking availability for others. 

VIOLENT OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

We will not tolerate threatening or aggressive behaviour.  Patients whom behave in this way will be removed from out list.  The local PCT provides a service for such patients based in Bodmin – details will be provided at the time of removal.