Practice Policies & Patient Information
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.
Allocated Named GP
All patients that are registered at Kidderminster Medical Centre have a named allocated GP who will oversee your care.
You are still entitled to see whichever Clinician you choose to. Please see our ‘further information’ section on the right.
There are several ways for you to find out who your allocated GP is:
- On the right hand-side of your repeat prescription slip
- Enquire during your consultation with any clinician
- Enquire at reception
- Enquire with the administration team
Complaints Procedure
We always try to provide the best possible service, but there may be times when you think that this has not happened. Our in-house complaints procedure has been drawn up to respond to patient grievances. It is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation.
We hope that you will use the procedure to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems, which you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you do use this procedure you it will not affect your right to complain to the Primary Care Trust. Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to the patient and their consent will be needed if they a complaint not made by the patient in person.
If you wish to make a complaint please telephone or write to Mrs Samantha Burns, Site Manager. Full details will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake the investigation.
We believe that it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss the details within seven days. Occasionally it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting. We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.
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. In these circumstances we do not require your consent to share this information
Anonymous 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.
Data Choices
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?
No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
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 Wyre Forest Health Partnership in the last financial year was £66,445 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 21 full time GPs, 33 part time GPs and 4 locum GPs who worked in the practice for longer than six months.
National Data and Research
This practice is one of over 600 practices in England contributing pseudonymous data for national research and surveillance.
These data enable continuous monitoring of infections and diseases in the community and is used in ethically approved research. The RCGP RSC is the main source of information for Public Health England (PHE) and helps with prediction and management of flu out-breaks and pandemics.
Providing pseudonymous data does not affect patients, their care or privacy, however if you no longer wish to allow your information to be used, please speak to your GP.
Shared Care Record Privacy Policy
What is the Shared Care Record?
The Shared Care Record is a way of bringing together all your separate records from the different organisations involved in your health and care. It’s confidential and different to anything you might have heard of before.
It will let health and care professionals see relevant information about the care and treatment you’ve had across all services.
We know you only want to tell your story once when receiving care from any health or social care organisation across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. That’s why we’ve developed the Shared Care Record.
A new series of videos raising awareness of the Shared Care Record are available for our patients.
The videos feature recordings from clinicians and social work professionals, and explain the benefits of joined-up health and care records.
The Videos, entitled: ‘An introduction to the Shared Care Record’, ‘Why the Shared Care Record matters’, and ‘The Shared Care Record and your Care’ can all be found by following the link;
Herefordshire and Worcestershire ccg – Shared Care Record
There is also an additional video on: ‘Your right to object to the Shared Care Record’, which explains to our patients the consequences of opting out of data sharing. You have the right to object at any time. We don’t recommend this, as information that could be vital when you need health or social care support – for instance, during a visit to a hospital Emergency Department – might not be immediately to hand as a result. To view this video follow the link;
Herefordshire and Worcestershire ccg – Right to Object
You can find the list of updated partner shared care record organisations on this link
Shared Care Record Privacy Policy
What is the Shared Care Record?
The Shared Care Record is a way of bringing together all your separate records from the different organisations involved in your health and care. It’s confidential and different to anything you might have heard of before.
It will let health and care professionals see relevant information about the care and treatment you’ve had across all services.
We know you only want to tell your story once when receiving care from any health or social care organisation across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. That’s why we’ve developed the Shared Care Record.
A new series of videos raising awareness of the Shared Care Record are available for our patients.
The videos feature recordings from clinicians and social work professionals, and explain the benefits of joined-up health and care records.
The Videos, entitled: ‘An introduction to the Shared Care Record’, ‘Why the Shared Care Record matters’, and ‘The Shared Care Record and your Care’ can all be found by following the link;
Herefordshire and Worcestershire ccg – Shared Care Record
There is also an additional video on: ‘Your right to object to the Shared Care Record’, which explains to our patients the consequences of opting out of data sharing. You have the right to object at any time. We don’t recommend this, as information that could be vital when you need health or social care support – for instance, during a visit to a hospital Emergency Department – might not be immediately to hand as a result. To view this video follow the link;
Herefordshire and Worcestershire ccg – Right to Object
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.
WFHP & Kidderminster Medical Centre’s Patient Privacy Policy May 2018
Your Personal Data
We take your personal data extremely seriously and take every precaution to ensure it is safe and secure.
When you attend an appointment or contact the surgery you may be asked to confirm your contact details with a receptionist or clinician. This is to ensure that we have your correct details such as address, mobile number and email address associated with your clinical record; to enable us to communicate with you about your health in a quick, efficient and secure manner.
Our policy is that normally every young person 14 and above has their own mobile number on their records for confidentiality reasons. If this applies to you or a family member, please contact the surgery to make the necessary changes.
Attached are 2 documents which explain how NHS England and GP Practices hold your data.
Wyre Forest Health Partnership Statement of Intent
https://www.kidderminstermedicalcentre.co.uk/website/M81010/files/Statement%20of%20Intent.pdf