Practice Policies & Patient Information

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) makes sure hospitals, care homes, dental and GP surgeries, and all other care services in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and encourages them to make improvements where possible.

They do this by inspecting services and publishing the results on their website: www.cqc.org.uk

You can use the results to help you make better decisions about the care you, or someone you care for, receives.

Our CQC Inspection

Our practice is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure we are meeting essential standards of quality and safety.

This widget provides a summary of the results of the latest checks carried out by the CQC.

Chaperones

There are occasions when the doctor or nurse needs to give you a full examination.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone with them for any physical examination.
The chaperone can be a family member, friend or a member of staff.
If you want a member of staff to accompany you during the visit please let the receptionist know when you arrive for your appointment.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure. If you would like a chaperone, however have not been offered one, please ask your GP, nurse or enquire at reception.

If we can’t provide someone straight away, you may need to return for the examination.

Confidentiality

The practice complies with the Data Protection Act 2018. All information about patients is confidential: from the most sensitive diagnosis to the fact of having visited the surgery or being registered at the practice. All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their permission except in the most exceptional of circumstances when somebody is at grave risk of serious harm.

All members of the primary health care team (from reception to doctors) in the course of their duties will have access to your medical records. They all adhere to the highest standards of maintaining confidentiality.

As our reception area is a little public, if you wish to discuss something of a confidential nature please mention it to one of the receptionists who will make arrangements for you to have the necessary privacy.

Under 16s

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person. Young people aged under 16 years can choose to see health professionals, without informing their parents or carers. If a GP considers that the young person is competent to make decisions about their health, then the GP can give advice, prescribe and treat the young person without seeking further consent.

However, in terms of good practice, health professionals will encourage young people to discuss issues with a parent or carer. As with older people, sometimes the law requires us to report information to appropriate authorities in order to protect young people or members of the public.

Useful Websites

Data Processing

Privacy Notice

What information do we collect about you?

We only collect the information (“data”) that we need to help us keep you healthy – such as your name, address, next of kin, records of appointments, visits, telephone calls, your health record, treatment and medicines, test results, X-rays and any other information to enable us to care for you.

How do we use your information?

- We share your medical records with other health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is only ever on a need-to-know basis and event by event.

- Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record.

- We share some of your data with local out-of-hours provider

- Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as flu, cervical cytology and diabetes prevention.

- Your data about you is used to manage the NHS and make payments.

- We share information when the law requires us to, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people

- Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.

- We may also share medical records for medical research

Enhanced Access Privacy Notice

Streatham PCN is made up of a number of GP Practices and has been created for members practices to work collaboratively to deliver the requirements of the PCN Directed Enhanced Service Contract.

The following practices are part of Streatham PCN:

- Palace Road Surgery

- Streatham Hill Group Practice

- Valley Road Surgery

- The Exchange Surgery

- Streatham Common Practice

- The Vale Surgery

As part of the PCN DES service, we are required to provide Enhanced Access to patients registered with practices in the PCN. Enhanced Access is patient appointments outside core practice hours – that is between 6.30-8.00 pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays 9.00 am till 5.00pm. We have chosen to also offer some appointments between 7.00 am-8.00 am on weekdays. We have also chosen to subcontract some of the provision of these appointments to our local GP federation (Lambeth GP Federation), who have previously provided access hubs in the area.

The Enhanced Access service for our patients requires the following:

An interoperable Clinical IT solution and
Data Sharing between the PCN practices and the GP Federation

To enable us to provide our Enhanced Access Service to you, clinicians from other practices in our PCN and working for our local Federation will at times have access to your full GP record, but only when providing direct care to you.

People who have access to your information will only normally have access to information that they need to fulfil their roles. For example, admin staff will normally only see your name, address, contact details, appointment history and registration details in order to book appointments; the practice nurses will normally have access to your immunisation, treatment, significant active and important past histories, your allergies and relevant recent contacts whilst any GP you see or speak to will normally have access to everything in your record.

1. Controller Contact Details

The controller of your data when it is in your practice clinical record will be your registered GP practice. The Exchange Surgery, Lucie Lehane, Practice Manager/ IG Lead, [email protected], 2-6 Gracefield Gardens, SW16 2ST, London.

The controller of your data when it is in the GP Federation clinical record system is Lambeth GP Federation, 1 Alleyn Park, London, SE21 8AU.

2. Data Protection Officer Contact Details

Danielle Gibbons, GP Data Protection Officer, [email protected].

3. Purpose of the Processing

To provide our patients with direct care.

4. The Lawfulness Conditions and Special Categories

The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR:

Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’.
Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…”

We will also recognise your rights established under UK case law collectively known as the “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”.

5. Recipient or Categories of Recipients of the Shared Data

6. Rights to Object

You have the right under Article 21 of the GDPR to object to your personal information being processed. Please contact the Practice if you wish to object to the processing of your data. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection which is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.

GP Practices process personal data under Article 6(1)(c) on a lawful and legitimate basis where the organisation is obliged under law to comply with:

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
The Freedom of Information Act
The NHS Constitution
The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009

By complying with these laws, the Practice has compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms in the right to object.

7. Right to Access and Correct

Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to see or be given a copy of any personal data we hold about you. To gain access to a copy of your information, you will need to make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the Practice you are normally registered with.

You also have the right to have incorrect data held about you corrected.

8. Retention Period

The data will be retained for the period as specified in the national NHS records retention schedule.

9. Right to Complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office or call their helpline on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate).

The NHS App

We use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Data Provision Notices

NHS Digital has powers, under sections 259(1)(a) and 259(1)(b) of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act 2012, which requires health and social care bodies in England to provide NHS England with certain datasets.

The DPN makes it clear whether an organisation is legally required to supply the data or is being requested to do so only.

In either case, when data is provided in response to a requirement or a request made under section 259, the data can be supplied without breaching the common law duty of confidentiality.

For more information about Dara Provision Notices, please see https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/data-provision-notices-dpns

COVID-19 Public Health Directions 2020

NHS England established the OpenSAFELY service Trusted Research Environment (TRE). It supports the use of data for COVID-19 purposes only including research, clinical audit, service evaluation and health surveillance.

NHS England has been directed by the Government to establish and operate the OpenSAFELY service. This service provides a Trusted Research Environment that supports COVID-19 research and analysis.

Each GP practice remains the controller of its own patient data but is required to let researchers run queries on pseudonymised patient data. This means identifiers are removed and replaced with a pseudonym, through OpenSAFELY.

Only researchers approved by NHS England are allowed to run these queries and they will not be able to access information that directly or indirectly identifies individuals.

For more information about OpenSAFELY

GP Connect Privacy Notice

We use a facility called GP Connect to support your direct care. GP Connect makes patient information available to all appropriate clinicians when and where they need it, to support direct patients care, leading to improvements in both care and outcomes.

GP Connect is not used for any purpose other than direct care.

Authorised Clinicians such as GPs, NHS 111 Clinicians, Care Home Nurses (if you are in a Care Home), Secondary Care Trusts, Social Care Clinicians are able to access the GP records of the patients they are treating via a secure NHS Digital service called GP connect.

The NHS 111 service (and other services determined locally e.g. Other GP practices in a Primary Care Network) will be able to book appointments for patients at GP practices and other local services.

Legal basis for sharing this data

In order for your Personal Data to be shared or processed, an appropriate “legal basis” needs to be in place and recorded. The legal bases for direct care via GP Connect is the same as the legal bases for the care you would receive from your own GP, or another healthcare provider:

for the processing of personal data: Article 6.1 (e) of the UK GDPR: “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller”.
for the processing of “Special Category Data” (which includes your medical information): Article 9.2 (h) of the UK GDPR: “processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services”.

Your rights

Because the legal bases used for your care using GP Connect are the same as used in other direct care situations, the legal rights you have over this data under UK GDPR will also be the same- these are listed elsewhere in our privacy notice.

Find out more about GP Connect

London Care Record – One London

What is the London Care Record?

The London Care Record is a secure view of your health and care information.

It lets health and care professionals involved in your care see important details about your health when and where they need them.

It can show doctors, nurses and other care professionals any conditions you have, your test results, medicines you take, anything you’re allergic to and plans for your care.

Having a single, secure view of your information helps speed up communication between care professionals across London, and beyond

This helps to improve the safety of care and can save lives.

OneLondon is working to ensure as many health and care staff as possible can access the London Care Record and that it provides them with the information they need.

The SEL ICS Privacy Notice for the London Care Record has now been published on the ICS website: The London Care Record – South East London ICS (selondonics.org)

Find out more about the London Care Record see www.onelondon.online.

South East London ICS Privacy Policy

The Exchange Surgery is commissioned by South East London ICS. ICS collects, processes and protects the personal data of its service users.

For more information on the onelondon data sharing framework visit https://www.selondonics.org/who-we-are/our-work/digital-and-data/data-services/

How we use your Health and Care Data

How we use your data

Summary Care Record Supplementary Transparency Notice

During the height of the pandemic changes were made to the Summary Care Record (SCR) to make additional patient information available to all appropriate clinicians when and where they needed it, to support direct patients care, leading to improvements in both care and outcomes.

These changes to the SCR will remain in place, unless you decide otherwise.

Regardless of your past decisions about your Summary Care Record preferences, you will still have the same options that you currently have in place to opt out of having a Summary Care Record, including the opportunity to opt-back in to having a Summary Care Record or opt back in to allow sharing of Additional Information.

You can exercise these choices by doing the following:

Choose to have a Summary Care Record with all information shared. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see a detailed Summary Care Record, including Core and Additional Information, if they need to provide you with direct care.
Choose to have a Summary Care Record with Core information only. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see limited information about allergies and medications in your Summary Care Record if they need to provide you with direct care.
Choose to opt-out of having a Summary Care Record altogether. This means that you do not want any information shared with other authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals involved in your direct care. You will not be able to change this preference at the time if you require direct care away from your GP practice. This means that no authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see information held in your GP records if they need to provide you with direct care, including in an emergency.

To make these changes, you should inform your GP practice or complete this form and return it to your GP practice.

Legal basis for sharing this data

In order for your Personal Data to be shared or processed, an appropriate ‘legal basis’ needs to be in place and recorded. The legal bases for direct care via SCR is the same as the legal bases for the care you would receive from your own GP, or another healthcare provider:

for the processing of personal data: Article 6.1 (e) of the UK GDPR: ‘processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’.
for the processing of ‘Special Category Data’ (which includes your medical information): Article 9.2 (h) of the UK GDPR: ‘processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services’.

Your rights

Because the legal bases used for your care via SCR are the same as used in other direct care situations, the legal rights you have over this data under UK GDPR will also be the same- these are listed elsewhere in our privacy notice.

Find out more about SCR.

Don’t want to share?

All our patients can choose not to share their information. Should you wish to opt out of data collection, please contact a member of staff, alternatively,

Patients can set their opt-out preferences at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters You will need their NHS number and a valid email address or telephone number which is on the GP record or on the Personal Demographics Service database to register their decision to opt out. Patients who are unable to use the online facility can use a phone helpline to manage their choice 0300 303 5678. A paper print-and-post form is also available at www.nhs.uk – Other ways to make a choice about sharing data.

Alternatively, please contact a member of staff for support.

Have a question?

If you have any questions, ask a member of the surgery team. You can:

Contact the practice’s data controller via email at [email protected]. GP practices are data controllers for the data they hold about their patients

Ask to speak to the practice manager Lucie Lehane who is also Data Protection Champion for The Exchange Surgery.

Data Protection Officer (DPO) contact for The Exchange Surgery: [email protected]

GP DPO Service Lead: Danielle Gibbons

If you’re not happy about how we manage your information

We really want to make sure you’re happy, but we understand that sometimes things can go wrong. If you are unhappy with any part of our data-processing methods, you can complain. For more information, visit ico.org.uk and select ‘Raising a concern’.

We always make sure the information we give you is up-to-date. Any updates will be published on our website, in our newsletter and leaflets, and on our posters. This policy will be reviewed in May 2019.

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AccuRX – Privacy Notice As part of the Digital First National programme of work, GP Practices are required to provide a tool for patients to access primary care services. The aim of the Accurx platform is to improve communications between healthcare staff and patients resulting in improved outcomes and productivity. The platform facilitates digital communications between the practice and our patients. Using the Accurx platform will require the processing of special category data by Accurx, their sub-processors and by default the GP Practice as a Controller. This will include; exchanging and storing messages in relation to patients and medical staff, performing video consultations (these will not be recorded or stored) between healthcare staff and their patients This will allow you to respond to the Practice in multiple ways such as; free text, questionnaires and submitting images/documents. If you have a non-urgent healthcare concern or need to contact the Practice for any medical or admin reason, click on the online via our website or via NHS app or via NHS website. Fill out the online form, which will then be reviewed and processed by our healthcare professionals to decide the right care for you. We will respond to every online request 2 workings days Accurx is approved by NHS England to be used by GP practices and the other systems involved in patient care. NHS England has a lengthy assurance process to make sure they meet the highest standards of safety and security. Your data is safe and is shared only with your GP Practice for the purposes of your direct care. Your data is stored and sent securely using industry best practices, and Accurx only collect the data that is necessary to allow your GP Practice to provide you with care. The Practice uses the following Accurx features: · SMS, Friends and Family test, online consultations, video consultations, AccuMail and Record Views Accurx’s privacy notice can be found on their website here: Accurx \| Privacy Policy
1) Controller contact details	The Vale Surgery Streatham vale London Sw16 5se
2) Data Protection Officer contact details	GP Data Protection Officer [email protected]
3) Purpose of the processing	The aim of the Accurx platform is to improve communications between healthcare staff and patients resulting in improved outcomes and productivity. The platform facilitates digital communications between the practice and our patients.
4) Lawful basis for processing	Under UK GDPR and DPA 2018 – 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’. 9(2)(h) ‘…medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems…’
5) Recipient or categories of recipients of the shared data	Data may be shared with Accurx, and their sub-processors such as cloud services used for Accurx’s own storage, communications, security, engineering, and similar purposes.
6) Rights to object	You have the right under Article 21 of the UK GDPR to object to your personal information being processed. Please contact the Practice if you wish to object to the processing of your data. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection which is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.
7) Right to access and correct	You have the right to access copies of the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law.
8) Retention period	The data will be retained for active use during the processing and thereafter according to NHS Policies and the law.
9) Right to Complain.	You have the right to complain to us about the way your data is handled or processed. To so, please contact the Practice using the following details: The Vale Surgery Streatham vale London Sw16 5se If you remain unsatisfied with our response, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. To do so, you can use this linkhttps://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/or call their helpline Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate) There are National Offices for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (see ICO website)

Accurex – Privacy Notice As part of the Digital First National programme of work, GP Practices are required to provide a tool for patients to access primary care services. The aim of the Accurx platform is to improve communications between healthcare staff and patients resulting in improved outcomes and productivity. The platform facilitates digital communications between the practice and our patients. Using the Accurx platform will require the processing of special category data by Accurx, their sub-processors and by default the GP Practice as a Controller. This will include; exchanging and storing messages in relation to patients and medical staff, performing video consultations (these will not be recorded or stored) between healthcare staff and their patients This will allow you to respond to the Practice in multiple ways such as; free text, questionnaires and submitting images/documents. If you have a non-urgent healthcare concern or need to contact the Practice for any medical or admin reason, click on the online via our website or via NHS app or via NHS website. Fill out the online form, which will then be reviewed and processed by our healthcare professionals to decide the right care for you. We will respond to every online request 2 workings days Accurx is approved by NHS England to be used by GP practices and the other systems involved in patient care. NHS England has a lengthy assurance process to make sure they meet the highest standards of safety and security. Your data is safe and is shared only with your GP Practice for the purposes of your direct care. Your data is stored and sent securely using industry best practices, and Accurx only collect the data that is necessary to allow your GP Practice to provide you with care. The Practice uses the following Accurx features: · SMS, Friends and Family test, online consultations, video consultations, AccuMail and Record Views Accurx’s privacy notice can be found on their website here: Accurx \| Privacy Policy
1) Controller contact details	The Vale Surgery Streatham vale London Sw16 5se
2) Data Protection Officer contact details	GP Data Protection Officer [email protected]
3) Purposeof the processing	The aim of the Accurx platform is to improve communications between healthcare staff and patients resulting in improved outcomes and productivity. The platform facilitates digital communications between the practice and our patients.
4) Lawful basis for processing	Under UK GDPR and DPA 2018 – 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’. 9(2)(h) ‘…medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems…’
5) Recipient or categories of recipients of the shared data	Data may be shared with Accurx, and their sub-processors such as cloud services used for Accurx’s own storage, communications, security, engineering, and similar purposes.
6) Rights to object	You have the right under Article 21 of the UK GDPR to object to your personal information being processed. Please contact the Practice if you wish to object to the processing of your data. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection which is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.
7) Right to access and correct	You have the right to access copies of the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law.
8) Retention period	The data will be retained for active use during the processing and thereafter according to NHS Policies and the law.
9) Right to Complain.	You have the right to complain to us about the way your data is handled or processed. To so, please contact the Practice using the following details: The Vale Surgery Streatham vale London Sw16 5se If you remain unsatisfied with our response, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. To do so, you can use this linkhttps://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/or call their helpline Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate) There are National Offices for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (see ICO website)

Disability Access

GDPR/Privacy Notice

What information do we collect about you?

How do we use your information?

We share your medical records with other health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is only ever on a need-to-know basis and event by event.
Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record.
We share some of your data with local out-of-hours provider
Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as flu, cervical cytology and diabetes prevention.
Your data about you is used to manage the NHS and make payments.
We share information when the law requires us to, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people
Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.
We may also share medical records for medical research

How to access your records?

We encourage patients to sign up to online services (Patient Access) where you can also access your medical records. Please ask our receptionist for more details.

If you want to see what is written about you, you have a right to access the information we hold on you, but you will need to complete a form called Subject Access Request (SAR). Please ask at reception for a SAR form and you will be given further information. You can request to view only certain parts of your records if you prefer.

Furthermore, should you identify anything in your record which is incorrect, you have the right to have the inaccurate data corrected.

Processors of personal data

In order to deliver the best possible service, the practice contracts Processors to process personal data, including patient data on our behalf.

When we use a Processor to process personal data we will always have an appropriate legal agreement in place to ensure that they keep the data secure, that they do not use or share information other than in accordance with our instructions and that they are operating appropriately. Examples of functions that may be carried out by a Processor include:

Companies that provide IT services & support, including our core clinical systems; systems which manage patient facing services (such as our website and service accessible through the same); data hosting service providers; systems which facilitate appointment bookings or electronic prescription services; document management services etc.
Delivery services (for example if we were to arrange for delivery of any medicines to you).
Payment providers (if for example you were paying for a prescription or a service such as travel vaccinations).

Don’t want to share?

All our patients can choose not to share their information. Should you wish to opt out of data collection, please contact a member of staff, alternatively,

Alternatively, please contact a member of staff for support.

Have a question?

If you have any questions, ask a member of the surgery team. You can:

Contact the practice’s data controller via email at [email protected]. GP practices are data controllers for the data they hold about their patients

Ask to speak to the practice manager Lucie Lehane who is also Data Protection Champion for The Exchange Surgery.

Data Protection Officer (DPO) contact for The Exchange Surgery:

IG Help Desk Contact:

Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Telephone: 030000 428 438

GP DPO Service Lead: Claire Clements

If you’re not happy about how we manage your information

For more information see Our Healthier South East London Privacy Notice.

GP 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 The Vale Surgery in the last financial year was £66,958.00 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.

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 from any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

Non-NHS Work

What is non-NHS work and why is there a fee?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951 and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged.

Sometimes the charge is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, providing copies of health records or producing medical reports for insurance companies, solicitors or employers.

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients but not non-NHS work. It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS; they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc. – in the same way as any small business.

In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is that they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients are:

Accident/sickness certificates for insurance purposes
School fee and holiday insurance certificates
Reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise
Private prescriptions for travel purposes

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

Life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
Reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with
Disability living allowance and attendance allowance
Medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering
Copies of records for solicitors

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions, for example, a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients. Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

The British Medical Association (BMA) suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (i.e. work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, the fees suggested by them are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates they suggest.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time. Our GPs do non-NHS work out of NHS time at evenings or weekends so that NHS patient care does suffer.

I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the police.

If you are a new patient we may not have your medical records so the doctor must wait for these before completing the form.

What will I be charged?

It is recommended that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be. It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge. The surgery has a list of fees based on these suggested fees which are available on request.

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example, passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge. Read the information that comes with these types of forms carefully before requesting your GP to complete them.

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight: urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this may cost more. Usually, non-NHS work will take 2 weeks.

Our Mission Statement

Privacy Notice: Enhanced Access

Streatham PCN is made up of a number of GP Practices and has been created for members practices to work collaboratively to deliver the requirements of the PCN Directed Enhanced Service Contract.

The following practices are part of Streatham PCN:

Palace Road Surgery
Streatham Hill Group Practice
Valley Road Surgery
The Exchange Surgery
Streatham Common Practice
The Vale Surgery

As part of the PCN DES service, we are required to provide Enhanced Access to patients registered with practices in the PCN. Enhanced Access is patient appointments outside core practice hours – that is between 18:30-20:00 on weekdays, and on Saturdays 09:00 till 17:00. We have chosen to also offer some appointments between 07:00-08:00 on weekdays. We have also chosen to subcontract some of the provision of these appointments to our local GP federation (Lambeth GP Federation), who have previously provided access hubs in the area.

The Enhanced Access service for our patients requires the following:

An interoperable Clinical IT solution and
Data Sharing between the PCN practices and the GP Federation

1) Controller contact details	The controller of your data when it is in your practice clinical record will be your registered GP practice. The controller of your data when it is in the GP Federation clinical record system is Lambeth GP Federation, 1 Alleyn Park, London, SE21 8AU
2) Data Protection Officer contact details	Danielle Gibbons GP Data Protection Officer [email protected]
3) Purpose of the processing	To provide our patients with direct care.
4) The Lawfulness Conditions and Special Categories	The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR: Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’. Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…” We will also recognise your rights established under UK case law collectively known as the “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”^*
5) Recipient or categories of recipients of the shared data	The data will be shared with: Palace Road Surgery www.palaceroadsurgery.co.uk Streatham Hill Group Practice www.shgp.co.uk Valley Road Surgery www.valleyroadsurgery.co.uk The Exchange Surgery www.theexchangesurgery.com Streatham Common Practice www.streathamcommonpractice.co.uk The Vale Surgery www.thevalesurgery.co.uk Lambeth GP Federation www.lambethgpfederations.nhs.uk/access-hubs
6) Rights to object	You have the right under Article 21 of the GDPR to object to your personal information being processed. Please contact the Practice if you wish to object to the processing of your data. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection which is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance. GP Practices process personal data under Article 6(1)(c) on a lawful and legitimate basis where the organisation is obliged under law to comply with The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) The Freedom of Information Act The NHS Constitution The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 By complying with these laws, the Practice has compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms in the right to object.
7) Right to access and correct	Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to see or be given a copy of any personal data we hold about you. To gain access to a copy of your information, you will need to make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the Practice you are normally registered with. You also have the right to have incorrect data held about you corrected.
8) Retention period	The data will be retained for the period as specified in the national NHS records retention schedule.
9) Right to Complain.	You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can use this link www.ico.org.uk/global/contact-us or call their helpline Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)

Rights and Responsibilities

We are here to help you, but to do this we sometimes need your assistance. Here we explain the ways in which you can help the surgery provide a better service for all patients.

Patient Health

Patients should respect their health and therefore seek to maintain a healthy lifestyle and minimise their health risks.

Patient Conduct

Patients should value the members of the practice team as professional advisers. This includes extending the same courtesy and politeness as they would expect to receive.

No Smoking

We are committed to a policy of promoting good health and preventing disease. There should be no smoking on the premises to ensure a smoke-free environment.

Repeat Prescriptions

Requests for repeat prescriptions take 2 working days and should be made in good time to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. Requests should be made using the computer-generated right side of your prescription or alternatively a request may be made in writing to the surgery. For safety reasons, requests for repeat medication will not be taken over the telephone however they can be requested via our website.

Help and Advice

Requests for help or advice for non urgent conditions should be made within normal surgery opening hours. The out-of-hours service operated by NHS 111 should only be used in the case of urgent medical conditions and not for routine problems or enquiries.

Appointment Attendance

The patient should do everything possible to keep appointments. The surgery should be notified as soon as possible if you are unable to attend so that the appointment can be given to another patient. Failing to turn up for appointments without notifying the surgery in advance could stop possible urgent cases from receiving earlier medical attention.

Patient Privacy

Whilst privacy is respected by all staff, it would be helpful if patients would indicate the nature of the appointment ie blood tests, vaccinations, smears, etc so that we can advise on the best member of the team to consult.

Home Visits

Home visits should be regarded as a service for the genuinely housebound or seriously ill. They are time consuming and their misuse would disadvantage those in genuine need.

New Patients

If you are a new patient please be ready to tell us details of your past medical history, including illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and other relevant details. Make sure you have registered all members of your household.

Moving House

If you move house or are planning to in the near future, you should notify the surgery of your new address as soon as possible. Remember that in case of emergency we may need to contact you urgently.

Effective Use of Resources

We place importance on the effective use of resources, patients found repeatedly failing to attend appointments without prior notification, abusing the home visits or NHS 111 out-of-hours service, or repeatedly phoning in to request repeat prescriptions will have their registration status reviewed.

Suggestions, Comments and Complaints

If you would like to give us any feedback or wish to make a complaint, please complete our Feedback and Complaints Triage.

The doctors and staff at this practice are committed to providing high quality healthcare and services to patients. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the practice, please let us know at the reception desk by informing the Operations Manager verbally or in writing.

We operate a complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints.

The practice complaints procedure meets national criteria.

What If My Complaint Is Personal?

We shall respect your confidentiality. If your concerns are about another person we will need their written permission before discussing anything personal with you.

Tell Us What You Think

It is helpful to have your views about how we run the practice.

If something concerns you or you think we should know about anything, please speak the Operations Manager. Or you can write down your comments and suggestions and give to a member of staff or put it in the suggestions box.

The doctors and staff are interested to know what you think about the services we offer here. Your compliments as well as complaints are equally welcomed.

We will provide high quality primary care response to the needs of the local community, to the mutual satisfaction of patients, clinicians and practice staff. We will respect the needs and beliefs of patients without discrimination, in a supportive and friendly environment.

We will create an atmosphere of professionalised care and accessibility, and to work in partnership with patients and other health care professionals.

How To Complain

It is best to tell a member of staff about any concerns or problems as soon as they arise and we will try and sort them out.

If you wish to make a complaint, please let us have details of your complaint as soon as possible so we can find out what happened.

You can ask for an appointment with the Operations Manager in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It helps us if you can give us as the full details about your complaint.

You need to make your complaint within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem OR within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem relating to a specific incident.

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

Medical records are protected by the Data Protection Act 2018. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else we need to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (i.e. due to illness) of providing this.

Verbal Complaints

We believe that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they occur with the individuals concerned. Please ask to speak with Sally Knapp, our reception manager, who will try to assist you. If you are unable to resolve your problem at step 1 then please read details below on step 2.

Local Resolution

As part of our resolution process, we wish to deal with complaints as soon as possible after the event. If not resolved in step 1 then a complaint must be made in writing, ideally within 1 year of the date on which the complaint occurred.

The complaint letter must be addressed to the complaints to the Operations Manager.

What We Will Do

We shall acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days and shall then proceed to investigate your complaint within 10 working days. After investigating your complaint we should be in a position to offer you an explanation by writing to you. Or we may invite you to a meeting in the practice if this is appropriate. When we look into a complaint we aim to:

Find out what happened and what went wrong
Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if this is appropriate
Make sure you receive an apology where appropriate
Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not arise again
Introduce procedures to ensure that best practice is adopted where necessary

A written response from the complaints manager will be sent within 30 working days of the complaint being made.

Useful Addresses

If you are not happy with our written response to your concerns, you can contact the NHS England Customer Contact Centre or The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

NHS England Customer Contact Centre
NHS Commissioning Board
P.O. Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
Voice Ability: 0300 3305 454
Text Phone: 0786 002 2939
Email: [email protected]

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

NHS 111 Service (replacing NHS Direct)
Medical help fast but not a 999 emergency
Tel: 111
If you have difficulties communicating or hearing.
Text Phone: 18001 111

Remember:

We want you to let us know if you are unhappy or have a suggestion about how we can do things better
All complaints are treated in the strictest confidence
Making a complaint will not affect your treatment at the surgery

Summary Care Record

The current Central NHS Computer System is 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.

You may need to be treated by health and care professionals that do not know your medical history. Essential details about your healthcare can be difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell or have complex care needs. Having an SCR means that when you need healthcare you can be helped to recall vital information.

SCRs can help the staff involved in your care make better and safer decisions about how best to treat you.

You can choose to have additional information included in your SCR, which can enhance the care you receive. This information includes:

Your illnesses and health problems.
Operations and vaccinations you have had in the past.
How you would like to be treated – such as where you would prefer to receive care.
What support you might need.
Who should be contacted for more information about 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?

If you are registered with a GP practice in England you will have a Summary Care Record (SCR), unless you have previously chosen not to 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 looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP. It includes important information about your health:

Medicines you are taking.
Allergies you suffer from.
Any bad reactions to medicines.

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 our online Summary Care Record Opt Out form.

For further information visit the NHS Care Records website.

Zero Tolerance

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.