Surgery Information

We ask you for personal information so that 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. This information may also be shared with other external healthcare professionals unless you advise the surgery that you wish to ‘opt out’ of this information sharing initiative.

The principles of confidentiality apply equally to all patients regardless of age. Young people (including those under 16) are entitled to equal confidentiality as all other patients. This includes respecting their wishes to withhold information from parents or guardians. The GP involved will determine the competency of a young person seeking treatment and will determine the extent to which confidentiality guidelines apply in each case. Prescriptions and some of the consultation records are run entirely on computer.

TOWER HOUSE SURGERY DATA PROTECTION POLICY

At Tower House Surgery, we are committed to protecting the personal information of our patients, staff, and business contacts. Our Data Protection Policy aligns with the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018 to ensure secure, lawful, and fair handling of personal data.

Key Principles of Data Protection

We uphold the six data protection principles:

1. Process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.
2. Collect and use data only for specified, lawful purposes.
3. Ensure data is adequate, relevant, and not excessive.
4. Keep data accurate and up to date.
5. Retain data only as long as necessary.
6. Process data securely to prevent unauthorised access, loss, or destruction.

Responsibilities

Employee Responsibilities:
All employees are trained to:

• Follow the Data Protection Act principles.
• Collect and process data only for lawful purposes.
• Ensure data is accurate, securely stored, and properly disposed of when no longer needed.
• Notify the Practice Manager of requests for personal information.
• Report any breaches or risks to data security promptly.

Practice Responsibilities:
Tower House Surgery will:

• Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to oversee compliance.
• Provide training and clear procedures for handling personal data.
• Ensure compliance with the National Data Opt-Out Policy.
• Respond to subject access requests in line with the law.
• Protect patient and staff records from unauthorised disclosure.

Patient Information

We maintain personal information on secure systems to support your healthcare needs. Your records are accessible only to authorised staff trained in confidentiality.

• Sharing Information: We may share details with those involved in your care or when legally required, such as in public health emergencies or court orders.
• Consent: Written consent is needed for non-care-related disclosures, such as insurance reports.
• Privacy Measures: We do not disclose information over the phone, to third parties, or leave messages without your prior consent.

Commitment to Security

We ensure robust safeguards for all data to prevent accidental loss or breaches. All staff contracts include confidentiality clauses, and we regularly assess our compliance to mitigate risks.

You have the right to view your own records. To request access, please submit your request in writing, addressed to the Practice Manager.

For further information, please contact our Practice Manager (Data Protection Officer) in writing.

Our Fair Processing Notice is available in PDF form below. A more simplified version is available on request.

Fair Processing Notice (PDF, 242KB)

What we share and why (PDF, 205KB)

COVID-19 At risk Patients

The Department of Health and Social Care has directed NHS Digital to collect this data for the purpose of direct care in response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus (also known as coronavirus).

The objective of this collection is, on an ongoing basis, to identify registered patients:

• who are more at risk of getting seriously ill with COVID-19
• who may be suitable for treatment if they become COVID-19 positive
• who may be suitable for a COVID-19 vaccination.

The required data comprises two extracts:

• patients registered at GP practices in England
• patients registered on the health and justice information system (HJIS) which serves the detained estate in England.

The data collected will be analysed and linked with other data NHS Digital holds. Patient level data including name, address, NHS Number and GP practice will be collected for identified patients.

COVID-19 At Risk Patients data collection (PDF, 1.04MB)

“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 Tower House Surgery in the last financial year was £142201 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 7 full time GPs .”

The staff at this practice record information about you and your health so that you can receive the right care and treatment. We need to record this information, together with the details of the care you receive, so that it is available each time we see you.

The information recorded about you may be used for reasons other than your personal care, for example, to help to protect the health of the general public, to plan for the future, to train staff and to carry out medical and other health research.

We are involved in research studies which require access to anonymous information from patients’ notes. All directly identifiable details (name, address, post code, NHS number, full date of birth) are removed from your notes before they are collected for research, and automatic programs to de-personalise any free text (non structured or coded data) are run after information is collected . Individual patients’ records are added into a much larger anonymous database from many patients across the UK which is used by researchers outside this practice. This data may be anonymously linked to other data, such as hospital data.

If you would like to opt out of this data collection scheme, please let your doctor know and your records will not be collected for use in the anonymous research database. This will not affect your care in any way.

If anything to do with the research would require that you provide additional information about yourself, you will be contacted by your GP to see if you are willing to take part; you will not be identified in any published results.

You have a right of access to your health records. If at any time you would like to know more, or have any concerns about how we use your information, please ask reception for more details.

Please contact Michelle Page for a list of published research via telephone 0207 554 0663 or email michelle.page@thin-uk.com for a paper copy.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.

Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or by calling 0300 3035678.

By 2020 all health and care organisations are required to be compliant with the national data opt-out policy. NHS Digital and Public Health England are already compliant and are applying national data opt-outs.

Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Users of the National Health Service have rights. The following explains what they are. They fall into three main categories.

Legislated Rights

Rights that have been written into law by means of Parliamentary Acts or Bills. (For example, UK GDPR and DPA 2018). As a patient of the NHS you have 7 rights.

• You are entitled to receive health care on the basis of clinical need, regardless of your income.
• You are entitled to be registered with a Medical practice. You are entitled to change your practice at any time. You do not have to give a reason for your decision.
• You are legally entitled to accept or refuse treatment as you see fit. This includes examinations, tests, diagnostic procedures, medication, operations, etc.
• You can refuse to be involved in research trials. If you do not agree to be involved in research trials, you can withdraw at any time.
• You are entitled to equal treatment regardless of race, gender, age or disability.
• You have a right to information on GP practices in your area and the services they provide. All practices must provide an information leaflet.
• You have a right to confidentiality. Personal information about your health is confidential and should only be disclosed to those who need that information to provide you with effective treatment, you can consent to share with other individuals outside of the NHS

Access to your Health Records.

You have a legal entitlement to see a copy of the records held about you. All records stored on computer can be accessed. If you wish to see your records you should apply in to the practice for a Subject Access Request.

Guideline Rights

• You are entitled to have reasonable access to high quality service and facilities.
• You are entitled to information on what is wrong with you and the treatment options available. Ask questions. You should be given truthful, clear answers.
• You are entitled to ask for a second opinion on your diagnosis or treatment.
• You can ask to have someone with you (friend, relative, interpreter) at any time. You may find this beneficial, particularly if you are asking questions or need moral support.

Human Rights

It is your right to be treated as a human being by another human being and as they would wish to be treated themselves, i.e. with dignity, politeness, respect and consideration. These may not necessarily be covered legally or even be contained in guidelines, but human rights will come into many of the areas mentioned above and are certainly just as important.

Consent

A doctor, nurse, or anyone else looking after your health, has to have your agreement before they can examine or treat you. This policy applies to both children and adults. Your consent will be sought before any of your information is shared with any individual not connected with your direct health care.

Patient Responsibilities

Patients, too, have certain responsibilities:

• Keeping appointments:  Please try to arrive on time. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please inform the clinic or surgery in good time. Address. If you move house, change address or telephone number, or the postcode is changed, please inform your GP practice or outpatient clinic.
• Treat all healthcare staff in a reasonable, courteous manner.
• Use emergency services in a responsible manner. Please use the out-of-hours services for emergencies only and not for routine care.
• Take care with medicines. Medicines are for one person only and should not be shared. Keep them safely away from children and in the original container. Take any unwanted medicines to a chemist for safe disposal.

Our Responsibilities

• You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times. You have the right to be treated confidentially.
• Respect for religious and cultural beliefs will be honoured.
• We aim to answer the telephone promptly and courteously.
• You have a right to information about your own health (illness and treatment, possible side effects, prevention or recurring illness etc). We will offer medical advice and information for the promotion of good health. You have the right to see your own medical records subject to the limitations of the law. A charge may be made.
• Home visits will be made when requested and if a doctor feels that you are not well enough or not able to attend the surgery. The final decision rests with the doctor.
• We may give you test results when you telephone the surgery for them, or you may be asked to make an appointment with the doctor to discuss them.
• On registering as a new patient you will be offered a health check.
• If your doctor believes that you need a second opinion then this will be arranged.
• You will be given a time to see a doctor in accordance with the system used in this practice. If there is a substantial delay for any reason, you will be given an explanation.

Your Responsibilities

• We ask that you treat our doctors and all practice staff with courtesy and respect.
• The first hour of the morning can be extremely busy. Please keep telephone calls brief. If possible, leave routine calls until later in the day.
• You are responsible for your own health and that of your children. Please take the advice given to you at the practice. Let us know immediately if you change your address or name and remember to give us your telephone number and postcode.
• If you wish to see your medical records, please put your request in writing to your GP.   Arrangements will then be made with you. A charge may be made for access to medical records.
• Please contact the surgery between 9.00 and 10.30am for a home visit during the day.
• If tests are ordered for you, please contact the surgery for the results.
• Please let us know if you are unable to keep an appointment. We can then offer this appointment to someone else.
• If you are aged 16-75 and have not seen a GP or nurse in the past three years and feel you need a health check, you may, if you wish, make an appointment at our health promotion clinic.
• If you are aged 75 or over and have not seen a GP or nurse in the past 12 months and feel you require a health check, please speak to one of our practice nurses.
• Please check our patient information booklet for the procedure for obtaining repeat prescriptions.
• Where an appointment or acknowledgement of a routine referral for a hospital appointment is not received within six weeks, please contact the hospital concerned.

Standard Of Care

The practice aims to achieve and maintain a quality health service to meet your requirements. We believe that we meet the high Essential Standards of Care as set out by the Care Quality Commission. If you feel that we do not meet any of these required standards please contact the practice manager.

Consent

The doctor or nurse that you see will obtain your (or appropriate representative)understanding, agreement and consent prior to undertaking any proposed treatment, immunisation or investigation. Consent may be implied or expressed, depending on the individual circumstances. A copy of the practice’s policy on consent can be obtained by contacting the surgery.

Teaching

This practice is approved by the Wessex Regional Postgraduate Medical Education Committee as a training practice for doctors intending to become general practitioners. These doctors are fully qualified and we hope you will treat them as one of the team. We also teach medical students from time to time.

Staff Protection

A zero tolerance policy towards violent, threatening and abusive behaviour is now in place throughout the NHS.

Our staff have the right to do their work in an environment free from violent, threatening and abusive behaviour and everything will be done to protect that right.

At no time will any violent, threatening or abusive behaviour be tolerated in this practice. If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our list of registered patients.

Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a publication scheme from January 2005. A publication scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme will be available from reception.

National Data Opt Out

The national data opt-out policy was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for anything other than their individual care and treatment , for example research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.

By March 2020 all health and adult social care organisations are required to be compliant with the national data opt-out policy, where they are using confidential patient information for purposes beyond an individual’s care and treatment. This information standard provides a set of requirements to ensure that all health and adult social care organisations in England can comply with the National data opt-out policy.

We are very happy to receive constructive comments and suggestions for improving our service to patients. Similarly if you have a complaint about any aspect of the services we provide, please write  to the Business Manager or email:

hiowicb-hsi.towerhouse@nhs.net.

If you do make a complaint we will acknowledge this in writing within 3 working days, and will endeavour to provide you with full details of our investigation and conclusions within 28 working days from the date your complaint was received. It may take longer to provide you with a final response if more information or investigation is needed. If you do not feel that we have dealt with your complaint to your satisfaction we will direct you to the appropriate authority to help you.

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Enabling the Accessibility Menu

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