Practice Policies & Patient Information
Comments & Complaints
We aim to provide patients with the best care we can, but we will sometimes fall short of the mark. If you have any comments, suggestions or complaints about our service, we want to hear about it.
Comments & Suggestions
Complaints
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 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.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners 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.
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.
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
Electronic Patient Records
STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR ISLINGTON CENTRAL MEDICAL CENTRE
Nationally the way GP records are managed in the NHS is changing in three important ways.
- Summary Care Record (SCR)
- GP to GP Record Transfers
- Patient Online Access to Their GP Record
These changes do not let your records be shared outside of the team of professionals who look after you. They are designed to improve and speed up your care, and let you have more access to what is in your medical records.
If you want to find out more about these, or any other way in which your records are handled, please read the leaflets available in your practice or speak to a member of practice staff.
- Patient Online Access to Their GP Record
As you may know we already offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments and also for ordering your repeat prescriptions on-line. Alongside this all patients in England will have access to their GP medical records online by 31st March 2015.This means you can have secure online access to relevant parts (Current medications, immunisations and allergies) of your record from device that can access the internet.
To get online access to your records you will need to come to the practice with photographic ID. We will then give you the login details you will need.
- Summary Care Record (SCR)
NHS England requires GP practices to upload any changes to patient’s summary information on their Summary Care Record by 31st March 2015.A Summary Care Record (SCR) is a brief summary of your medical records that will help anyone treating you in an emergency who does not have your full medical record. The SCR contains information like any medicines you may be taking, or any allergies you have. Your SCR is automatically updated at least daily to ensure that your information is as up to date as it can possibly be.
You can find out more by watching “What is a Summary Care Record” here Dr. Simon Eccles explains how Summary Care Records help in out-of-hours and emergency settings – YouTube
You do not have to have a SCR if you do not want one. If you don’t, then let us know. You can do this by informing our reception team at the practice.
- GP to GP Record Transfers
A new way of transferring patient records between GP practices has been developed to be used when a patient moves from one GP practice to another.NHS England requires this new method to be used for all new or de-registered patients by 31 March 2015. However, we are already using this new method here at Islington Central Medical Centre.
For your own medical care it is very important that you are registered with a GP practice. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be forwarded on to your new GP. It can take up to two weeks for your paper records to reach your new surgery.
With the new system your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.
Dr Adel Hai & Dr Mervyn Rodrigues confirm that these GP to GP transfers are already active and we send and receive patient records via this system.
GP Net Earnings
All GP Practices are required to declare their mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in the practice of Islington Central Medical Centre in the last financial year was £51,471.00 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full-time GPs, 4 salaried GPs and 13 self-employed sessional GPs who worked in the practice for over six months.
Infection Control Statement
We aim to keep our practice clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients and staff. We are proud of our modern purpose built Medical Centre and endeavour to make sure it is kept clean and well maintained at all times.
If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control please report them at your earliest opportunity to the reception team in the first instance.
Our GPs and nursing staff follow our infection control policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment used, is safe.
We take additional measures to ensure we maintain the highest standards:
- Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report and incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control. We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems.
- Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection control procedures are working.
- Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection control.
- Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance.
- Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard within the available financial resources and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to remove or reduce all infection risk.
- Use washable or disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc. and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise risk of infection.
- Make Alcohol Hand Rub Gel available throughout the building.
Significant Events
In the past year there have been no significant events that related to infection control.
Audits
An annual infection control audit has been undertaken at the practice and recommendations that were financially feasible have been implemented.
Cleaning Specifications
The cleaning staff work to structured cleaning schedules and the daily cleaning of the Medical Centre is contracted to a company who follow national NHS guidance.
Infection Control Policy
The Infection Policy is reviewed and updated annually if appropriate and updated on an ongoing basis as national guidance changes.
Infection Control and Decontamination Named Leads
The named Infection Control and Decontamination leads for the surgery are Dr Rodrigues and Dr Hai. Please address and concerns you have about this matter in writing for their attention unless the issue is urgent in which case please draw the urgent issue to the attention of the reception staff verbally in the first instance. All infection control and decontamination issues are dealt with as a matter of priority.
Statement of Purpose
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (The Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 Part 4), the registering body (Islington Central Medical Centre) is required to provide to the Care Quality Commission, a statement of purpose.
Our Aims and Objectives
- We aim to provide personalised care in a family practice setting with high quality, safe and effective services.
- To provide monitored, audited and continually improving healthcare services.
- To provide healthcare which is available to a whole population and to create a partnership between patient and health professionals which ensures mutual respect, holistic care and continuous learning and training.
- The provision of accessible healthcare which is proactive to healthcare changes, efficiency and innovation and development.
- To improve Clinical Governance and Evidence Based Practice.
- To improve Clinical and Non-Clinical Risk management.
- To reduce risk in specific clinical risk areas and facilities.
- To improve environment and capacity.
- To improve vigilance for unforseen emergencies
- To optimise performance against key targets and core standards.
- To meet key targets.
- To implement payment by results.
- To become a patient centred organisation.
- To improve services offered to patients.
- To improve communication between the surgery and the patients.
- To recruit, retain and develop a highly motivated and appropriately skilled workforce.
- To enhance performance of the workforce.
- To develop management capability.
- To guide the employees in accordance with the Equalities Scheme.
- To continue the development of the medical centre when practical.
- To ensure effective management and governance systems.
- To ensure robust corporate processes at Partnership level.
- To ensure a robust Information Technology strategy to support the business of the Surgery.
- To ensure the financial stability and viability of the practice.
- To support and nurture this practice as a teaching and learning environment for medical students and GP trainees.
The registered activities and service types have been agreed by the Surgery Partners and Operations Manager in accordance with CQC guidance. Services are described under registered activity and Service Type.
The regulated activities under CQC are the services provided by the surgery:
- Routine medical checks and general medical services.
- NHS relevant prescriptions and medications or a private prescription can be issued.
- Immunisations, e.g. childhood immunisations.
- Foreign travel and immunisation.
- Executive & employee medicals – Our GP’s are able to carry out medical report and review.
- Assessment of employees returning to work after illness.
- Smoking Cessation – Any patient who is a smoker and ready to stop smoking will be referred to a nurse with in the practice.
- Family planning advice.
- Diabetic control.
- Flu vaccination – we offer ‘at risk’ groups the flu vaccine during the winter months each year to protect you against the flu virus.
- Phlebotomy – we offer clinics for all routine blood test at Islington Central Medical Centre on Monday 8.30am-16.30pm; Tuesday CLOSED, Wednesday 9.00am-12.30, Thursday 9.00am-11.00am, Friday 8.30am-16.30pm.
- Ear syringing – The Surgery has facilities for ear syringing by the practice nurses.
- Well person checks – These can be carried out with any practice nurse.
- Cervical screening - our nurse is qualified to carry out cervical screening and tests in the form of cervical smears.
Our practice ethos is to strive towards a partnership between patients and health professionals based on the following key facets:
- Mutual Respect
We endeavour to treat all our patients with dignity, respect and honesty. Everyone at Islington Central Medical Centre is committed to deliver an excellent service. We ask all patients to highlight any discrepancies and to offer the same commitment in return.
- ‘Holistic’ Care
We treat ‘patients’ and illnesses. This means that we are equally interested in the physical, psychological and social aspects of your individual care.
- Continuity of Care and the ‘Therapeutic relationship’
Building and maintaining a strong relationship between doctors, health professionals, and patients is essential to the way we work. This is especially so in the management of ongoing problems or long-term illness. In these circumstances we would encourage you to continue seeing the same health professional and wherever possible we will facilitate this through our appointments system. However, if you have a new problem, the doctor or nurse that you normally see is not available, or you would like to see someone else then we would encourage you to see any of the doctors or nurses at the practice.
- Learning and Training
We are committed to the ongoing professional development of our clinical and non-clinical team. We believe in “life-long learning” and all staff undergo an annual appraisal where learning and development needs are identified. We also recognise the benefit of supported learning for our patients and families in enhancing your ability to manage and deal with both ‘self-limiting’ and long-term illnesses.
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.