We have two reserved spaces in our car park for disabled visitors and access is directly in front of the car park into the health centre via electronic doors. Disabled toilets are also available.

What is a chaperone?

A chaperone is an impartial observer present during an intimate examination of a patient. They will usually be a health professional who is familiar with the procedures involved in the examination. The chaperone will usually be the same sex as the patient.

• Chaperones are there to support patients and staff.
• Chaperones are routinely offered before intimate examinations.
• Patients can refuse a chaperone.

Chaperone’s role

A chaperone is there for the patient. Their function is to:

• reassure the patient if they experience distress
• protect the patient’s dignity and confidentiality at all times
• offer emotional support at an embarrassing or uncomfortable time
• facilitate communication, especially if there is a language barrier.

We offer a chaperone routinely before conducting an intimate examination. This applies to both female and male p

We believe that the way we communicate with people is key to their good Health Literacy. Ensuring that we are a Health Literacy friendly organisation is both beneficial for us and the people we aim to serve.

We will therefore make sure that our communication with the people who use our services is guided by the following principles:

1. Our processes make it easy for people to communicate with us in lots of different ways; by letter, email, online forms, telephone and face-to-face. By communicate we mean

• How they contact us;
• How we contact them;
• How they ask us questions;
• How they make complaints;
• How they receive information from us.

2. Our staff members and volunteers offer help to everyone as a matter of routine e.g. when filling out forms, giving directions;

3. Our staff members and volunteers speak clearly to people, using short sentences and everyday words and they avoid the use of jargon;

4. Our staff members and volunteers take responsibility for people’s understanding of their spoken communication and use techniques to check people’s understanding by asking “Am I being clear?” rather than “Do you understand?” (Teach Back and Chunk and Check)

5. Our staff members and volunteers take every step needed to make sure that people can understand information and instructions including accessing interpretation services when necessary;

Our written information follows good practice guidance for writing clearly and in Plain English, and uses recommended design principles

If you are experiencing problems with the services offered by our practice, our manager will be happy to discuss your concerns with you. We also operate a practice in house complaints procedure.  For full details please ask at reception.

Complaints – in the first instance, complaints should be made to the Practice Manager. In more serious cases, you may be requested to put the complaint in writing however if you are unable or prefer not to do this yourself or if you feel that you need some help with this then please discuss this with the Practice Manager. As a patient, you have the right to be treated in a courteous and non- discriminatory manner.

If you do not want to complain directly to the practice you can complain to the Patient Services Team at the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) instead.

You can contact the Patient Services Team by email patientservices@staffsstoke.icb.nhs.uk  or by telephone on 0808 1968861.

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 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.

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.

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 Honeywall Medical Practice in the last financial year was £34,436 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 1 full time GP, 4 part time GPs and 0 locum GP’s who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Drs Rees, Lefroy & Aw, Stoke Health Centre, Honeywall, Stoke-on-Trent

Data Protection Privacy Notice for Patients

Introduction:
This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any that
we may collect from or about you.

This privacy notice applies to personal information processed by or on behalf of the practice.
This Notice explains
 Who we are, how we use your information and our Data Protection Officer
 What kinds of personal information about you do we process?
 What are the legal grounds for our processing of your personal information (including when
we share it with others)?
 What should you do if your personal information changes?
 For how long your personal information is retained by us?
 What are your rights under data protection laws?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became law on 24th May 2016. This is a single EUwide regulation on the protection of confidential and sensitive information. It enters into force in the
UK on the 25th May 2018, repealing the Data Protection Act (1998).

For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to the General Data
Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the “GDPR”), and the Data Protection Act 2018
(currently in Bill format before Parliament) the practice responsible for your personal data is Drs Rees,
Lefroy & Aw.

This Notice describes how we collect, use and process your personal data, and how, in doing so, we
comply with our legal obligations to you. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to
protecting and safeguarding your data privacy rights

How we use your information and the law.
Drs Rees, Lefroy & Aw will be what’s known as the ‘Controller’ of the personal data you provide to us.
We collect basic personal data about you which does not include any special types of information or
location-based information. This does however include name, address, contact details such as email
and mobile number etc.

We will also collect sensitive confidential data known as “special category personal data”, in the form
of health information, religious belief (if required in a healthcare setting) ethnicity, and sex during the
services we provide to you and or linked to your healthcare through other health providers or third
parties.

Why do we need your information?
The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any
treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.).
These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

NHS health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of
working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure.
Records which the Practice hold about you may include the following information;
• Details about you, such as your address, carer, legal representative, emergency contact details
• Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency
appointments, etc.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about your treatment and care
• Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays etc
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive.
Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us
manage the NHS. Information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the
quality of the service provided.

How do we lawfully use your data?
We need to know your personal, sensitive and confidential data in order to provide you with
Healthcare services as a General Practice, under the General Data Protection Regulation we will be
lawfully using your information in accordance with: –
Article 6, e) 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;”
Article 9, (h) 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
This Privacy Notice applies to the personal data of our patients and the data you have given us about
your carers/family members

In line with National NHS policy all our patients have an allocated named GP – we routinely inform patients when registering or at your initial appointment (usually new patient medical).

You can ask your GP Practice to register you for proxy access. They will guide you through the set-up process.

If the relative or person you wish to act on behalf of is at a different practice to yourself, you can ask your relative’s GP Practice to register you for proxy access.

What information do I need to provide to act on behalf of someone?

When the GP Practice registers you for proxy access, you will need to provide your identification (ID) to establish you are the person that you say you are. Please check with the practice regards the type of ID they require.

A legal basis will also be required. If the relative or person you wish to act on behalf of is aged over 11 years, consent from them for the proxy access must be provided to the Practice and recorded in either:

• Verbal consent to the GP witnessing the consent.
• Written consent. A signed consent form, or a letter from the relative or person, requesting that you are given proxy access. This form should also detail the level of access you will require, if you are uncertain about what access you require, please discuss this with the GP Practice. Examples include: access to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions only; or access to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view the patient’s medical records, share or download the patient’s medical records.

There is a new Central NHS Computer System 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.

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?

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

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 a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

More Information

For further information visit the NHS Care records website

Download the opt out form >>>>

This practice teaches medical students from Keele University. We ask for your co-operation with teaching tomorrow’s doctors.

However, if you do not want students involved in your consultation, you have the right to say so at any stage.

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.

Details for our DPO:

Head of Information Governance MLCSU
Heron House, 120 Grove Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4LX
Tel 01782 872648
Email mlcsu.dpo@nhs.net