All Polices

Policy on Managing Requests for GP Prescribing, Including Shared Care Agreements with Private Providers

To view this policy in full, click here.

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.

Summary Care Record

Your patient record is held securely and confidentially on the electronic system at your GP practice. If you require treatment in another NHS healthcare setting such as an Emergency Department or Minor Injury Unit, those treating you would be better able to give you appropriate care if some of the information from the GP practice were available to them.

This information can now be shared electronically via: The Summary Care Record, used nationally across England

The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, unless the clinician is unable to ask you and there is a clinical reason for access.

If you would like to opt out, please ask reception for our opt out form.

A parent or guardian can request to opt out children under 16 but ultimately it is the GP’s decision whether to create the records or not, because of their duty of care to the child. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are able to understand, then you should make this information available to them.

Who Has Access?

Across all health care settings, including urgent care, community care and outpatient departments in England.

Information Source

GP record

Content

  • Your current medications
  • Any allergies you have
  • Any bad reactions you have had to medicines
  • Additional information (upon request to your GP)

For more information visit:

www.digital.nhs.uk

Suggestions & Complaints

Want to make a suggestion to the practice?

Your comments and suggestions are important to us, please send all suggestions to

 

Medical matters and official complaints cannot be dealt with via this form. If you have a query regarding a medical matter please telephone reception to make an appointment to see the appropriate person, or complete the feedback form linked at the bottom of the page.

Want to make a complaint?

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

Andover Medical Centre Complaints Procedure

We at Andover Medical Centre are committed to providing the best possible care. However, if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, we encourage you to let us know so we can address your concerns promptly.

How to Make a Complaint

  1. Initial Step: Speak Directly
    • If possible, speak directly with the staff member involved in your care. Often, issues can be resolved quickly and informally at this stage.
  2. Written Complaint
    • If your concern is not resolved informally, you can make a formal complaint. This can be done by writing to the Practice Manager. You can submit your complaint via email, post, or by filling out a complaints form available at the reception.

Contact Details:

  2. What to Include in Your Complaint
    • Your full name and contact details
    • The date of the incident or issue
    • Detailed description of your complaint
    • Any relevant supporting documents
    • What you would like to achieve as a resolution
  3. Acknowledgment
    • Upon receipt of your complaint, we will acknowledge it within three working days.
  4. Investigation
    • We will conduct a thorough investigation into your complaint. This may involve reviewing your medical records and speaking to the staff involved.
  5. Response
    • We aim to respond to your complaint within 21 working days. If the investigation takes longer, we will inform you of the delay and provide an estimated response time.
  6. Meeting
    • If necessary, we may invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint in detail. You can bring a friend or relative to this meeting.
  7. Outcome
    • After the investigation, we will provide you with a detailed response, explaining our findings and any actions we will take to address your concerns.

Further Steps if Unsatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the following organizations:

  • NHS England
  • Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
    • Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
    • Telephone: 0345 015 4033
    • Address: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

We value your feedback as it helps us improve our services. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Privacy Notice

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.

Practice Privacy Notice Document

Non-NHS Services

Medical Reports and Private Medical Certificates

Please seek advice regarding administrative requests at the reception desk first. You may not always need an appointment with the doctor if your request is of an administrative nature (solicitor or insurance report for instance). Please note that some medical reports may take up to 40 days to complete and an administrative fee may apply.

Please refer to administrative fee guidance below:

Non NHS Fees

Housing

Please refer to guidance leaflet below:

Housing Advice Medical Leaflet

IT Policy

This practice is committed to preserving, as far as is practical, the security of data used by our information systems. This means that we will take all reasonable actions to;

Maintain the Confidentiality of all data within the practice by:

  • Ensuring that only authorised persons can gain access to our systems
  • Not disclosing information to anyone who has no right to see it

Maintain the integrity of all data within the practice by:

  • Taking care over input
  • Ensuring that all changes are reported and monitored
  • Checking that the correct record is on the screen before updating
  • Reporting all apparent errors and ensuring that they are resolved

Maintain the availability of all data by:

  • Ensuring that all equipment is protected from intruders
  • Ensuring that backups are taken at regular, predetermined intervals
  • Ensuring that contingency is provided for possible failure or equipment theft and that any such contingency plans are tested and kept up to date

Additionally we will take all reasonable measures to comply with our legal responsibilities under:

Personal Data

The following IT systems are in use at the practice:

  • Referral Management (using NHS numbers in referrals)
  • Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments
  • Online booking of repeat prescriptions
  • Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
  • GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register
  • Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).

If you are not already registered for online access and would like to be please complete our online form.

If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception.

Chaperone Policy

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

Disabled Access

Our premises are accessible for wheelchairs and all our consultation rooms are at ground level

We have induction loop equipment available at the practice for patients with hearing aids if required