Freedom of Information
Click here to download a copy of our Freedom of Information Leaflet
The Practice complies with the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Access to Medical Record legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you eg from District Nurses and hospital services
- For provision of other services eg from the Social Work Department. This requires your consent
- When we have a duty to others eg 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 eg for diabetic care. If you do not wish anonymised information about you to be used in such a way, please inform us in writing. If you would like more information about how the Practice complies with the legislation, please put your request in writing to Irena Nestorowytsch-Irwin, Business Manager.
Child Protection
The Practice has a child protection policy which is regularly updated. There is also a designated Child Protection Officer. If you have any concerns in this area, please contact one of the doctors for further assistance.
Violent and Abusive Behaviour
The Practice is committed to ensuring that our staff treat our patients with dignity and courtesy at all times. We expect our patients to treat our doctors, all Practice staff and other patients in the same manner. We support the NHS zero tolerance policy with regards to violent, threatening and abusive behaviour and the Practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard Practice staff, patients and others.
The definition of violence is not limited to physical assault or injury; it also includes verbal aggression and rude or offensive language and is defined by the Health & Safety Executive as ‘any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted by a member of the public in circumstances arising out of the course of his or her employment’. The Practice is committed to the firm pursuit, through the PSNI if necessary, of those who threaten or intimidate members of staff.
Confidentiality
The Practice has a general duty of confidentiality to their patients, staff and Practice business. This policy will apply to everyone in the Practice and for other professional staff working for the Practice.
All information concerning patients, staff (in connection with their employment) and the Practice business is strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to those who are not entitled to receive it in the course of their duties.
A breach of confidentiality constitutes gross misconduct and may result in dismissal, subject to the provisions of the Practice disciplinary procedures.
Non-medical staff in the Practice have received similar guidance on these matters via their contracts and handbooks of terms and conditions of service. In particular, they have been made aware of doctors' responsibilities in the maintenance of confidentiality and that they should not disclose confidential patient information without the consent of the patient's doctor.
This general duty of confidentiality does not affect our statutory rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, to make disclosures of otherwise confidential information without being dismissed or otherwise subjected to a detriment. However, it is expected that matters we are concerned about should be raised within the Practice in the first instance. Such matters (eg about the safety of patient care) may be raised with any Partner.