Confidentiality

Your medical details are confidential to you. We will not give any medical information to anyone else without your agreement. This includes family members, so we are not able to give out information to partners, spouses or other relations. This is a legal right and also applies to teenagers and young people once the doctor or nurse judges that they are mature enough to understand the information. If they are felt to be mature enough, no information can be given to parents by law. This applies even if the young person is under 16.

All our staff including receptionists are fully trained and understand the importance of keeping your medical information confidential to you. Receptionists do not offer medical advice but may ask you questions to try to find out how best to help you. If you visit the surgery and would like to speak confidentially to a receptionist, please ask and we will arrange a private place to do so.

Teenagers and young people

By law, we must keep all medical information confidential, and must not give any medical information to anyone else without the individual’s agreement. This is a legal right for all adults, and also applies to teenagers and young people once the doctor or nurse judges that you are mature enough to understand the information. If you are felt to be mature enough, no information can be given to your parents by law. This applies even if you are under 16. The only exception to this would be if the doctor or nurse felt that some serious harm might come to you or someone else, in which case they would discuss it with you first.

On many occasions, however, the doctor or nurse will encourage you to discuss any problems with your parents or other responsible adults.

Your health records
The Data Protection Act allows you to find out what information about you is held on both computer and paper records.  If you want to see your health records, the law requires that you put your request in writing.  Please write to the Practice Manager, and we will be happy to arrange this.

We hold information relating to your health in order to provide the best possible healthcare to you.  This information may also be used by the NHS centrally, such as for research or audit purposes, but this would always be done anonymously or with your specific consent.  Our guiding principle is always that we hold your records in strict confidence.

Freedom of Information Act
We aim to comply fully with this Act.  For further details please ask to speak to the Practice Manager or click here for our FOI Publication Scheme.

We aim to provide a high quality service to all our patients and try hard to get it right first time, every time. However, we do care for over 10,000 patients and have over 30,000 appointments with patients every year, so we may occasionally get things wrong.

If you have any comments, complaints or suggestions as to how we could do things better, please contact the Practice Manager, Kathy Osborn, either by phone on 02476 322810 or at the following address The Grange Medical Centre, 39 Leicester Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6AB.

Each year we produce a report on any complaints we have received.  Please write to the practice manager if you would like a copy.

Practice Responsibilities

Our responsibilities to you:

• You will be treated as a partner in the care you receive.
• 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.
• You will be entitled to have a copy of our Practice Leaflet.
• We will try to answer the phone promptly and courteously.
• You will be able to see a Doctor of your choice, where possible, within 3 working days.
• We will try to see you within 30 minutes of your appointment time. You will be offered an explanation if we can not do this.
• We will explain the likely effects of any drugs and review your long term medical needs at agreed times.
• We will advise you about how and when to obtain the results of any tests or x-rays you have undergone.
• If we believe that you need a second opinion, we will try to help you get this.
• We will visit you at home, if you are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
• Wherever possible we will give you 24 hours notice of any cancelled surgery or clinic. 
• We will inform you about how you can make suggestions and complaints about the services we offer.
• We will maintain accurate medical records.
• You have the right to see your computerised medical records and written medical records in accordance with current legislation.
• We will offer advice and information about how you can promote good health and avoid illness.
• We have the right to remove patients from our list if they repeatedly and persistently ignore their responsibilities to us and other patients.

How you can help us to help you

Our responsibilities to you are detailed in the Practice Responsibilities section above. You will be treated as a partner in the care you receive. Being a partner means that we have responsibilities to each other. You can help us to help you.

• We ask that you treat the Doctors and all Practice Staff with the same courtesy and respect.
• Please read our Practice Leaflet. This will help you get the best out of the services we offer.
• Please try to telephone outside peak surgery times for non urgent requests.
• Please remember that the doctor may not always be available due to other commitments, such as holidays.
• Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you can’t. Please try to be punctual. If you arrive later than your appointment time, this may cause delays and inconvenience to other patients. If we are running late, please bear with us because on another occasion it may be you that needs extra time.
• You should not expect to be given a prescription every time you visit the doctor. Please remember to check your cupboards before ordering repeat prescriptions.
• You have the right to ask for a second opinion.
• Facilities for examination and treatment are better at the surgery and the less time a doctor spends travelling the more time is available for patients.
• Please do not ask for a home visit unless it is strictly necessary. Please ensure that your request for a home visit reaches the surgery before 10.30am unless a genuine emergency arises later.
• Please do not call out of hours except in real cases of emergency. Wherever possible, it is best to wait for the next surgery.
• Please remember to tell us if you no longer need your appointment.
• You are responsible for your own health and that of your children and should take appropriate action and advice.
• If you are seriously unhappy with us or the services that we provide, you have the right at any time to leave our list and register with another Practice.
  

Violence Statement

The practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, physical contact and/or aggressive gestures.

The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.

All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.