Practice Policies & Patient Information
Complaints
What is a Complaint?
We regard a complaint as:
- Any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.
If you need to complain about something, we encourage you to do so. We also understand that your complaint may involve more than one NHS body or service, or relate to both health and social care services, or it may be about someone working on our behalf. Our complaints procedure covers all of these possibilities. Please click on the link to view our Complaints Leaflet.
You can also submit your complaint online by clicking here.
Data Protection
The rules for Data Protection changed as from 25th May 2018.
Text Message Reminders
The Practice will send you appointment reminders using the mobile telephone number that patients provided. Patients can opt out of this service by contacting the practice or by responding to a text reminder with the phrase ‘NO TEXT’.
Data Protection Notice
Craigshill Health Centre is compliant with the new changes. For more information on how we respect your privacy, please click here.
Subject Access Request
To make a Subject Access Request, please complete this attached form.
Further Information
Please ask to speak to the Practice Manager.
GP Data Protection Notice
17/04/2024
There is an important update to Public Health Scotland’s General Practice data collection following the retirement of the SPIRE system in August 2023. Public Health Scotland (PHS) have been working with our NSS digital partners to confirm a new technical solution that will provide aggregate data extracts. This solution has been developed in tandem with our new national GP data extraction and analytical service, named the Primary Care Intelligence Service for Scotland (PCIS).
Data extracts previously captured via SPIRE are now scheduled to be undertaken by the new PHS Primary Care Intelligence Service (PCIS).
The permissions associated with the new service are the same as those previously agreed for SPIRE, so no changes are made to the practice’s privacy notice at this stage.
11/07/2022
This GP practice has agreed to take part in the DataLoch research programme. Both your GP practice and NHS Lothian are the data controller for the DataLoch programme (Data is only hosted within NHS Lothian), and are working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. The aims of the DataLoch programme are to support research for the benefit of local residents in the South-East Scotland region. A Data Sharing Agreement is in place that covers the sharing of patient data with DataLoch, and all approved research is anonymous.
In line with data protection legislation, the legal basis that permits processing of patient data is:
• 6(1)(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.
• 9(2)(j) – Processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, or scientific and historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1)
The DataLoch website covers the researcher data, public enquiries, and newsletter subscriptions for which the University of Edinburgh is the Data Controller: https://dataloch.org/privacy-notice
Patient Rights (Scotland) Act
The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 was passed by the Parliament in February 2011 and gained Royal Assent in March 2011.
The Act aims to improve patients’ experiences of using health services and to support people to become more involved in their health and health care.
The Act, gives all patients:
- The right that the health care they receive should consider their needs, consider what would be of optimum benefit to them, encourage them to take part in decisions about their health and wellbeing, and provide information and support for them to do so.
- It also provides a right to give feedback (both positive and negative) or comments, or raise concerns or complaints about the health care they have received. The Act also requires that Health Boards encourage, monitor and learn from the feedback and complaints they receive. Good Practice Guidance has been issued to NHS Boards setting out what is required and giving advice on how to handle and learn from feedback and complaints.
- It also establishes and provides access for patients and members of the public to the independent Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) which will provide information and help raise awareness and understanding their rights and responsibilities when using health services. PASS will also be able to help and support patients to give feedback about their healthcare and direct them to other types of support, such as advocacy or communication support services.
(Taken from the Scottish Government Website)
Practice Charter
Your Information & Data Protection
To best provide you with adequate healthcare we hold all our patients information on computer and in files and are well on our way to becoming a paperless practice. The data contained on computer is encrypted, routinely backed up and held securely. We will, on occasion, have to share information with other NHS departments and professionals. For example, if your doctor refers you to the hospital we will have to provide information to the consultant and they, in turn, will share information with us after your visit. We will also have to share information with NHS programmes such as the Cervical Screening or the Breast Screening Programmes. Any information passed on to them will only be relevant to the programme and may be as simple as your contact information only.
Some personal information will be used in an administrative way as we are required by law to provide auditing information to the Common Services Agency (part of the Scottish Health Service). By providing this information it allows us to provide a number of services within the health centre, such as contraceptive checks and minor surgery.
All our data and data handling activities comply with the Data Protection Act and we will not supply your information to any parties not involved with your healthcare unless specified by yourself (for example, private medical insurance.
Complaints
Please let us know sooner rather than later if you have any complaints. We take these seriously and all are discussed at length with doctors and staff. To complain, please ask to speak to the practice manager in the first instance.
If your complaint is of a serious nature it is better to put it in writing. You will receive a reply within seven days and will normally be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss your complaint. If your complaint is of a complex nature it may take a little longer, but we will keep you informed of all progress. You may bring a friend or relative to the meeting with you. During the meeting we will try to address your concerns and give you a full explanation and discuss any action required. If, at the end of the meeting, you are still not satisfied and wish to continue with your complaint, we will direct you to the relevant department. You can download the NHS Complaints leaflet here.
Access to Health Records
You can ask to see your health records. If you require this service, please ask at reception for a copy of the leaflet – alternatively, you can download the form here – “How to see your Health Records”, published by NHS Scotland. Please refer to the leaflet for an explanation of any charges which may apply.
Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities
Please note that Craigshill Health Centre operates a ZERO TOLERANCE policy in dealing with aggressive or violent patients. Parents/guardians are reminded that they are responsible for the conduct of any child they bring into the health centre. It is a patient’s responsibility to keep their appointments or cancel them with enough notice being given for the appointment to be offered to another patient.
Whilst we undertake to provide the best possible service to our patients, we realise that occasionally situations can become difficult and you might be unhappy with the service provided.
If you are unhappy with a situation please remain calm and ask to speak the Practice Manager who will help try and resolve the problem for you. Any patients who react in a verbally or physically violent manner will be asked to leave the health centre and may be removed from the registration list, meaning they will have to register elsewhere. Patients may also be removed from the practice list if they constantly fail to attend appointments without a reasonable excuse. If the health centre staff feel that they, or other patients, are under threat, the police will be called to have the patient removed in those circumstances.
Training
We are Involved in the Training of General Practitioners.
The doctors are in Foundation Year 2 (FY2) or in 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of Specialist Training (ST1 to ST3). They are fully qualified doctors often with extensive hospital experience who are now training in the speciality of General Practice. These are the same grades of doctors you will encounter in hospitals, either in outpatient clinics, on the ward or in A & E
ST3s work in the Practice for periods of 6 – 12 months and ST1s work in the Practice for 6 months. It is hoped that both GPs and patients benefit from the ST3 and ST1s’ fresh and enthusiastic approach and preceding hospital experience. They will have a limited clinical commitment and their work will be closely monitored by the more senior doctors in the practice.
Occasionally we use a video camera to record consultations with the Registrar. This would not be done without your full consent and the video would only be the conversation between you and the doctor.
No intimate examination will be done in front of the camera. If you are asked to participate in the use of the video and agree to do so, you will be asked to sign a consent form and the doctor will explain this to you in more detail.
The practice District Nurse and Health Visitor also supervise more junior nurses and teach students of nursing. In addition the Practice provides work placements for senior school students and prospective medical and nursing students.
You will always be asked for permission in allowing these students to sit in through consultations.
Video Consultations
Clinicians working in the practice and who are under training, might make video consultations with patients to help them improve their consultation skills as well as their ability to talk to patients.
The recording will only be used for teaching and training purposes, usually within the practice building between training and trainee, although sometimes teaching sessions may be held outside the practice in a group setting where the recording may be viewed by other trainers and trainees.
Your consent will always be requested by the receptionist before your consultation is recorded. You will need to sign that consent form again afterwards to say that you are still happy. You can withdraw your consent at any time following this, either verbally or in writing. The recording will focus on the communication between the doctor and patient and will not record examinations where your body clothings needs to be removed.
If you would rather that your consultation is not recorded, please tell the receptionsist. This is entirely your choice and will not affect your health care in any way.
We are very grateful to those patients who allow video taping of consultations, since this helps us to train hospital doctors and Specialist Trainees and to improve our service to our patients.