All information at Burney Street Practice is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines.

Our commitment to publish information excludes any information which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Where individual classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are the protection of commercial interests and confidential personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all classes within the Publication Scheme.

The information on this Scheme is grouped into 7 broad categories:

• Who we are – Details of the practice, organisational structures, key personnel and how we fit into the NHS
• Our services – The range of services we provide under contract to the NHS
• Financial and funding information – Funding details and charging policies
• Regular publications and information for the public – Guidance and information leaflets
• Complaints – Policies, procedures and contacts for complaints
• Our policies and procedures – General policies and procedures in use within the practice. These include, but are not restricted to, data protection, prescribing and prescription, health and safety
• This Publication Scheme – In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquires regarding information management generally in the Trust. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available

Burney Street Practice will:

• Ensure that all visitors are treated with dignity and respect
• Promote equality of opportunity between men and women
• Not tolerate any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any visitor for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
• Provide the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, religion or belief

The practice actively promotes and supports the ethos and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

More information can be found in the Equal Opportunities Anti-Discrimination policy document.

Please do not consume food or drink whilst in the surgery, it is a health hazard and can be upsetting for unwell patients waiting to be seen.

If you feel you need a drink of water, please ask one of our receptionists.

Due to an increase in the number of patients failing to attend for their appointment it has become necessary to introduce a Did Not Attend (DNA) policy.

Unfortunately if a patient repeatedly fails to attend appointments they may be removed from this practice list and will have to find an alternative doctor.

Therefore if you cannot attend your appointment for any reason please be considerate and let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer the appointment to someone else so that they may get to see the doctor of their choice on the day that they wish to. You can cancel an appointment online by completing the Cancel an Appointment triage.

Please make use of our free texting appointment reminder service – Ask reception by completing our online form for more details.

All staff & volunteers of this practice recognise they have a duty to safeguard children who present to this practice. This practice will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any evidence of child maltreatment in relation to physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse is identified and acted on.

Any suspected cases of child maltreatment will be brought to the attention of the lead GP and practice manager within 24 hours.

The lead GP will:

• Listen to the concern and if appropriate, notify social care
• Seek advice from safeguarding colleagues in health & social care
• In cases of immediate serious threat, the practice will inform the police and social care

The notification to social care will be by telephone and in writing within 3 working days.

All examinations may place patients in a situation in which they will feel uncomfortable, and this may be compounded further by the need to undress, consent to intimate touching or intrusive examination. The presence of a third party may alleviate some of these concerns and provide protection for both the patient and the clinician.

Ideally, the clinician will have explained the nature of the examination, the reasons for it, and what is involved prior to it commencing, and will have given the patient the opportunity to have a chaperone present.

Alternatively, the clinician may themselves have elected to have a chaperone present for their own security. Either way, it is important for at least one of the persons present that the third party is also there.

Further details can be found in our Chaperone Policy leaflet.

All patient information is considered to be confidential and we comply fully with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Information Governance. All employees have access to this information in relation to their role. To ensure all employees understand their responsibilities they will each sign a confidentiality agreement.

It is our legal duty to keep information about you confidential. Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in strict confidence.

We have a duty to

• Maintain full & accurate records of the care we provide to you
• Keep records about you confidential, secure & accurate
• Provide information in a format that is accessible to you

Information may be shared, in confidence, with other NHS organisation in the interests of patient care.

We will not share information that identifies you for any reason, unless

• You ask us to do so
• We ask you for specific permission
• We have to do this by law
• We have special permission because the interests of the public are thought to be of greater importance than your confidentiality

For more in depth information about how we handle your personal data and your rights, please view the full information leaflets for you to download and print.

• How we use your Health Records
• Freedom of Information Act 2000

Introduction

There may be times when vulnerable patients and/or their carers need assistance in gaining the help, support and advice they need. This could be for a variety of reasons, including when they are looking to access benefits, support, or health and social services.

An advocate is a person independent of the NHS and social services, who is not one of the patient’s family or friends. They will help direct the patient to gain, argue the patient’s case and help to make sure that correct procedures are followed.

Not every area of the country has a dedicated advocacy service, however if they do it can usually be found through the local council. Patients can find this out by going to the local council website or visiting www.gov.uk.

Greenwich Mind

Telephone: 020 3198 2222

Greenwich Mind advocates work as instructed by the client. Therefore they work differently according to the needs and wishes of our individual clients. Some common examples of advocacy work include:

• Listening to you and helping you have your voice heard.
• Supporting you in making complaints regarding services.
• Supporting you with regard to accessing personal budgets (‘personalisation’).
• Supporting you in seeking to further your education, including accessing grants, etc.
• Supporting you in gaining legal advice and representation if necessary.
• Providing information on community groups and support networks.

If you have a care coordinator from your local social services or healthcare team, they could be another point of call for the patient.

Help can also be gained from services such as Age UK and Diabetes UK, who can help patients find the help and support they need.

Care UK have a free advice line for carers on 0808 808 7777, or you can visit their website at www.careuk.com.

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives every living person (or authorised representative) the right to apply for access to their health records.