Accessible Information Standard

On Friday 3 July 2015, it was announced that The Accessible Information Standard (also known as SCCI1605) had been approved.  The Accessible Information Standard sets out what health and social care providers need to do to make sure that they provide information in accessible formats and communication support for appointments where appropriate.

Who will benefit from this Standard?

“The scope of the standard extends to individuals (patients and service users, and where appropriate the parents and carers of patients and service users) who have information and / or communication support needs which are related to or caused by a disability, impairment or sensory loss.”

This means that if you are deafblind or have a dual sensory loss and need information such as appointment letters in a format other than standard print, or an interpreter for a health or social care appointment, this must be provided for you.

The Standard doesn’t cover those who need information translated because English isn’t their first language, or other aspects of accessibility in care such as signage or hospital transport.

Who needs to follow the Standard?

The Standard must be carried out by all providers of NHS and publicly funded social care.  This will include hospitals, GPs, social care services, pharmacies and others.

How does the Standard work?

There are five steps that providers need to take to implement the standard:

1. Identify the communication and information needs of those who use their service
2. Record the communication and information needs they have identified: clearly and consistently on the individual’s record, recording their needs not why they have those needs i.e. “requires BSL interpreter” not “person is d/Deaf”.
3. Have a consistent flagging system so that if a member of staff opens the individual’s record it is immediately brought to their attention if the person has a communication or information need.
4. Share the identified information and communication needs of the individual when appropriate; for example a GP referring a patient to the hospital including the information that the person needs a deafblind manual interpreter in the referral letter so that the hospital can arrange it for the upcoming appointment.
5. Meet the communication and information needs identified.  For example, send an appointment letter in Braille or book an interpreter for an appointment.

 When will this Standard come into force?

Services can start implementing the Standard immediately but must be completing steps one and two by 1 April 2016 and all five steps by 31 July 2016.

What do I need to do?

If you have information or communication needs:

• At your next contact with a health or social care provider highlight your needs and ask for them to be recorded in compliance with the Standard.

Information quoted from https://www.sense.org.uk/content/accessible-information-standard-England

EasyRead Guide – Accessible Information Standard https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/access-info-upd-er-july-15.pdf

The links below lead to websites which provide useful information relating to healthcare in different formats and languages:

Easy Read Health Leaflets http://www.easyhealth.org.uk/categories/health-leaflets

NHS leaflets in other languages http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/aboutnhschoices/accessibility/Pages/other-languages-section.aspx

NHS videos http://www.nhs.uk/Video/Pages/bsl-tinnitus.aspx?searchtype=Tag&searchterm=Sign+language&

Further information on advocacy services which can offer support when dealing with organisations:

NHS Choices http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/advocacy-services.aspx

Independent Advocacy http://independentadvocacy.org/

Beacon / Continuing Healthcare http://www.beaconchc.co.uk/

POhWER (support when making complaints to the NHS) http://www.pohwer.net/help-to-make-a-complaint-44.html

Red Roofs surgery has a car park for patients which is locked when the surgery is closed. If you use our car park for a surgery visit you will need to enter your car registration detail into the system in the surgery. We encourage patients to use public car parks as parking at the surgery is very limited.

Patients are asked NOT to:

• leave vehicles in the car park while shopping or use the car park for any other reason than to attend the surgery for an appointment
• park in the “reserved” parking bay as this space is reserved for the duty doctor
• double park as you may block in a doctor and stop them attending a medical emergency

Parking bays displaying the disabled sign are allocated for patients with disabilities.  A disabled badge must be displayed in the car parked in the disabled space.

Select the link below to view our Chaperone policy

Red Roofs Chaperone Policy

We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house complaints/suggestions procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances. Please feel free to download our explanatory leaflet.

About our complaints procedure

Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. Nevertheless, we hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to Healthcare Commission. Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person.

If you wish to make a complaint/suggestion, please write to us or ask one of the receptionists for a complaints/suggestions form or download one here.

Complaints or Comments form

Your communication will be sent to our Practice Team who will register it, investigate and report back to you within a time frame discussed with yourself and our team.

If, in the unlikely event, a patient sues one of the doctors then we feel that there has been a breakdown in the doctor/patient relationship. In such a circumstance it will be necessary to ask the patient and those living at the same address to register with another practice.

Confidentiality Overview

We ask for information about you so that we can give you proper care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again.

We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently, plans for the future, trains its staff, pays its bills and can account for its actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow”s clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information.

You have a right of access to your health records.

EVERYONE WORKING FOR THE NHS HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CONFIDENTIAL.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you. We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Record

Red Roofs Surgery works with other health and social care organisations to share information that will form part of your Integrated Care Record.  The Integrated Care Record allows health and care professionals involved in your care to view your records to help them understand your needs and make the best decisions with you, and for you.  Information we hold about you will be available, to read only, to other Health and care professionals in Coventry and Warwickshire, Birmingham and Solihull, and Herefordshire and Worcestershire when they are involved in your health or social care.

For more information on how your data is used on the Integrated Care Record and how to exercise your rights please see the full Privacy Notice or copy and paste this link https://www.happyhealthylives.uk/our-priorities/digital-transformation/integrated-care-record/privacy-notice/

From time to time we are also involved in medical research.

Select the link below to view our policy document.

Red Roofs Confidentiality Policy

Social Media Notice for Patients

Read/Download our COVID19 Privacy Notice
(v2.0 – ext. 31st October 2022)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.

The CQC make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage them to improve.

They monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and publish what is found, including performance ratings to help people choose care.

Our GP Practice has recently undergone a CQC inspection and the results are now freely available on the CQC Website.  You can access the report below

Data Protection Act Overview – Patient Information

We need to hold personal information about you on our Computer system and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs.

Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.

Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. Your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping.

From time to time, it may be necessary to share information with others involved in your care. Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both a legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.

All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.

In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstances you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.

To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you.

Information will not be disclosed to family, friends, or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not leave messages with others.

You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details and our patient information leaflet. An appointment will be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.

Select the link below to view our Policy

Red Roofs Data Protection Policy

The surgery car park has 2 spaces for disabled patients.  Able-bodied patients are asked not to park in the disabled spaces.

The surgery”s ground floor is suitable for all disabled patients. If the doctor you are seeing is consulting upstairs, they will come downstairs to see you. Please let the receptionist know if you need to be seen downstairs.

If you have a disability and feel you may need extra help please let our reception staff know and we will do our best to help you.

A wheelchair is available if required.

 Red Roofs Surgery – Employment Privacy Policy

Our contact details

Name: Mrs C Flude

Address: 31 Coton Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 5TW

Phone Number: 024 7635 7100

E-mail: [email protected]

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details, date of birth and gender);
• the terms and conditions of your prospective employment;
• details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history, including start and end dates, with previous employers;
• information about your nationality and entitlement to work in the UK;
• information about your criminal record;
• information about medical or health conditions, including whether or not you have a disability for which the practice would need to make reasonable adjustments;

The practice collects this information in a variety of ways, such as:

• Application forms; CVs or resumes; Copies of your passport other identity documents; Information collected through interviews or other forms of assessment; Forms completed by you at the start of or during employment; From correspondence with you; Through meetings or other assessments.
• The practice will also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as:
• References supplied by former employers;
• Information from employment background check providers and information from criminal records checks;
• The practice may seek information from third parties only once a job offer to you has been made and will inform you that it is doing so.

Data will be stored in a range of different places, including:

• Your application record; HR management systems; IT systems (including email).

Legislation requirements on information processing

• We will only process your personal information where we are able to do so by law, under the legal basis available through the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR).
• The legal bases we use most often to collect information are:
• entering into and managing our employment contract
• legal obligations where processing is necessary for compliance, for example, informing HMRC of your tax and National Insurance contributions
• where the Practice may rely on its legitimate interests, where a formal assessment has been made and recorded

Where we process sensitive personal or special categories of data about you, we will ensure this is done only where one of the following conditions applies:

• processing is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights of the controller, or the data subject, in the field of employment and social security and social protection law
• processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, assessment of the working capacity of the employee, or the provision of health or social care

Why does the practice process personal data?

• The practice needs to process data to enter into an employment contract with you and to meet its obligations under your employment contract. It needs to process your data to provide you with an employment contract, to pay you in accordance with your employment contract and to administer benefit, pension and insurance entitlements.
• In some cases, the practice needs to process data to ensure that it is complying with its legal obligations. For example, it is required to check an employee’s entitlement to work in the UK, to deduct tax, to comply with health and safety laws and to enable employees to take periods of leave to which they are entitled. It is necessary to carry out criminal records checks to ensure that individuals are permitted to undertake the role in question.
• In other cases, the practice has a legitimate interest in processing personal data before, during and after the end of the employment relationship. Processing employee data allows the practice to:
• run recruitment and promotion processes;
• maintain accurate and up-to-date employment records and contact details (including details of who to contact in the event of an emergency), and records of employee contractual and statutory rights;
• operate and keep a record of disciplinary and grievance processes, to ensure acceptable conduct within the workplace;
• operate and keep a record of employee performance and related processes, to plan for career development, and for succession planning and workforce management purposes;
• operate and keep a record of absence and absence management procedures, to allow effective workforce management and ensure that employees are receiving the pay or other benefits to which they are entitled;
• obtain occupational health advice, to ensure that it complies with duties in relation to individuals with disabilities, meet its obligations under health and safety law, and ensure that employees are receiving the pay or other benefits to which they are entitled;
• operate and keep a record of other types of leave (including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and shared parental leave), to allow effective workforce management, to ensure that the practice complies with duties in relation to leave entitlement, and to ensure that employees are receiving the pay or other benefits to which they are entitled;
• ensure effective general HR and business administration;
• provide references on request for current or former employees;
• respond to and defend against legal claims; and
• maintain and promote equality in the workplace.
• Where the practice relies on legitimate interests as a reason for processing data, it has considered whether or not those interests are overridden by the rights and freedoms of employees or workers and has concluded that they are not.
• Some special categories of personal data, such as information about health or medical conditions, is processed to carry out employment law obligations (such as those in relation to employees with disabilities and for health and safety purposes). Where the practice processes other special categories of personal data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health or religion or belief, this is done for the purposes of equal opportunities monitoring.

Who has access to data?

• Your information will be shared internally. This includes:
• Your manager/supervisor
• Payroll
• IT staff
• The practice shares your data with third parties in order to obtain pre-employment references from other employers, obtain employment background checks from third-party providers and obtain necessary criminal records checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• The practice is obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences in line with NHS Employers guidelines on criminal records checks, which you can read at: http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/recruit/employment-checks/criminal-record-check
• The practice may also share your data with third parties in the context of a sale of some or all of its business. In those circumstances the data will be subject to confidentiality arrangements.
• The practice also shares your data with third parties that process data on its behalf, in connection with payroll, the provision of benefits and the provision of occupational health services.
• The practice will not transfer your data to countries outside the European Economic Area.

How does the practice protect data?

• The practice takes the security of your data seriously. Internal policies and controls are in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our employees in the proper performance of their duties.
• Where the practice engages third parties to process personal data on its behalf, they do so on the basis of written instructions, are under a duty of confidentiality and are obliged to implement appropriate technical and practice measures to ensure the security of data.

For how long does the practice keep data?

• The practice will hold your personal data for the duration of your employment and a reasonable period after employment has ceased.

Your rights

• As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:
• access and obtain a copy of your data on request;
• require the practice to change incorrect or incomplete data;
• require the practice to delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing;
• object to the processing of your data where the practice is relying on its legitimate interests as the legal ground for processing; and
• ask the practice to stop processing data for a period if data is inaccurate or there is a dispute about whether or not your interests override the practice’s legitimate grounds for processing data.
• If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Operations Manager [email protected]. You can make a subject access request by contacting the Operations Manager.
• If you believe that the practice has not complied with your data protection rights, you can complain to the Information Commissioner.

What if you do not provide personal data?

• You have some obligations under your employment contract to provide the practice with data. In particular, you are required to report absences from work and may be required to provide information about disciplinary or other matters under the implied duty of good faith. You may also have to provide the practice with data in order to exercise your statutory rights, such as in relation to statutory leave entitlements. Failing to provide the data may mean that you are unable to exercise your statutory rights.
• Certain information, such as contact details, your right to work in the UK and payment details, have to be provided to enable the practice to enter a contract of employment with you. If you do not provide other information, this will hinder the practice’s ability to administer the rights and obligations arising as a result of the employment relationship efficiently.

Automated decision-making

• Employment decisions are not based on automated decision-making.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at: Red Roofs Surgery, 31 Coton Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 5TW.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Fair Processing and Privacy -Download

The Average Pay for GP’s working in Red Roofs Surgery in the last financial year was £67,859 before Tax and National Insurance.

This is for 2 Full time GP’s, 8 Part Time GP’s who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.

We are a teaching practice and have qualified doctors who are training to become family doctors, as well as medical students from Leicester/Warwick University. Occasionally a medical student or additional doctor may be present when you consult your doctor; you will be informed by a receptionist if this happens. However, if you prefer to see your doctor alone this can easily be arranged, just let the receptionist know when you arrive at the surgery.

Occasionally we use video recording and observation of consultations. Video recording and analysis has been shown to be the most powerful method of improving general practice. We hope that you will feel able to help us by allowing your consultation to be recorded.

You will always be informed and your consent will be requested if a recorder is to be used in any consultation. If you would prefer not to take part in this venture, please feel free to say so.

In addition to clinical use, medical records may occasionally be used for medical education.

Non GMS Fees

Why GPs sometimes charge fees, surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS.

They are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work, the fees charged by GPs contribute towards their costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients, including the provision of ongoing medical treatment.

In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.

Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients:

• accident or sickness certificates for insurance purposes
• school fee and holiday insurance certificates
• reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:

• life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
• reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
• medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions, for example a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients.

In order for us to provide a good service we also require patients to act responsibly by following the procedures below:

• Remember to keep your appointment. If you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible, failure to do so will result in a warning letter being issued.
• Repeated Non Attendance will not only result in your removal, but also the removal of any family or anyone else registered at that address.
• If more than one person needs to be seen, make a separate appointment for each person.
• Please remember that a prescription is not always necessary with every consultation. Your doctor will advise you accordingly.
• Please request out of hours home visits for emergencies only and routine home visits for those who are too ill to come to the surgery.
• Please be patient with the staff. They are doing their best and are only following the doctor”s instructions.
• Don”t abuse the doctors or staff, either physically or verbally.
• Look after your own health. Exercise regularly, eat healthily, drink moderately and don’t smoke. Ask the doctors or practice nurses for advice.

PIP Claims

Red Roofs Surgery does not prescribe sedatives for fear of flying.

This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for this can be found below;

• Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there should be an emergency during the flight, this medication may impair your ability to concentrate,
  follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
• Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight duration is more than four hours.
• Whilst most people find benzodiazepines (such as diazepam) sedating, a small number experience paradoxical agitation and aggression which may cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety, as well as that of other passengers, and could also get you into trouble with the law.
• According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF), benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed) in phobia. Your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. These medications are only licensed short-term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
• Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
• Diazepam remains in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this, having taken diazepam.
• We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a few of these below;

  Easy Jet
  www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com
  Tel 0203 8131644

  British Airways
  www.flyingwithconfidence.com
  Tel 01252 793250

  Virgin
  www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk
  Tel 01423 71490

Sharing patient data

Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Record

Red Roofs Surgery works with other health and social care organisations to share information that will form part of your Integrated Care Record.  The Integrated Care Record allows health and care professionals involved in your care to view your records to help them understand your needs and make the best decisions with you, and for you.  Information we hold about you will be available, to read only, to other Health and care professionals in Coventry and Warwickshire, Birmingham and Solihull, and Herefordshire and Worcestershire when they are involved in your health or social care.

For more information on how your data is used on the Integrated Care Record and how to exercise your rights please see the full Privacy Notice or copy and paste this link https://www.happyhealthylives.uk/our-priorities/digital-transformation/integrated-care-record/privacy-notice/

It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.

NHS Whisleblowing guidance