Accountable Named GP
From the 1st April 2015 the NHS requires that every patient is allocated a named accountable GP. All patients registered patients have been allocated a named GP and any newly registered patients will be allocated a named GP within 21 days of registering. This is for administrative purposes only and you retain the right to see any of our GPs. You will still be able to book an appointment with the GP of your choice.
What does 'accountable' mean? The named accountable GP takes responsibility for the co-ordination of all medical services and ensures they are delivered to each of their patients where required. This new arrangement has been introduced to reassure patients that they have one GP within the practice who is responsible for ensuring that work is carried out on their behalf.
Does the requirement mean 24-hour responsibility for patients?
No. The named GP will not:
· take on responsibility for the work of other doctors or health professionals
· take on 24-hour responsibility for the patient, or have to change their working hours.
· be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient
Can patients choose their own named GP?
Patients have been allocated a named GP by the practice. However, if a patient requests a particular GP, reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate their preference.
Do patients have to see the named GP when they book an appointment with the practice?
No. Patients can be booked to see any GP or nurse in the practice.
Your named accountable GP’s are Dr N Khalid, Dr J Iqbal, Dr M Waheed & Dr W Khan.
Confidentiality & Medical Records
The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to others e.g. 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 e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Suggestions
We welcome ideas for improving our services. We would be grateful if you put your suggestions in the box provided in the reception area. We undertake regular surveys to obtain patients’ views and consider how best to implement the results. We treat all our patients as individuals, respect different cultures and welcome ethnic groups.
Complaints Procedure
We are fortunate that these are very infrequent at our practice. We hope this reflects the good service we offer to all our patients. However, there is always room for improvement and we would encourage any suggestions. Incase you have a complaint, please contact the complain manager and allow us an opportunity to set things right on an informal basis.
We have an in-house complaints procedure, please speak to a receptionist.
You can also download and print our complaints form and bring it into the surgery:
Complaints leaflet
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
How Your Information is Used
You may be aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into effect on 25th May 2018. This will give consumers strengthened rights regarding their data and how it's used.
Keeping your personal information safe and secure is our priority. That is why we are making you aware of some important changes that we have made to our Privacy Policy, in line with the new laws which better protect you and your data.
Please note that our updated Privacy Policy in no way alters the purpose for which we use your information moreover, only clarifies and makes it easier for you to understand how we collect, use and store your personal information. Our updated Privacy Policy is available at the Practice and you can find the links below.
GDPR - Poster
GDPR - Privacy Notice
Oakleaf COVID19 Privacy Notice v1.8 extended to 30 June 2022
Patient Accessible Information Standard
Introduction to our Policy
The Accessible Information Standard directs and defines a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents, where those needs relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
It is of particular relevance to individuals who are blind, deaf, deafblind and/or who have a learning disability, although it will support anyone with information or communication needs relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss, for example people who have aphasia, autism or a mental health condition which affects their ability to communicate.
Identify Needs
- The patient registration form includes questions on communication and information needs which is used for all new patients. Patients are also asked if they have a communication passport.
- Existing patients will be asked their communication and information needs when possible when they come into the practice, or if they have a new diagnosis or produce a letter/certificate which makes them eligible for the standard.
- Patients that meet the criteria for this standard will identify which information formats/contact methods/communications professionals/communications support professionals they need.
- Carers are added to the carers register. If the carer is one of our registered patients their information and communication needs will be captured at registration or on their next visit to the practice.
Record Needs
- The needs identified on the patient registration form are entered using the EMIS registration template, on the patient accessible information standard (PAIS) page which records the relevant read codes.
- We will not record needs on paper records, as there is an equivalent electronic record for these and all communications will be driven from the electronic record.
- Online users – view/record their own needs – we have contacted Informatics and they are aware of the requirement and will be providing appropriate functionality in future releases of the software but are unable to commit to a timescale for this.
- For Carers (including parent carers) if the carer is one of our registered patients and have an identified information/communication need, an alert will be added to the carer or child record to advise staff to load the carer or parent record to check their needs. The protocol alert will automatically trigger for identified needs for the carer.
Flag Needs
- If a patient has been asked what their information and communication needs are they will be allocated an appropriate read code.
- An EMIS search (Population Reporting – FMP/Ad-Hoc/PAIS Patient Accessible Information Standard/patients who have NOT been asked about information or communication needs) can be run to determine how many patients have not been asked about their needs. An EMIS protocol alert could also be activated to prompt for patients that have not been asked.
- Any patient that has one of the needs recorded will trigger an EMIS protocol alert to say “this patient has information and communication needs – would you like to see these needs now?” If “Yes” is selected each need will be displayed in turn and actions can then be taken as necessary
- Any patient that has identified communication needs will be set up with an Informatics (Front desk) alert so that members of staff are aware when booking appointments, and can arrange for interpreters or longer appointments, or anything else that is needed for their appointment. To see their identified needs the patient record needs to be opened on EMIS.
- Paper records will not be marked as electronic records are used as the primary record
Meet Needs
- All in-house created patient information (letters/forms/leaflets) should be created in plain language using Arial 14 font where possible. The bottom of these letters should include the following paragraph – “If you need this letter or information in another format, or if you need help communicating with us, please let us know. Examples include letters in large print or easy read format, or using a British Sign Language interpreter. If your needs change please let us know so that we can update your record”.
- Online translation using the World Lingo website can be used to have a written conversation with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.
- Sources and contact details of communication support professionals and alternative formats can be found in the spreadsheet named “Patient Accessible Information Standard Sources and Contacts” and priorities of use are assigned where appropriate. Where possible more than one source for each type is included in case of unavailability. If problems are encountered with sourcing the Patient Information Champion will investigate and try to find another suitable source.
- To assure the quality of information in alternative formats we will check that companies used are members of the UKAAF UK Association for accessible formats or offer their own assurances of quality.
- To try to ensure alternative formats can be obtained in a timely manner we have sourced at least two companies that can provide alternative formats. Any problems with sourcing will be investigated by the Patient Information Champion.
- To ensure that communications professionals have appropriate qualifications, are enhanced DBS checked and are signed up to relevant professional code of conduct we will check they are on the NRCPD National Register of Communication Professionals or that we use companies that assure this.
- To try to ensure that communications professionals can be obtained in a timely manner we have sourced at least two companies that can provide communication professionals. Any problems with sourcing will be investigated by the Patient Information Champion.
- In an emergency situation or in the walk in clinic or drop in clinics if communications support is required we have the option to sign up to use Interpreter Now for online interpreters. We will make a decision on this if there is an identified patient need. Should we use e-learning to train frontline staff (e.g. deaf communication matters, learning disability matters, vision matters, basic sign language etc.). We have created two sets of flashcards that Care Navigators or clinicians can use to help communicate which are kept at the Information Desk & the Walk In Clinic Desk
- Patients must be asked if they would like a professional communications professional to attend their appointments and it must be recorded in the patient record if this is declined.
- If a patient requests that a family member/carer/friend is used for communication support this must be recorded in the patient record. This should be checked regularly in case the patient changes their mind.
- Front desk alerts will be used to prompt members of staff to ensure that identified patients get longer appointments or need carer at appointments. The needs can be viewed by opening the patient record on EMIS
- The complaints leaflet is available in easy read format. Other leaflets, letters, documents etc. can be converted to other formats when required.
- To ensure that identified patients are always contacted by their preferred method when producing letter in bulk, there is a base EMIS search to include all of the patients that have identified that they should not be contacted by letter and these patients will be excluded from the searches used to produce the bulk letter. The excluded patients would then need to be contacted instead by their identified method
- Web accessibility – The website includes a page about the PAIS and how we support patients. The website is designed to support screen readers. Other accessibility options are out of scope of this standard.
Sharing Identified Needs
- NHS e-referrals – recorded needs will be automatically added to the e-referral document.
- Other Referrals methods have been reviewed to ensure that information and communication needs are shared.
- Summary Care Records – recorded needs will automatically be shared as part of the additional record.
Training
How and when will we train staff?
- All staff will have a one off training on Accessible Information Standard via Blue Stream Academy
- Communicating with patients with sensory loss – Disability Matters e-learning, Action on Hearing Loss, Deafblind UK, and The Makaton Charity?
- Communicating with patients with a learning disability – Blue Stream Academy e-learning, Disability Matters e-learning?
Monitoring
- To monitor whether the patient is getting what they need we will run an annual audit of patients with recorded needs to see if they have had appointments or information sent to them & if this was done to meet their needs. Also to check if interpreters were present if they were required. Any breaches will be raised as a significant event.
- When this policy is due for renewal the patient accessible information website will be checked for any updates
- How will we monitor needs – At the bottom of all letters include standard paragraph to ask patients to let us know if their needs change. This is also shown on the practice website Patient Accessible Information Standard page. There is a slide on the patient information screens explaining about the standard & reminding patients to let us know about their needs
- We will construct a patient survey in accessible formats to be approved by the PPG to check if identified patients have had their needs met.