Ripley Medical Centre

OTHER INFORMATION

VIOLENT OR ABUSIVE PATIENTS

We operate a zero tolerance policy and are committed to a peaceful and dignified work environment. Verbal or physical assault and threatening behaviour will result in ejection from the premises, removal from the patient list and may lead to prosecution.

YOUR HEALTH RECORDS ARE SAFE WITH US

We need information about you, your medical history and who else, apart from your family, is responsible for your care, for example Social Services, or other care providers. We record the information in your health record. This could be a paper record or an electronic one. These records are kept confidential in a safe place. We keep this information to help us provide you with proper care and treatment. We sometimes share your information with other people involved with your care, so that we can all work together for your benefit. However, sometimes the law requires us to pass on certain information, eg births, deaths, communicable diseases and certain issues under the Mental Health Act 1983.

We also use information for the following purposes:

• To manage, plan and improve NHS services

• To assist with training and teaching of health care professionals

• To assist with health research

We will only give information to your relatives, carers or friends with your written consent.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. We keep your information safe at all times, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. Only if we become aware of information to suggest that there is a serious risk to a patient or another person are we obliged to pass it on. We will always try to discuss this with you first, but it can be done without consent if necessary.

RIGHT OF ACCESS TO YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS

If you want to access your medical records contact the practice manager, who will provide you with the details of how to do this. You will be asked to complete an application form and a fee is payable.

The people responsible for your care may decide that seeing your records might be detrimental to your physical or mental health. In this instance your request may be denied or you may only be shown part of your record.

PALS (PATIENT ADVICE AND LIAISON SERVICE)

For information about primary medical services in the Amber Valley area, please contact the PALS service, Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust, Meadow Suite, Babington Hospital, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1WH. Telephone: 0800 783 7279 or visit www.derbyshirecounty.nhs.uk

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – PUBLICATION SCHEME

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme is available from reception.

CAR PARKING AND DISABLED ACCESS

There is a large car park for the use of patients whilst visiting the surgery. Disabled access is available to the surgery and the practice has a hearing loop installed for hearing-impaired patients.

PATIENTS' COMPLAINTS

The practice operates a complaints procedure as part of the NHS system. Should you experience dissatisfaction with your care or the service you have received please ask for a Practice Complaints Procedure Leaflet from a member of staff, or contact the practice manager, who will explain the procedure in more detail and arrange to investigate your complaint.