Practice Policies & Patient Information
Care Data
Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.
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.
Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.
You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything. If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or download the opt out form below, complete it and return it to the practice
We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.
Please Click Below to view our leaflets.
How Information helps us provide better care
Chaperone Policy
If you would like a chaperone to be present during your consultation, please tell reception when you book the appointment or the clinician you are seeing and we will provide one.
Complaints
Bakersfield Medical Centre welcomes your feedback. We not only strive to address patient concerns appropriately but we use feedback to ensure we deliver the best service to improve people’s health and care.
How do I make a complaint
You can telephone, write to or visit the Practice Manager:
Amerjeet Mehat – Practice Manager – on 0115 9401007
We value your feedback. Send us your comments or suggestions
Any complaints made in NHS Choice will be reviewed and we will kindly request that you write to us to address any issues. Comments in Google will be reviewed but we will not reply to them, kindly address all complaints to the practice direct so that we may address them. All positive comments will be most welcomed on NHS Choices.
If you are not satisfied with our response then you can contact NHS England Customer contact centre at:
NHS England PO Box 16738 Redditch B97 9PT 0300 31122 33 or Email england.contactus@nhs.net
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone can make a complaint. You can complain on behalf of a child, or someone who has died. If you have another person’s permission, you can complain on their behalf.
Is there a time limit for making a complaint?
Yes. Your complaint should be made as soon as possible (up to one year after the event).
Can I get help and support?
Yes. An organisation called POhWER can provide you with support and advocacy. You can contact POhWER by phone on 0300 020 0093 or email yourvoiceyourchoice@pohwer.net
What will happen once I make my complaint?
Bakersfield Medical Centre is committed to responding to complaints as quickly and helpfully as possible. All complaints will be acknowledged when received and investigated in a manner that is appropriate to the issues raised. We will advise you how long it may take to investigate your complaint. Where possible we will offer a range of suitable options to resolve the complaint. We will take action where needed to prevent the incident from happening again. Making a complaint will not put your care at risk or adversely affect your future care.
Is it confidential?
Your rights to confidentiality will be respected throughout the investigation. However, there may be times when we need to share information without your consent e.g. to protect children and vulnerable adults. We may also need to share your complaint with other health professionals in order to ensure any issues raised are addressed appropriately.
If your complaint involves a number of different services such as Hospitals, Mental Health services, Social Care or community health services we will work together to resolve your complaint; to do this we will need to share information.
What if I am still not satisfied?
We aim to resolve all complaints. However, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint we will look into the matter further. If you are still not satisfied with our response you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to investigate your case.
The address to contact is:
The Parliamentary and Health service ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP, Tel: 0345 015 4033.
Please Click Here to View Our Complaints Leaflet
Complaints Policy
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly and as amicably, as possible.
If you do have a concern, we would encourage you to initially discuss it with the Practice Manager or one of the partners. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of our in-house investigations we can provide details of other organisations who will be able to help you further. We do operate a complaints procedure – our patient complaints information sheet gives details of the procedure and is available from reception
Confidentiality and 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 th
Electronic Transfer of Medical Records GP2GP
This is a service that is used throughout the country by surgeries. When you register with a doctor your medical records are electronically sent to your new surgery. In the past medical records were transferred by Health Authorities often taking up to several weeks, with this service important medical information is transferred immediately. Please see this link for more information.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new law that determines how your personal data is processed and kept safe, and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.
GP Earnings
All GP practices are required from 1st April 2016 to declare the mean earnings (e.g Average pay) for GP’s working to deliver NHS services to patient at each practice.
The average pay for GP’s working at Bakersfield Medical Centre in the last financial year was £63,014 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 1 full time GP and 2 part time GP’s.
It should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make a comparison with any other practice
Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG)
From time to time it is helpful for us to be able to share information about your health and care requirements with other health organisations that are responsible for providing you with healthcare. Across Nottinghamshire we are introducing a new system called MIG (Medical Interoperability Gateway) which will enable us to make relevant medical information available from your GP record with other healthcare professionals who are providing you with direct care. The MIG allows for relevant information to be viewed by other healthcare professionals, however before your information is accessed you will be asked for your explicit consent. Examples of organisations that may access your GP health information include NEMS Out of Hours team, walk in centres and local A&E departments.
Sharing of information in this way is designed to ensure that the healthcare professionals looking after you have the most relevant information to enable them to provide you with the most appropriate care. The type of information shared is restricted and includes a summary of current problems, current medication, allergies, recent tests, diagnosis, procedures, investigations, risks and warnings – all this information is currently held in your GP system record.
We have automatically set up the sharing facility to allow your information to be made available via the MIG. Whenever a clinician from another healthcare organisation wishes to view your GP information via the MIG they will always seek your permission before doing so; if you say “NO” they will not be able to see any information and no data will be made viewable via the MIG.
If you have any concerns about the sharing of your information or do not want your information being made available via the MIG please speak to your practice who can advise accordingly.
Method of Contact
The Accessible Information Standard started on 1st April 2016
The Standard is a legal requirement which has been established to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are issued information that they can access and understand and that they can also receive any communication support they need.
This includes things such as:
- Braille
- Large print
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- If a hearing loop is required
And many more that you may require to get the best service possible. We will do out best to accommodate to your needs.
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website
Violence Policy
The practice supports the Government’s NHS zero tolerance to violence campaign. Doctors and their staff have the right to care for others without the fear of being attacked or abused.
A patient who has committed an act of violence or abuse against the doctor, the staff or any other person present, either on the practice premises or in another place where treatment is given by the practice, will be reported to the police and removed from the practice list with immediate effect.