Practice Policies & Patient Information
Chaperone Policy
This practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for a consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.
Where possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking an appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of the request. However occasionally it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.
Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.
The policy principle is to make sure all patients can expect to receive their consultation, examination, treatment and care in an atmosphere of confidentiality, trust and sensitivity.
If you would like to see the full Chaperone Policy, please contact the surgery to request this.
Complaint Procedure Advice
If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from the practice, let us know. We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly.
Complaints made verbally can be taken by any member of the practice team and all effort will be made to resolve the issue immediately. If a complaint cannot be resolved at the time, it will be referred to the Reception Manager for resolution as quickly as possible.
Written complaints can be made to the Reception Manager and will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days of receipt. If the complaint requires investigation or clinical input, a written response will be provided as soon as reasonably possible and no longer than 21 days after the complaint is received.
Please see the practice Complaints Leaflet for more information.
Data and Privacy Notices
GDPR
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 Practitioners 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.
GP Net Earnings
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Rainworth Surgery in the 2022/23 financial year was £154,597 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs and 1 part time GP who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
Zero Tolerance 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.