Patients have the right to access their own medical records, but we would ask you to make an appointment with your doctor if you wish to do so and he/she will then be able to answer any queries you may have. You also have the right to object to the use and disclosure of information that identifies you.

You must give your written consent for access to your medical records by any third party, e.g. an insurance company or solicitor, as we are unable to disclose any information without this consent.

It is the policy of this practice to respect the privacy and dignity of our patients.

If you would like a chaperone of the same sex as yourself to be present during a physical examination by a doctor or other healthcare professional, please let us know, when you are making your appointment, and we will do our best to comply with your wishes.

Tell us about your experience

If you have received a particularly good service from any health service provider, or you have any comments or suggestions to make, please let us know.

Compliments

Positive feedback is welcomed and helps us to understand what is important for you as a patient, carer or relative. Your feedback is valuable, and we are grateful for you taking the time. Please send any compliments to sxicb-esx.smp-complaints@nhs.net

Making a Complaint

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. A complaint can be made verbally or in writing. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is when:

• you are not happy with an organisation’s service or something it did or didn’t do, and
• you want the organisation to answer your concerns and put things right.

Top tips when making a complaint

Make your complaint clear

Work out what you want to say, including:

• what happened
• who was involved
• when it happened
• where it happened
• how it has affected you or someone else.

Please do not be offensive, rude or threatening.

Decide what you hope to achieve

Be prepared to tell the Practice what you would like it to do to put things right. This could be to apologise or to take action to prevent the same mistake happening again.

How To Make A Complaint

If you would like to speak to someone about your complaint, please speak with one of our Receptionists in the first instance, who will be happy to take your details and arrange for a manager to contact you.

If you would prefer to make a written complaint, please use the following email address:

sxicb-esx.smp-complaints@nhs.net

Alternatively you can write to us via a letter, addressing the letter to:

Complaints Manager

Seaford Medical Centre

Dane Road, Seaford BN25 1DH.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.

If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks, because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

If it is not possible to do that, please let us have the details of your complaint within 12 months of the occurrence giving rise to the complaint, or from the time that you became aware of the matter.

What We Will Do

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days. We will attempt to investigate and provide a detailed response as quickly as possible. Some complaints may take longer than others to investigate so we do not want to offer any specific timescale. However we will endeavour to conduct a full and thorough investigation in the shortest time period possible.

When We Look Into Your Complaint We Will Aim To:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A signed consent form by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this (because of illness).

If you need help with making a complaint you can contact:

The Advocacy People

Website: www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk

Telephone: 0330 440 9000

Email: info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk

Text: PEOPLE to 80800 followed by your message

Write: PO Box 375, Hastings, TN34 9HU

Complaints are best made direct to the practice, as we hold your medical records and employ staff directly. Alternatively, if you do not want to contact the practice directly, your complaint can be made to the Complaints Team at NHS Sussex via the contact details below:

• Phone: 0300 140 9854 (excluding weekends and bank holidays)
• Email: sxicb.complaints@nhs.net
• Post: NHS Sussex, Sackville House, Brooks Close, Lewes BN7 2FZ

PALS

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters. They provide a point of contact for patients, their families and their carers.

How can PALS help?

PALS provides help in many ways. For example, it can:

• help you with health-related questions
• help resolve concerns or problems when you’re using the NHS
• tell you how to get more involved in your own healthcare

PALS can give you information about:

• the NHS
• the NHS complaints procedure, including how to get independent help if you want to make a complaint
• support groups outside the NHS

PALS also helps to improve the NHS by listening to your concerns and suggestions.

Patient advice and liaison services (PALS): Eastbourne District General Hospital

PALS Contact Telephone Number: 01323 435886

If You Are Not Satisfied With Our Response

We hope that if you have a problem, we will be able to provide you with a full explanation and tell you what action we are taking. However, if you are dissatisfied with our response, you can take the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who can be contacted at:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Tower 30, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

Tel:  01450154033

This sets out Seaford Medical Practice’s policy on patient consent to treatment:

Created:  September 2023

Review:  September 2024

INTRODUCTION

This policy outlines the importance of obtaining consent when providing treatment, care and support whilst maintaining patient choice and their right not to consent.

Relevant legislation

• Children Act 2004
• Equality Act 2010
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
• The Human Tissue Act 2004
• Medical Act 1983
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Mental Health Act 2007
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Data Protection Act 2018

POLICY

Seaford Medical Practice understands the need to only provide treatment with consent from the Patient. Seaford Medical Practice ensures that when a Patient is asked for their consent, information about the proposed treatment will be provided in a way that they can understand. The information will include details about the risks, complications and any alternatives. Only staff with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the treatment will provide this information so that they can answer any questions about it to help the Patient give valid consent.

Where a Patient lacks mental capacity to make an informed decision, or give consent, staff will act in accordance with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated code of practice. Seaford Medical Practice will respect when Patients, or a person acting lawfully on their behalf, refuses to give consent or withdraws it.

All clinical and non-clinical staff members will be trained in the meaning of consent (this includes implied consent and expressed consent) and who is permitted to give consent for a Patient.

Seaford Medical Practice will ensure that it treats consent as a process that continues throughout the duration of care and treatment, recognising that it may be withheld and/or withdrawn at any time. Staff at Seaford Medical Practice will be trained to understand that capacity can fluctuate and this needs to be considered in the context of giving or refusing consent.

Discussions about consent will be held in a way that meets the Patient’s communication needs. This may include the use of different formats or languages and may involve others such as a translator or independent advocate. The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) Policy and Procedure at Seaford Medical Practice can be referred to for more information.

Seaford Medical Practice will ensure that consent procedures do not pressure Patients into giving consent and, where possible, plans will be made well in advance to allow time to respond to Patient questions and provide adequate information.

Seaford Medical Practice will uphold the Patient’s right to be involved in all decisions about their care and treatment.

Seaford Medical Practice will work with other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure that best interest decisions are made and recorded for Patients who lack mental capacity to give valid consent.

Seaford Medical Practice will ensure that policies and procedures for obtaining consent to care and treatment will reflect current legislation and guidance and that staff follow them at all times.

Each healthcare professional must be satisfied that consent or other valid authority exists before undertaking any examination, investigation, providing treatment or involving a Patient in teaching or research. Usually this will involve providing information to Patients using methods to ensure they understand what intervention they are being required to give their consent for as well as why and how it could affect them. Obtaining informed consent must follow the guidance in “Decision Making and Consent” [GMC November 2020] which includes advice on children (to be read in conjunction with 0-18 Years Guidance for all Doctors GMC) and Patients who are not able to give consent.

Patients will:

• Be listened to and have their views about their healthcare respected
• Be informed what their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and care involves
• Have information shared with them as they want or need in order to ensure they can make decisions
• Receive information in whatever way is necessary to enable them to maximise their opportunity and ability to make decisions and communicate them
• Have their decisions respected by staff in line with legislation

PROCEDURE

Seaford Medical Practice recognises that consent is fundamental in ensuring person-centred care provision.

Seaford Medical Practice understands the need to allow Patients time to process information without feeling rushed or pressured, providing the opportunity for the individual or their legal representative to consider  and formulate any questions that they have relating to their care provision.

Consent and Mental Capacity

A Patient lacks capacity if their mind is impaired or disturbed in some way, and this means the Patient is unable to make a decision at that time.

• The staff member responsible for the healthcare assessment will ensure that mental capacity is assessed before the Patient consents to treatment and support
• Where the mental capacity assessment identifies that the Patient lacks the mental capacity to give valid consent, consent will be sought from the Patient’s legally authorised representative (such as a legal guardian or a person having a power of attorney)
• The assessor will consider whether the lack of capacity is temporary or permanent and consider if there are occasions when capacity fluctuates
• The Patient will be supported and encouraged to be involved, as far as they want to and are able, in decisions about their treatment and care
• Staff must adhere to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 Policy and Procedure at Seaford Medical Practice

Before Patients can come to a decision about treatment, they need comprehensible information about their condition, possible treatments/investigations, risks and benefits including the risk/benefits of doing nothing. This must be documented in their healthcare record and appropriate information transferred to the consent form e.g. risks, additional procedures. They must be informed of risks/benefits no matter how small or remote unless they have expressly indicated they do not want all of the information. They need to know whether additional procedures are likely to be necessary as part of the procedure.

The healthcare professional is responsible for ensuring explanations are presented sensitively and in a way that the Patient can understand. Unnecessary medical jargon must be avoided. Written information needs to be provided to support verbal explanations.

For ‘informed consent’, Patients are given all the information they need to make an informed decision. Whatever the context in which medical decisions are made, the healthcare professional carrying out the procedure must work in partnership with Patients to ensure they receive high-quality care which involves:

• Listening to Patients and respecting their views about their health
• Discussion with Patients about their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, risks of each option to help the Patient understand the significance (magnitude of individual effects) of the information clearly and know what they can expect if they give their consent
• Sharing with Patients the information they want or need, including the results of any tests, in a way that they are able to understand in order that they can make fully informed decisions
• Maximising the Patient’s opportunities and their ability to make decisions for themselves
• Respecting Patient’s decisions
• Ensuring that Patients can be confident that their human rights are respected and taken into account

Consent is checked with the Patient throughout all stages of an intervention or treatment pathway, not only at the outset, and this along with contemporaneous documentation of key points in the discussion is recorded in the Patient’s clinical record and confirmed as informed consent.

Consent must also be checked and recorded when carrying out consultations online or via video.

Communication must be sufficient to ensure that Patients with communication difficulties are enabled to provide informed consent (for example, human – British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter/friend/pen and paper, or technological – hearing loop support for Patients with hearing difficulties).

Due to the time pressures that often exist in healthcare, it is not always possible to give Patients the level of information and support they may need to enable them to give their informed consent. To assist the healthcare professional, other members of the team may be able to spend time with the Patient and provide them with sources of information and support that will help them to make their decision about an intervention and give consent which is sufficiently informed. The resources available might comprise patient information leaflets, advocacy services, a local Expert Patient Programme or support groups/charities for people with specific conditions.

The Patient is given time to agree to treatment based on the information they have received and is not pressurised in any way.

The Patient may enquire of members of the Practice Team concerning treatment at any stage and they will receive a response to their question(s) from a healthcare professional e.g. doctor.

A Patient can refuse consent at any point. If this happens, the decision is to be respected. However, information may be provided to the refusing Patient to help them understand in full what their refusal may mean in terms of risk. Advance refusals of treatment may need to be recorded, signed and witnessed for the clinical record.

If a Patient expresses the wish to have another person, such as a relative, partner, friend, carer or advocate, to be involved in discussions or to help them make decisions, this wish should be accommodated as far as is reasonably possible, taking into account all factors informing the need for the consent in the first place, for example, the urgency or seriousness of the condition etc.

Written consent is obtained for procedures that have to be carried out in situations where consent cannot be checked, such as when the Patient is not conscious for any reason. Consent is recorded in the clinical record for every intervention.

If any healthcare professional believes that operational issues beyond their control are restricting their ability to give Patients the time or information they need to make an informed decision and are seriously compromising the Patient’s ability to make an informed decision, concerns should be formally raised with Dr Ian Cockburn and documented.

Patients can give consent verbally or in writing, or they may imply consent by complying with the proposed examination or treatment, e.g. by rolling up their sleeve to have their blood pressure   taken. Where an intervention is deemed necessary (for example, a blood pressure check) to which the Patient refuses consent, this refusal must be recorded in the Patient’s clinical record.

In the case of minor or routine investigations or treatments, if the healthcare professional is satisfied that the Patient understands what is proposed, and why, it is usually enough to have verbal or implied consent.

In cases that involve higher risk, it is important that the healthcare professional obtains the Patient’s written consent. This is so that everyone involved understands and can confirm what was explained and agreed.

By law, there must be written consent in place for certain treatments, such as fertility treatment and organ donation. Seaford Medical Practice must follow the laws and codes of practice that govern these situations if being requested to obtain consent on behalf of another healthcare provider.

The healthcare professional must also get written consent from a Patient if:

• The investigation or treatment is complex or involves significant risks
• There may be significant consequences for the Patient’s employment, social or personal life
• Providing clinical care is not the primary purpose of the investigation or treatment
• The treatment is part of a research programme or is an innovative treatment designed specifically for their benefit

If it is not possible to get written consent, for example, in an emergency, or if the Patient needs the treatment to relieve serious pain or distress in the primary care setting, the healthcare professional can   rely on verbal consent. However, the healthcare professional must still give the Patient the information they require or request to make the decision that led to the need for consent for the intervention. The   healthcare professional must record the fact that the Patient has given consent in the Patient’s clinical record.

Written consent must not be altered once it has been signed by the Patient. This signed consent must be scanned into the Patient’s clinical record.

Physical restraint is not used within Seaford Medical Practice, except where life may be in danger. In the presence of physical peril, police support must be requested as a matter of urgency.

Consent to Share Information

Seaford Medical Practice will ensure that the Patient gives permission for information to be shared with other professionals or providers. If a Patient lacks capacity to make this decision, Seaford Medical Practice, in consultation with any representatives, will need to make a best interests decision about sharing information. Examples of when information might be shared are:

• Transferring care between providers
• Discussing mobility goals with a physiotherapist involved in the Patient’s care

• Seaford Medical Practice will also ensure that staff comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and that consent is sought from the Patient before sharing any information with inspectors or regulators.
• Seaford Medical Practice will be aware of the need to maintain confidentiality and that a Patient’s right to confidentiality continues even when they are deceased.
• Patients must understand what information is recorded about them and how Seaford Medical Practice uses that information, stores it and whether the information is shared. The Patient will be asked to provide consent for any information about their health, care, treatment or personal identifiable information to be shared. Seaford Medical Practice will consider this within the context of the UK GDPR.
• capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment. It applies to people aged 16 and over

Your information, what you need to know

This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information will be used, how we keep it safe and confidential and what your rights are in relation to this.

Why we collect information about you

Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received.  These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help us to protect your safety.

We collect and hold data for the purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and running our organisation which includes monitoring the quality of care that we provide. In carrying out this role we will collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We will keep your information in written form and/or in digital form.

Our Commitment to Data Privacy and Confidentiality Issues

As a GP practice, all of our GPs, staff and associated practitioners are committed to protecting your privacy and will only process data in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation.  This includes the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) now known as the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/680) (LED) and any applicable national Laws implementing them as amended from time to time.  The legislation requires us to process personal data only if there is a legitimate basis for doing so and that any processing must be fair and lawful.

In addition, consideration will also be given to all applicable Law concerning privacy, confidentiality, the processing and sharing of personal data including the Human Rights Act 1998, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as amended by the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015, the common law duty of confidentiality and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations.

Data we collect about you

Records which this GP Practice will hold or share about you will include the following:

• Personal Data – means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

• Special Categories of Personal Data – this term describes personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

• Confidential Patient Information – this term describes information or data relating to their health and other matters disclosed to another (e.g. patient to clinician) in circumstances where it is reasonable to expect that the information will be held in confidence. Including both information ‘given in confidence’ and ‘that which is owed a duty of confidence’. As described in the Confidentiality: NHS code of Practice: Department of Health guidance on confidentiality 2003.

• Pseudonymised – The process of distinguishing individuals in a dataset by using a unique identifier which does not reveal their ‘real world’ identity.

• Anonymised – Data in a form that does not identify individuals and where identification through its combination with other data is not likely to take place

• Aggregated – Statistical data about several individuals that has been combined to show general trends or values without identifying individuals within the data.

How we use your information

Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare organisations for the purpose of providing you, your family and your community with better care.  For example, it is possible for healthcare professionals in other services to access your record with or without your permission when the practice is closed.  Where your record is accessed without your permission it is necessary for them to have a legitimate basis in law. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing at Appendix A.

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service.  Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided by the service
• research into the development of new treatments and care pathways
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services
• risk stratification
• Population Health Management

Safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults

If we have significant concerns or hear about an individual child or vulnerable adult being at risk of harm, we may share relevant information with other organisations, such as local authorities and the Police, involved in ensuring their safety.

Statutory disclosures

Sometimes we are duty bound by laws to disclose information to organisations such as the Care Quality Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, the General Medical Council, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Counter Fraud services.  In these circumstances we will always try to inform you before we are required to disclose and we only disclose the minimum information that the law requires us to do so

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information.  All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations.  Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law or with consent.

Pseudonymised or anonymised data is generally used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified.

A full list of details including the legal basis, any Data Processor involvement and the purposes for processing information can be found in Appendix A.

How long do we hold information for?

All records held by the Practice will be kept for the duration specified by national guidance from Records Management Code of Practice – NHSX. Once information that we hold has been identified for destruction it will be disposed of in the most appropriate way for the type of information it is.  Personal confidential and commercially confidential information will be disposed of by approved and secure confidential waste procedures. We keep a record of retention schedules within our information asset registers, in line with the Records Management Code of Practice for 2021.

Individuals Rights under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR 2016 the Law provides the following rights for individuals.  The NHS upholds these rights in a number of ways:

1. The right to be informed
2. The right of access
3. The right to rectification
4. The right to erasure (not an absolute right) only applies in certain circumstances
5. The right to restrict processing
6. The right to data portability
7. The right to object
8. Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Your right to opt out of data sharing and processing

The NHS Constitution states, ‘You have a right to request that your personal and confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered’.

Type 1 Opt Out

This is an objection that prevents an individual’s personal confidential information from being shared outside of their general practice except when it is being used for the purposes of their individual direct care, or in particular circumstances required by law, such as a public health screening, or an emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease. If patients wish to apply a Type 1 Opt Out to their record, they should make their wishes known to the Practice Manager.

National data opt-out (NDOO)

The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.

The national data opt-out replaces the previous ‘Type 2’ opt-out, which required NHS Digital not to use a patient’s confidential patient information for purposes beyond their individual care, for Planning or Research. Any patient that had a type 2 opt-out recorded on or before 11 October 2018 has had it automatically converted to a national data opt-out. Those aged 13 or over were sent a letter giving them more information and a leaflet explaining the national data opt-out.  For more information go to National data opt out programme

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

On this web page you will:

• See what is meant by confidential patient information
• Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• Understand more about who uses the data
• Find out how your data is protected
• Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
• See the situations where the opt-out will not apply

Right of Access to your information (Subject Access Request)

Under Data Protection Legislation everybody has the right of access to, or request a copy of, information we hold that can identify them, this includes medical records. There are some safeguards regarding what patients will have access to and they may find information has been redacted or removed for the following reasons;

• It may be deemed to risk causing harm to the patient or others
• The information within the record may relate to third parties who are entitled to their confidentiality, or who have not given their permission for the information to be shared.

Patients do not need to give a reason to see their data. And requests can be made verbally or in writing.  Although we may ask them to complete a form in order that we can ensure that they have the correct information required.

Where multiple copies of the same information is requested, the surgery may charge a reasonable fee for the additional copies.

Patients will need to provide proof of identity to receive this information. We will not share information relating to you with other individuals without your explicit instruction or without sight of a legal document.

Patients may also request to have online access to their data, they may do this via the NHS APP, or via the practice’s system. If you would like to access your GP record, online click, here https://www.seafordmedicalpractice.nhs.uk/

COVID Passport access

Patients may access their Covid passport via the link, the practice cannot provide this document as it is not held in the practice record. If you have any issues gaining access to your Covid Passport or letter you should call: 119

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the surgery if any of your contact details such as your name or address have changed, or if any of your other contacts details are incorrect including third party emergency contact details.  It is important that we are made aware of any changes immediately in order that no information is shared in error.

Mobile telephone number

If you provide us with your mobile phone number, we will use this to send you text reminders about your appointments or other health related information.  It is within our legal duty as a public authority to keep our patients updated with important information.

We also use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Email address

Where you have provided us with your email address, we will use this to send you information relating to your health and the services we provide.  If you do not wish to receive communications by email, please let us know.

Notification

Data Protection Legislation requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.

We are registered as a Data Controller and our registration can be viewed online in the public register at:  http://ico.org.uk/what_we_cover/register_of_data_controllers

Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and in a prominent area at the Practice.

Data Protection Officer

Should you have any data protection questions or concerns, please contact our Data Protection Officer via the surgery at: esxccg.smp-dpo@nhs.net

What is the right to know?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) gives people a general right of access to information held by or on behalf of public authorities, promoting a culture of openness and accountability across the public sector.  You can request any non-personal information that the GP Practice holds, that does not fall under an exemption.  You may not ask for information that is covered by the Data Protection Legislation under FOIA.  However, you can request this under a right of access request – see section above ‘Access to your information’.

Right to Complain

If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of our services, please contact us using our complaints email address: sxicb-esx.smp-complaints@nhs.net.  Or via the ICO details listed below.

For independent advice about data protection, privacy, and data-sharing issues, you can contact:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113     Website: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us

The NHS Constitution

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out the rights patients, the public and staff are entitled to.  These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments and programs available to you, confidentiality, information, and your right to complain if things go wrong.

The NHS Constitution for England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Click here for Privacy Notice Appendix

Click here for GDPR Privacy Notice – Emergencies

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A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded on to a device (like your computer or smart phone) when you accesses certain websites.

Cookies allow a website to recognise a user’s device.

Some cookies help websites to remember choices you make (e.g. which language you prefer if you use the Google Translate feature). Analytical cookies are to help us measure the number of visitors to a website. The two types we use are ‘Session’ and ‘Persistent’ cookies. Some cookies are temporary and disappear when you close your web browser, others may remain on your computer for a set period of time.

We do not knowingly collect or intend to collect any personal information about you using cookies. We do not share your personal information with anyone.

What can I do to manage cookies on my devices?

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

If you are concerned about cookies and would like to ask further questions please do not hesitate to write to our website developers – support@gpsurgery.net

Please use the following links to find out more information about the NHS Digital’s daily collection of GP data to support vital health and care planning and research.

General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR)

General Practice Data for Planning and Research: GP Practice Privacy Notice

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and that the required

disclosure is shown below. 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 any comparison with any other practice.

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 Seaford Medical Practice in the last financial year was £76,622 before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 5 Full time GPs, 7 part time GPs, 5 Salaried GPs and 0 Locum GP’s working over 6 months.

NHS Sussex is a new organisation, set up on 1 July 2022. Their main role is to agree the strategic priorities and resource allocation for all NHS organisations in Sussex.

Sussex Health & Care and NHS Sussex (ics.nhs.uk)

Address: NHS Sussex, Wicker House, High Street, Worthing BN11 1DJ

Tel: 0300 140 9854

Email: sxicb.contactus@nhs.net

This involves leading the improvement and integration of high-quality health and care services for all communities.

NHS Sussex have taken on the commissioning functions previously carried out by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). This includes the commissioning of Primary Care services from GP practices.

Seaford Medical Practice, therefore, holds an NHS Contract with NHS Sussex for the provision of NHS General Medical Services.

All patients will be treated with respect, kindness and dignity, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion, cultural beliefs, sex or age.  We ask that you treat the practice staff with the same courtesy.

If you have any concerns regarding the safety of adults or children, please follow the links below for further information:

Adult Safeguarding Information

Children Safeguarding