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 we may charge an administration fee. No information will be released without the patient’s consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

You may be aware that from April 2014 all practices were required to provide all their patients aged 75 and over with a named GP, this GP has overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides for them.  This has now been extended to cover all patients.

You do not have to see your named GP, you can continue to see who you wish, but they will have overall responsiblity for your care.  Our staff are able to tell you which of our doctors is your named GP.

This annual statement will be generated each year in January in accordance with the requirements of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. It summarises:

• Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Event procedure)
• Details of any infection control audits undertaken, and actions undertaken
• Details of any risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection
• Details of staff training
• Any review and update of policies, procedures, and guidelines

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead

Weaver Vale Practice has one Lead for Infection Prevention and Control: Jenny Schooler, Practice Nurse

Jenny Schooler keeps updated on infection prevention practice and attends the IPC Meetings.

Infection transmission incidents (Significant Events)

Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are investigated in detail to see what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements. All significant events are reviewed and learning is cascaded to all relevant staff.

In the past year there have been no significant events raised that related to infection control.

Infection Prevention Audit and Actions

The Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit was completed by Jenny Schooler in December 2023

As a result of the audit, the following things have been identified to be changed in Weaver Vale Practice

• The bag in the specimen box has been replaced with a clear specimen bag
• Cleaning staff have been asked not to store mops with clean heads or leave around the sink area
• Cleaning staff have been advised that cloths are disposed of after use.

Weaver Vale Practice plan to undertake the following audits in 2024

• Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit
• Six monthly cleaning audit to include curtain changing
• Annual Hand hygiene audit
• Six Monthly Waste audit
• Three monthly Sharps bin audit

We want to give you the best service we can and we try to deal quickly with any problem that arises. Please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or complaints so that we can improve our service.

How to complain

It is best to tell a member of staff about any concerns or problems as soon as they arise and they will try and sort them out.

If you wish to make a complaint, please let us have details of your complaint as soon as possible so we can find out what happened.

A complaints form is available from reception or at the following link Complaint Form, you can complain verbally however the receptionist will be required to go through the complaints form with you so we can ensure we can investigate appropriately.  You can email weaver.vale@nhs.net or ask the receptionist for a complaints form to complete

You need to make your complaint within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem OR within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem relating to a specific incident.

What we will do

• We will contact you about your complaint within three working days to acknowledge your complaint and provide time scales for a response.
• We aim to investigate and provide you with the findings as soon as we can.
• We will look into your complaint to:-
• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Provide you with an explanation
• Apologise where this is appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure that the problem does not happen again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Medical records are protected by the data Protection Act. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else we need to know that you have their permission to do so. A consent form from the person you are complaining for will be required.

Confidentiality continues beyond death Therefore if you are complaining on behalf of a person who has died you must be able to provide evidence that you are:

A personal representative (the executor or administrator of the deceased persons estate)

Someone who has a claim resulting from the death

In order to evidence an individual is a personal representative you will need to provide physical documentation to provide this, before the deceased patients next of kin does not fulfil this requirement.

The NHS Complaints Advocacy can provide free impartial support when you are making a complaint. They can help to draft or write a letter, can arrange interpreting or can accompany you to a meeting. http://nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org/ Tel: 0300 330 5454

You can also write to the following:

• Complaints Manager at Halton CCG, No.1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park, Warrington, WA1 1QY Tel: 01928 303030 or email: enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
• The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP, Tel 0845 0154033  www.ombudsman.org.uk
• Care Quality Commission North Region, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4PA,  Tel 03000 616161  www.enquirescqc.org.uk
• NHS England, North Division, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT   Tel: 03003112233   england.contactus@nhs.net

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 need access to your medical records to do their jobs. All members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Most of our Patients know it can sometimes be difficult to get a routine appointment with a GP or Nurse.  In the course of events where demand is unpredictable, that cannot easily be remedied.

One thing that makes this more difficult to overcome is the problem of missed routine appointments – DNAs.

Where Patients have been declined routine appointments because the consultations are fully booked, it is at best disappointing when one of those booked appointments does not turn up and has not contacted the Practice to cancel the appointment so that it can be released for others or telephones so late as to make it impossible to allocate to another Patient.

On average each month we have around 200 such DNAs – with either GPs or Nurses and, in some cases, double appointments at specialist clinics.  This is the equivalent of 33 hours of missed clinical appointments.

Due to the number of patients failing to attend for their appointment this may mean that you may not be able to see the doctor on the day that you wish to.

In an attempt to try and resolve this, the practice has developed the following policy.

• If you fail to attend appointments without informing us we will write to you asking if you could inform the practice if you are unable to attend your appointment.
• If you fail to attend on 3 occasions throughout a 12 month period for appointments you may be removed from the practice list and have to find an alternative GP practice.

Remember that your DNA is another Patient’s denied appointment

How to avoid becoming a DNA

If you cannot attend or no longer need an appointment, please ring us in advance.

Mistakes do happen and the Practice understands that appointments can be forgotten about or overlooked.  In such cases, the Practice will take into account the reason given by Patients.

Preference, of course, is for the Practice to know in advance so we can offer the appointment(s) to other Patients in need.

Should you need to cancel: here’s how

1. By telephone: Call 01928 711911
2. By text, text cancel to 0780 0000199

Introduction

We strive to provide our patients with timely and high-quality healthcare. Missed appointments, also known as “Did Not Attend” (DNA) appointments, can significantly impact the availability of our services to other patients in need. This policy outlines the procedures and consequences related to missed appointments to ensure the efficiency and fairness of our practice.

Policy Objectives

• To reduce the number of missed appointments.
• To ensure that appointment slots are utilized effectively.
• To improve access to medical care for all patients.
• To minimize the financial impact on the NHS and our practice.

Patient Responsibilities

Patients are expected to:

1. Attend all scheduled appointments on time.
2. Notify the practice as soon as possible if they are unable to attend an appointment.
3. Provide at least 24 hours’ notice if they need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

Notification Procedure

Patients can notify the practice of cancellations or rescheduling through:

1. By telephone: Call 01928 711911
2. By text, text cancel to 0780 0000199

Missed Appointment Procedure

1. First DNA: Patients who miss an appointment without prior notification will receive a polite reminder via SMS or letter, explaining the impact of missed appointments and encouraging them to cancel in advance if unable to attend in the future.
2. Second DNA (within 6 months): Patients who miss a second appointment within a six-month period will receive a stronger reminder, highlighting the importance of canceling appointments and informing them of the potential consequences of repeated DNAs.
3. Third DNA (within 6 months): Patients who miss a third appointment within a six-month period will be sent a formal warning letter, stating that further missed appointments may result in removal from the practice list.

Consequences of Repeated DNAs

• Patients who repeatedly miss appointments without adequate notice may be considered for removal from the practice list.
• The decision to remove a patient from the list will be made by the practice management team, taking into consideration any extenuating circumstances.

Support and Communication

We understand that there may be valid reasons for missing appointments. If you are experiencing difficulties that prevent you from attending appointments, please contact us to discuss your situation. Our team is here to support you and ensure you receive the care you need.

Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act can be made available to the general public. All requests for such information should be made to the Practice Manager.

There is a new law being introduced from May 2018 which determines how your personal data is processed, kept safe and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.

The GDPR is similar to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 (which the practice already complies with), but strengthens many of the DPA’s principles. The main changes are:

• Practices must comply with subject access requests
• Where we needs your consent to process data, this consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous
• There are new, special protections for patient data
• The Information Commissioner’s Office must be notified within 72 hours of a data breach
• Higher fines for data breaches – up to 20 million euros

Please read our Fair Processing Notice  and Subject Access Request Policy which explains how you can access your medical records.

you can also read our Patient Information for Young People

What is ‘patient data’?

Patient data is information that relates to a single person, such as his/her diagnosis, name, age, earlier medical history etc.

What is consent?

Consent is permission from a patient – an individual’s consent is defined as “any freely given specific and informed indication of his wishes by which the data subject signifies his agreement to personal data relating to him being processed.”

The changes in GDPR mean that we must get explicit permission from patients when using their data. This is to protect your right to privacy, and we may ask you to provide consent to do certain things, like contact you or record certain information about you for your clinical records.

Individuals also have the right to withdraw their consent at any time.

You can find out more information about this new regulation by visiting the Information Commissioners Office website.

How do I opt out of my health records being shared for research and planning?

If you would like to choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research or planning your can do this online here

Alternatively you can contact 0300 303 5678

You must be

• be aged 13 or older
• have access to your email or mobile phone
• have your NHS number of your postcode registered with the practice.

Under the data protection law we must tell you about how we use your personal information.  Our main GP practice privacy notice is on our website.  This additional privacy notice provides details about the personal information that we are sharing with NHS Digital for its General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection  Practice Privacy Notice – GPDPR.  Please visit our section General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection

All Infection Prevention and Control related policies are in date for this year.

Policies relating to Infection Prevention and Control are available to all staff and are reviewed and updated annually and all are amended on an on-going basis as current advice, guidance and legislation changes. Infection Control policies are circulated amongst staff for reading and discussed at meetings on an annual basis.

Risk assessments are carried out Annually.

Legionella (Water) Risk Assessment: The practice has conducted/reviewed its water safety risk assessment to ensure that the water supply does not pose a risk to patients, visitors, or staff, last reviewed.  The water is tested monthly by an external company to ensure that it remains risk free.

The cleaning staff run the taps of those rooms that are not in use to prevent the build up of stagnant water.

Immunisation: As a practice we ensure that all our staff are up to date with their Hepatitis B immunisations and offered any occupational health vaccinations applicable to their role (i.e., MMR, Seasonal Flu and Covid vaccinations). We take part in the National Immunisation campaigns for patients and offer vaccinations in house and via home visits to our patient population.

Jenny Schooler is to prepare a document for staff on the important of vaccination for our newsletter and to encourage our staff to be aware of the need to be vaccinated.

Curtains: The NHS Cleaning Specifications state the curtains should be cleaned or if using disposable curtains, replaced every 6 months. To this effect we use disposable curtains and ensure they are changed every 6 months. The window blinds are very low risk and therefore do not require a particular cleaning regime other than regular vacuuming to prevent build-up of dust. The modesty curtains although handled by clinicians are never handled by patients and clinicians have been reminded to always remove gloves and clean hands after an examination and before touching the curtains. All curtains are regularly reviewed and changed if visibly soiled

Cleaning specifications, frequencies, and cleanliness: We also have a cleaning specification and frequency policy which our cleaners and staff work to. An assessment of cleanliness is conducted by the cleaning team and logged. This includes all aspects in the surgery including cleanliness of equipment.

Hand washing sinks: The practice has clinical hand washing sinks in every room for staff to use.

General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR)

NHS Digital have announced from 1st September 2021 they will be sharing patient data held in GP Medical records to support health and care planning and research in England.   This means that a patients anonymised data can be shared with third parties for research purposes.  More information can be found on this on the NHS Digital Website

If you are aged 13 or over do not want the practice to share your data for purposes except for your own care, you can opt out by registering a  Type 1 Opt out form or a National Opt Out.  You can print out the Type 1 form and hand to the practice or email the completed form to weaver.vale@nhs.net.  Alternatively you can ask at reception for a form. For anyone under age 13 the parent or guardian can complete the Type 1 form on their behalf.

The national opt out can be completed using the online service above, by email to enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk or in writing to National Data Opt Out, Contact Centre, NHS Digitial, HM Government, 7 and 8 Wellington Place, Lees, LS1 4AP.

Under the data protection law we must tell you about how we use your personal information.  Our main GP practice privacy notice is on our website.  This additional privacy notice provides details about the personal information that we are sharing with NHS Digital for its General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection  Practice Privacy Notice – GPDPR

• All our staff receive annual training in infection prevention and control
• All clinical and non -clinical staff have completed blue stream e-learning training.
• IPC Lead should attend quarterly IPC Lead Practice Nurse forums organised by ICB

Your GP Practice is committed to operating in a way that complies fully with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We recognise that the personal data legitimately required in order to carry out our business must be collected, processed, stored and disposed of fairly, lawfully and with due regard to confidentiality. We fully respect your privacy.

If you have any questions about your data or how we deal with it please contact the practice and get in touch with us by clicking on the Contact Us links available on this website.

The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way.

The Practice supports the government’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. They would respectfully remind patients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations, all at the same time.  The staff understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint.

However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police being contacted.

In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients the practice would like to ask all its patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:

• Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
• Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
• Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
• Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
• Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot
• Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises, staff or patients
• Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently

We ask you to treat your GPs and their staff courteously at all times.

Removal from the practice list

A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of the practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.

Removing other members of the household

In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.