WELCOME TO HFPG-SANDY LANE SURGERY
The Horsefair Practice Group runs 2 GP Practices:
- HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery, and
- The Horsefair Practice
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery is based at Sandy Lane Health Centre, Sandy Lane, Rugeley WS15 2LB
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01889 572057
The Horsefair Practice has 3 branch surgeries:
- Hillsprings Surgery
- Armitage Surgery
- The Horsefair Practice, Sandy Lane Health Centre
INDEX:
- Statement of Purpose
- Vision for the Future
- General Practice information and Staff Teams
- Clinical Team (including information regarding your Named GP)
- Administration Team
- The Extended Primary Care Team (Community Teams; District Nurses; Health Visitors; Community Midwives)
- Surgery Opening Hours
- Appointments (Appointments Telephone Line; Online Appointments; Missed appointments; Extended Access Appointments; Home Visits)
- Chaperone Policy
- Local Accident & Emergency Departments
- Repeat Prescriptions
- Obtaining Test Results
- How to Register with our Practice
- Named GP
- Disabled Access
- Breast Feeding accessibility
- Accessing information in other formats (other languages; easy read; large print)
- Information for Carers
- SERVICES
- Essential Services
- Additional Services
- Chronic Disease Management
- Health Promotion
- Private Work
- Patient Participation Group
- Local Pharmacy Services
- Complaints – How to raise a complaint
- Compliments; Comments and Suggestions
- Training Practice
- Zero Tolerance Policy regarding abuse towards staff
- Data Protection and Confidentiality
- Freedom of Information
- Patient Rights and Responsibilities
- Smoke Free Zone
- CCTV
- Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care Board
Statement of Purpose
The Horse Fair Practice Group provides a comprehensive, friendly and holistic service, available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and respects their human rights.
The Practice promotes equality through service and will pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not in keeping with the rest of the population.
The Practice aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism and will provide high quality care that is safe, effective and focused on the patient.
Practice services will reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers. Patients, with their families and carers, will be involved in and consulted on all decisions about their care and treatment.
The Practice will work in partnership across organisations, with the interests of patients, local communities and the wider population.
The Practice will be accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves.
Vision for the Future
As Sandy Lane Surgery we believe in improvement of health, wellbeing and lives of those we care for.
To achieve this we will:
Listen to and understand the needs of our patients.
Work as a multi-disciplinary, flexible, resilient and integrated workforce with an appropriate mix of skills and roles.
Continue to promote healthy lifestyles and behaviours while engaging patients and communities in supporting their own care and participating in shared decision making.
Be able to routinely structure care around multi-morbidity, as well as individual conditions.
Continue to embrace and seek out advances in technology to the advantage of our patients.
Continue to explore avenues for more complex care in the community closer to patients and their families.
Work towards more co-ordination and collaboration across boundaries of healthcare.
Work with commissioners for the future provision of 24/7 personalised care to patients with complex co-morbidities and those towards the end of their lives.
Continue to embrace and explore community-led research, development and quality improvement.
Promote a culture locally between the surgeries of shared learning through Significant Event analysis.
Work jointly with our Patient Participation Group to communicate, change and receive constructive feedback.
Ensure to practise in accordance with medical guidelines, recognise best practice and enable our patients and their families to benefit from our continuous improvements.
Respond quickly and pro-actively to any concerns patients may have about the service they receive from us and operate a robust complaints system.
General Practice Information and Staff Teams
If you are a new or existing patient with us, we hope that you find the information contained within this guide useful.
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery is a four doctor Training Practice operating from Sandy Lane Health Centre.
We are committed to providing high quality care to both new and existing patients living in Rugeley and surrounding areas.
Clinical Team
The Practice Clinical Team compromises:
- 2 GP Partners
- 5 Salaried GPs
- 2 Nurse Practitioners
- 1 Urgent Care Practitioner
- 2 Practice Pharmacists
- 4 Practice Nurses
- 1 Nursing Associate
- 2 Phlebotomists.
Our Administration Team comprises:
- Practice Manager
- Management Assistant
- Reception Staff
- Data Quality Staff
- Medical Secretaries
All our staff are dedicated to offering a professional service. The surgery website and Facebook page helps us to keep all our patients up to date with news and information about our practice, as well as the staff and the services we provide.
We hope you will use this booklet as a useful resource for other health-related information.
THE GP PARTNERS
Dr Mukesh Prasad Singh , Senior Partner Full Time MBBS MD DFFP
Dr Singh qualified at Banarus Hindu University India in 1992. He has been with our practice since 2004 and has a special interest in Respiratory Medicine. He also works as a clinical specialist at Mid Staffordshire Hospital. Dr Singh is a trainer to the practice trainee GPs.
Dr Ramesh Subramanian (Dr Subra) Full Time MBBS MRCGP DFFP
Dr Subra qualified at Nagpur University, India in 1997. He joined the practice in 2006 with a special interest in diabetes and hypertension.
Dr Subra is Joint Clinical director for Rugeley and Great Haywood Primary Care Network.
CLINICAL TEAM
From the 1st April 2015, all GP practices are required under the terms of the latest GP Contract to allocate all new and existing patients a named / accountable GP. All patients aged 75 and over will be assigned a named / accountable GP.
This does not affect your treatment or care at the practice and you can continue to see any GP of your choice as normal.
Dr Bukky Oso
(Female) GMC: 5186761
MMBS MRCP DFSRH MRCGP,UCH
Dr Oso qualified in Ibadan, Nigeria 1990. She has worked with Sandy Lane Surgery and subsequently HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery since 2008. Dr Oso has a special interest in Women’s Health.
Dr Oso is also a qualified GP Trainer.
Dr Julia Hook
(Female) GMC: 3562260
MB ChB
Dr Hook qualified from the University of Dundee in 1991.
Dr Kevin Uzoma
(Male) GMC: 7538328
MB BS
Dr Uzoma qualified from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2006. He joined the HFPG Sandy lane in 2022. Dr Kevin has a special interest in Occupational Medicine.
Dr Serena Johal
(Female) GMC: 7597583
Dr Johal qualified as a doctor in 2018.
MB ChB 2018 University of Birmingham
Dr Sapna Aggarwal
(Female) GMC: 7285250
Dr Aggarwal qualified as a doctor in 2013. BM 2012 University of Southampton
Louise Lewis, Lead Nurse, Nurse Practitioner
Louise works for The Horsefair Practice Group, but Leads the Nursing Team at HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery
Practice Pharmacist Team
Katie Crutchley, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Jackie Dranginis, Nurse Practitioner / Carl Pockett, Urgent Care Practitioner
NPs and UCPs are trained in all aspects of minor illnesses. They are able to provide prescriptions and refer to other services when indicated
Tracy Hayward, Practice Nurse
Amanda Shelley, Practice Nurse
Jodie Watterson, Practice Nurse
Taiyla Howard-Shore, RGN
All practice nurses have extensive training in baby immunisations, phlebotomy, cervical cytology, ear syringing, weight management, Long-term condition management, spirometry, wound care.
Kerry Doyle, Nursing Associate
Elizabeth Bayley, Phlebotomist
Robyn Hibbs, Phlebotomist
Sandra Bywater, Phlebotomist
Primary Care Network Team
Gurjot Singh Bhogal, PCN First Point Physiotherapist
Jennifer Wallace, PCN Mental Health Practitioner
Debbie Hill, PCN Social Prescriber
Administration Team
Charlotte Marshall – Practice Manager
Stephanie O’Nion, Management Assistant
Stephanie’s role is to support the Group Practice Manager at HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery
She has been with the Practice since 2007.
Medical Secretaries
The medical secretaries support the Clinical Team in an administrative role and process all referrals. They also deal with all requests for Private Work.
Data Quality Team
The DQ Team Process all clinical information entering the practice (clinic letters; test results; emails).
The Team also deal with annual invitations to all patients requiring Chronic Disease Management review appointments.
Reception Team
The receptionists at HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery are trained to:
• listen to your needs, requests and queries
• take and pass on any messages
• provide information about the practice and facilities
• make appointments appropriate to your assessment of urgency
Please do not be offended when the receptionist asks you for a brief idea of your problem when arranging your appointment.
The receptionist has been authorised to do this by the Senior GP Partner.
This information is required to ensure that you are booked with the most appropriate clinician.
The Extended Primary Care Team (Community Teams; District Nurses; Health Visitors; Community Midwives)
___________________________________________________________________
Community Teams
All community teams are directly employed by MPFT (Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust) and work alongside the practice team to provide medical services to patients.
District Nurses
The district nurses are available to see you in your home if your are housebound, and help with dressings and removal of sutures, advice and care of the acutely and chronically sick and terminally ill; they are also able to provide advice on incontinence, supply pads and other aids.
Telephone: 0300 123 9011.
Health Visitors
All health visitors are qualified nurses and many of them have had midwifery training. They also have a further year’s training in subjects such as child development, family structure, community health and the promotion of health in all age groups and psychology.
Health visitors work mainly with parents and young children and will visit you soon after you return home with your new baby. They may also visit you during your pregnancy working alongside the midwives.
Health Visitors run child health clinics at Sandy Lane Health Centre and work in conjunction with the GPs in the surgery. They may also prescribe medication for certain minor ailments.
Work includes that with elderly people, children with special needs and with other age groups, advising them on how to achieve good physical and emotional health.
The health visitors set up support groups and provide support in times of stress, anxiety and illness. All this work is kept in strict confidence.
We have baby changing and breastfeeding facilities on site.
Community Midwives
The community midwives are able to offer full care during pregnancy. The doctors and midwife share the care of the expectant mother.
Your initial consultation with the midwife will usually take place in your home. You will be asked a few questions and the midwife will carry out some general health checks, and will arrange your hospital booking. Throughout your pregnancy you will be seen regularly either at the practice or the local hospital, or both.
There is an additional leaflet about our antenatal services available upon request at each practice reception.
Clinic: Thursdays 9.00 am -12.00 noon, Hillsprings Surgery
Surgery Opening Hours
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery is open from Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 6.30 pm.
During times when the practice is closed, telephones are transferred to the Out of Hours Service (this Service is commissioned by the Integrated Care Board, ensuring there is a 7 day / 24 hour service to GP Services.
We also provide Extended Access appointments, where available, over the weekend.
Appointments (Appointments Contact Number; Online Appointments; Missed appointments; Extended Access Appointments; Home Visits; Emergencies and Out of Hours)
Appointments Contact Number
Please telephone 01889 572057, Option 1 to book an appointment with a member of our Clinical Team.
Our GPs have asked the Reception Team to request a brief idea of your problem, to ensure they offer you an appointment with the most appropriate clinician.
Online Appointments
You are also able to book a selection of appointments online.
Please speak to a member of our team if you would like to be registered with our online service.
If you are registered with our online service, EMIS Access, you will also be able to book appointments and request repeat medication via the NHS App.
Newly registered patients aged 16 and above have the option of being issued with a secure password for using our online access services, to book or cancel appointments and order repeat prescriptions, either via our website (www.sandylanesurgery.org) or the patient access website (http://www.patient.co.ukpatient-access.asp).
If you wish to be signed up to this service, please tick the relevant box on the registration paperwork that accompanies the GMS1.
Patient Responsibilities
You can help us by:
• being on time for your appointment
• letting us know if you need to cancel your appointment to allow it to be offered to another patient.
• calling for a home visit or urgent appointment before 10:00am
The patient has the right to request to see a practitioner of their choice and as far as possible the practice will endeavour to fulfil the request.
However, for acute illness (book-on-the-day appointments) the patient will be expected to accept an appointment with a practitioner covering the duty on that day.
For routine appointments the patient can request which practitioner they would like to see at the time of booking the appointment.
Practitioners are allocated time slots for each individual problem to be dealt with.
When you book an appointment please specify if more than one problem is to be dealt with so that the receptionist can allocate an appropriate time slot.
Some patient problems are linked and we do not want to dissuade patients from offering medical information.
However, if you have several, separate issues to discuss with a clinician, the clinician may ask you to arrange another appointment due to time limitations.
Missed Appointments
Due to the number of patients failing to attend for their appointment this could 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 there are any specific problems preventing you from letting us know.
• If you repeatedly fail to attend for appointments, you may be removed from the practice list and have to find an alternative GP.
This policy has been brought in because of the rise in DNA’s for pre-bookable appointments, and has been approved by the Patient Participation Group.
Extended Access Appointments
GP appointments are now available from 6.30 pm – to 8.00 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday, in addition to appointments at the weekend.
Home Visits
Our doctors typically see four patients in the practice in the time it takes to do a single home visit. For this reason, we ask our patients to come to the practice if at all possible. However, we can visit you at home if your condition means you cannot attend one of our practices. When requesting the doctor to visit, be prepared to supply the receptionist with the name, address, telephone number and brief details of the problem. The GP will ring the patient to assess the most appropriate consultation method.
Emergencies and Out of Hours
Patients have access to medical care during times when the surgery is closed.
If you have an extreme emergency please ring 999.
For urgent requests please ring 111.
For other requests, which cannot wait until the following day, please ring the surgery number, which will have been transferred to the Out of Hours Service. On dialling our surgery number you will hear a recorded message that will advise you that the surgery is closed and you have come through to the out-of-hours service. Your call will then be put through to a trained receptionist at the out-of-hours on-call service, who will take your details. You will need to provide your name, address, the name of your GP, a contact telephone number and date of birth. Please be ready with these details. Depending on the nature of your problem they will return your call and you will speak to a doctor who will give you appropriate advice, ask you to attend an out-of-hours centre or visit you at home.
Chaperone Policy
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any 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, ie a trained member of staff (DBS checked).
Wherever possible, we would ask that you make this request at the time of booking the 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 request.
However, occasionally, it may be necessary to re-schedule your appointment. Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.
If you would like to see a copy of our chaperone policy or have any questions or comments regarding this, please contact the Group Practice Manager.
At weekends please call only if your problem cannot wait until ordinary surgery hours. Alternatively, NHS 111 will be able to provide you with advice: open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free.
NHS 111 are also able to direct-book into GP, Minor Injury and A&E Clinics, when appropriate to do so.
If you feel that your call is an emergency which cannot wait then please hang up and ring 999. Whatever the day or time, if you or someone else experiences chest pain, loss of blood or suspected broken bones, go to your nearest accident and emergency department or call 999.
Accident and Emergency departments are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can assess serious injuries and provide emergency treatment
Except in an extreme emergency, please ring 111. Staff will advise which service is most appropriate, and may able to book an appointment in an A&E Department for you.
Local Accident & Emergency Units
County Hospital, Stafford
University Hospital of North Midlands, Stoke on Trent
The nearest Minor Injury unit is:
Samuel Johnson Hospital, Trent Valley Road, Lichfield WS13 6EF
Tel: 01543 412900 – open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For dental emergencies please call 01543 476210.
Repeat Prescriptions
If you take medication on a long-term basis you can request a repeat prescription in a number of ways:-
- Hand in the request form (right hand side of prescription which lists the medications) by either posting this into the Repeat Prescription Service box by Reception or hand to the Chemist of your choice who operate a collection service.
- Alternatively you can have your prescription posted to you by providing a stamped addressed envelope.
- You can also order repeat items on-line. To apply for this service please speak to a member of our Team. Registration details and secure passcode will be posted out to you.
Your prescription will be sent electronically to your nominated chemist, or returned to you in 48 working hours. Please allow the chemist time to dispense your medication.
To avoid errors our receptionists do not take prescription requests over the telephone.
Due to Best Practice and the Medicines Management Team, repeat prescriptions are issued for 28 days supply only.
Obtaining Test Results – 01889 572057, Option 2
Please note that you can ring our results line for test results (blood, urine, x-ray etc) between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm every day. Test results take time to reach us so please allow at least four to five working days for blood test results and up to two weeks for x-ray results.
How To Register with our Practice
Patients living within the practice area may apply to register with the practice by completing form GMS1 available from our Reception Desk.
Since changes in the GP national contract came into force on 1st April 2004, patients are now registered with the practice and not individual doctors. However, from 1st April 2014, patients over the age of 75 will be registered to a Named GP; however, this does not mean that you are restricted to seeing this GP. Where availability allows you may choose which GP you would like to see.
If you live in our practice area (see map at the end of this leaflet) and would like to register with us, please complete one of our registration forms that are available from our Reception Desk. Our staff are also happy to post the registration forms out to you on request.
Named GP for all Patients
From the 1st April 2015, all GP practices are required under the terms of the latest GP Contract to allocate all patients a named GP. This does not affect your treatment or care at the practice and you can continue to see any GP of your choice as normal.
You are unlikely to see any notable change in the way care is delivered to you by our practice.
We are a group practice where all GP’s have immediate access to your medical records (of previous patient consultations), please continue to book appointments with any available GP. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent, you will need to discuss them with an alternative available doctor.
If you are unsure of who is your named Doctor please ask at Reception.
This notice applies to all patients at Sandy Lane Surgery, including children, patients over 75 years or any have already been informed of their own GP.
Disabled Access
Sandy Lane Health Centre offers the following facilities:
• Car parking
• Disabled Toilet
• Disabled access
• Baby changing facilities
• Double automatic opening doors
• Hearing aid loop – If you are registered as deaf, we will make arrangements with you to access our appointments system via email.
Sign Language Interpreters can be pre-booked for appointments where necessary.
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery cannot take responsibility for loss or damage that may occur whilst parking at Sandy Lane Health Centre
Breast Feeding Access
Dedicated breast feeding areas on request.
Accessing information in other formats (other languages; easy read; large print)
When you register with our Practice you will be invited to complete a Health Questionnaire. You will be asked whether you require information in other formats; please indicate if you would like this; an alert message will be placed on your record to alert staff.
If at any time you require any information in another format, such as another language; easy read; large print, please discuss this with any member of our staff, either via the telephone or email – [email protected].
Sign Language Interpreters can be pre-booked for appointments where necessary.
Telephone Interpreters are available for use by all members of our Team where necessary.
Information for Carers
If you care for or help someone with an illness, physical disability or mental health difficulty (whether this is a partner, friend, relative or neighbour) then you are a Carer. The surgery holds a register of all our patients who are caring for others. The register will help us to acknowledge your needs as a carer and provide you with further information where appropriate.
If you would like us to know that:
• you are caring for someone or
• you would like the Carers Support Service to contact you or
• you would like a Carer Assessment
Please ask for a carers registration form at the main Reception Desk. Staff are happy to post the registration form to you on request.
Carers’ information packs are also available free of charge. We also have information available for young carers (up to age 19) and their parents.
The Carers Support Service is a confidential information and support service for carers. You can contact them on 01785 606675 during office hours or via their website www.carersinformation.org
SERVICES
Essential Services
The practice will provide, within core hours, Primary Medical Services required for the management of its registered patients and temporary residents, who are, or believe themselves to be ill with conditions from which recovery is generally expected, terminally ill or suffering from chronic disease; delivered in the manner determined by the practice in discussion with the patient. Referrals to outside services will be made appropriately along with all advice for health promotion.
The practice will also provide primary medical services required within core hours for the immediately necessary treatment of any person requesting treatment owing to an accident or emergency at any place within its practice area.
Additional Services
In addition to the Essential Services provided by the practice, the practice also provides the following additional services:
- Childhood vaccinations and immunisations
- Flu and pneumococcal immunisations
- Joint Injections
- Fitting IUCD/contraceptive implants and removals
- Monitoring for patients on long-term medication
- Anti-coagulation monitoring
- Postnatal examinations
- Rheumatology bloods monitoring
- Shingles Vaccination (age specific)
- Learning Disability health checks
Chronic Disease Management Reviews
If you have one of the following conditions you will be invited annually to attend a
nurse-led clinic.
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Renal impairment
- Mental health conditions
- History of a heart attack or heart bypass surgery
- History of a CVA (stroke)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Dementia
- Depression
- AF (Atrial Fibrillation)
- PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
- Osteoporosis
Run by our fully trained nursing team, these clinics offer various appropriate clinic tests, advice, support and a general health check.
Health Promotion
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery strives to support its patients in areas of health promotion, offering services to help with weight loss, smoking cessation and general healthy lifestyle advice.
Private Work
Doctors are increasingly asked to carry out private work for patients. Examples of private work are:
• Personal medical attendant’s reports for insurance purposes
• Copies of medical records
• Private fit notes – as requested by employers in addition to the standard SPP sick notes
(see previous section)
• Holiday cancellation forms/letters
• Fit to exercise letters
• Information about fit notes can be accessed at www.dwp.gov.uk/fitnote
Blue Badge applications must be sent to Social Services Department or local Council Office.
Doctors levy a charge to the patient or requesting party for any private work and aim to undertake this work as soon as is possible, but time taken in doing this work is dependent on the individual doctor and circumstances of the request. Patients should expect to wait at least two weeks for private work to be completed. Please speak to a member of our Team to enquire about Fees.
Patient Participation Group
The practice supports and works alongside its Patient Participation Group, who meet regularly to discuss issues that they themselves as patients would like to see improved or changed within the surgery. All patients are welcome.
• Are you interested in local health issues and wish to improve our services at the practice
group?
• Do you have ideas that we as a practice group could benefit from?
• If so, why not come and join our Patient Participation Group.
• If you would like to join or gain further information, please ask at the reception desk.
• Be a virtual member.
The minutes of every meeting are available to view on our website.
Local Pharmacy Services
Your local pharmacist will be able to give you free health advice at any time – you do not need an appointment. Many pharmacies operate extended hours on a rota basis.
Pharmacy First
https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/
Complaints – How to raise a complaint
We operate a practice Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints.
Our system meets the national criteria.
Please speak to any member of the Practice Team should you wish to make a formal complaint about our Service.
Complaints forms are available from our Reception Desk, or can be posted or emailed out to you at your request.
We encourage our patients to provide as much detail of your concerns – in writing if possible.
Receipt of your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within 2 working days together with a date on which you can expect to receive a formal response.
If the investigation into your concerns takes longer than planned, we will write to you to update you on progress and to provide another potential completion date.
Compliments – Comments and Suggestions
We are interested to hear comments and suggestions regarding any aspect of our medical practice. Please put these in writing for the attention of Group Practice Manager via our postal address or email – [email protected]
Comment / Suggestion Forms are available from our Reception Desk.
If you include your contact details you will receive a response.
We encourage patients to also provide feedback by the surgery’s page on the NHS Choices website:
https://www.nhs.uk/services/gp-surgery/sandy-lane-surgery/Y02354
Feedback, both positive and negative, is essential to us and allows us to consider improvements in our services.
Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problem that may occur.
You may not wish to lodge a formal complaint but may wish to express a concern or provide suggestions and comments for improving the service.
The practice staff also appreciate positive feedback and compliments.
Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problem that may occur.
Training Practice
HFPG-Sandy Lane Surgery has been accredited as being suitable for the training of junior doctors. This means that the practice and doctors have had to achieve a number of standards which have been assessed by the GP Deanery for the West Midlands.
Here are some points for your information:
• GP Registrars are in their final year of specialist training before becoming a General
Practitioner. They are likely to have had a lot of experience of hospital medicine, having
been qualified as a doctor for at least four years before coming into General Practice.
• GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors who are able to treat and advise patients in
General Practice. They are supervised by one of the doctors who will be their trainer.
• If you are seeing such a doctor you can expect to receive the quality of service you would
from your own GP. If you have any concerns please mention this to a member of staff.
• In order for the GP Registrars to successfully complete their training, they need to be
assessed on their consulting skills. This is done by the appointed assessors viewing a video of the registrar’s consultations. You may be asked for your permission to have your consultation recorded in this way. If you agree, you will need to give your written permission. A consent form, which you will be offered, is available at the front desk.
If the doctor appears to be recording your consultation and you have not signed a consent form, then you should indicate this to him or her immediately.
The recording will be used for educational purposes only. Further information about this process and the confidentiality of it can be obtained from the reception staff.
To ensure that the practice continues to meet the standards for training, the practice and the doctors will be subject to regular inspection visits (normally every three years). At this inspection another doctor will assess the quality of the patient records. If you do not want your own record to be available for inspection then please inform the practice of your wishes and they will be respected. Please ask any member of the Reception Team for further information if needed.
Zero Tolerance Policy regarding abuse towards staff
We all aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour. A zero tolerance policy towards violent, threatening and abusive behaviour is now in place throughout the National Health Service.
At no time will such behaviour be tolerated in our practices. If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our medical list.
Data Protection and Confidentiality. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations)
Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality with regard to patient information. As a patient of the practice your data (medical records) is covered by the Data Protection Act 1998.
We may use some information from your medical records to help us to protect the health of the general public; this information is given in statistical form and is not personally identifiable. Your medical history is/will be recorded on the practice computer system in line with national guidance and sometimes in paper records. Very strict security measures on the clinical system ensure that authorised users only access these records.
We are not able to give any information about a patient to a relative or friend unless we have a recent signed consent form from the patient allowing us to release specific information to a named person. The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 years is as great as the duty owed to any other person.
You have the right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records please speak to a member of our Team who will direct your request to the appropriate member of our Team.
The practice is registered, and complies, with the Data Protection Act 1998. Any request for access to notes by a patient, patient’s representative or outside body will be dealt with in accordance with the Act.
Confidential patient data will only be disclosed to outside parties; with the patient’s consent, where it is permitted by law and where the public good achieved outweighs the individual’s right to confidentiality.
Patients will be advised of the choices available to them on how their information will be disclosed, and ensure that the patient has no concerns about the disclosure. If a decision is made to disclose confidential information against the patient’s wishes, the clinician will be prepared to explain and justify his/her decision, which will be recorded in the clinical notes.
Dr M P Singh acts as the Caldicott Guardian for the practice and is responsible for the review and monitoring of internal protocols governing the protection and use of patients’ identifiable information.
Why and how we process your data in the Access to Service Information (A2SI) Directory of Services (DoS) and your rights:-
Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised, run and how much they cost and how decisions are made. The FOI says that we as a practice must respond within 20 days to requests for information that is held in any format. The FOI 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.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities
The patient has the right to high quality care delivered by all practice members in a courteous and professional manner. Care will be offered and taken with both parties in agreement with consideration to both the practice and the patient’s needs. Health professionals will address the needs of patients within the practice accessing other disciplines offered by the Health Authority where applicable. The patient has the right to expect the practice to work to current Health Authority and national guidelines for healthcare, that staff will attend education and updates provided and that the practice will audit services regularly. The patient will have access to all services discussed within this leaflet and others that may be available at any time. The patient will be responsible for maintaining a courteous manner towards the practice staff at all times. Patients will try to attend appointments booked and advise of any cancellations as mentioned before. Patients will as much as possible support the health care professionals in their efforts to deliver care.
Smoke Free Zone
From 1st July 2007 the Practice has a legal responsibility for ensuring that all its premises are smoke free. Smoking is not permitted on the grounds of the premises near entrances or on the car park.
CCTV
The Sandy Lane Health Centre also has Closed Circuit TV installed.
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Website:- staffsstoke.icb.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 1461
NHS England / Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care board commissions the services of this practice and we work in partnership to deliver the best and most appropriate health care for the local community.
Integrated care board (ICBs) take on the NHS planning functions previously held by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). ICBs have their own leadership teams, which will include a chair and chief executive, and will also include members from NHS trusts/foundation trusts, local authorities, and general practice.
ICBs will be overseen by the NHS Commissioning Board https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/which will make sure they are not only able to commission safely and use their budgets responsibly but also that they engage with partners and the public and are able to exercise their functions to improve quality, reduce inequality and deliver improved outcomes.
We hope you have found the information contained within this booklet useful. We will be updating this information regularly.
The information in this document were true and correct at the time of printing, but changes may have occurred since.
