Confidentiality of patient records is maintained at the highest level by all clinical and reception staff. The practice complies with the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act gives you the right to access information which is held about you. It is the patient’s legal right to view their records.
Please be aware that our staff are bound to the NHS code of confidentiality; they are therefore not permitted to discuss any of our patient’s medical history, including their registration status, without their written consent to do so.
If a copy of your records is required, this should be made in writing to our Practice Manager, Anne Coventry.
It will be the patient’s responsibility to dispose of these records in a confidential manner once they are removed from our premises. The practice takes no responsibility for what happens to notes once they are in your possession. You will be required to sign a form with regards to this. Information is only passed on where people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interest.
Once written consent has been received and verified with the patient we can provide you with information as required; this includes communicating with you on behalf of the patient with regards to any complaints, but excludes patients who are unable to act on their own behalf and already have a designated person or carer responsible for their medical care.
We therefore respectfully ask parents, relatives and guardians not to request information regarding their relatives/friends or to complain on their behalf unless we have their written consent that you may do so. If consent is required we advise that the person concerned attends the Practice to complete the required form.