Surgery Information

Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. For more information please see our practice leaflet. You can also view you GP Health record through the NHS App.

You need to prove who you are to get full access to the NHS App.

With full access you can:

order repeat prescriptions and nominate a pharmacy where you would like to collect them.
view your GP health record to see information like your allergies and medicines (if your GP has given you access to your detailed medical record, you can also see information like test results).
book and manage COVID-19 vaccinations · register your organ donation decision.
Register your organ donation decision.
choose how the NHS uses your data.
view your NHS number (find out what your NHS number is)
use NHS 111 online to answer questions and get instant advice or medical help near you.

Chaperones

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure. Wherever possible we would ask you to 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 trained chaperone at the time of request.

Freedom of Information

Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.

Isle of Wight clinical commissioning group / NHS England / IW County Council

Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group
Building A, The APEX
St. Cross Business Park
Newport, Isle of Wight
PO30 5XW

Tel: IOW 552 064
www.Isleofwightccg.nhs.uk

NHS England
South East Regional Team
Oakley Road
Southampton
SO16 4GX

Tel: 023 80296914
www.nhs.uk/services

Isle of Wight County Council
Customer Service Centre
County Hall, High Street
Newport, Isle of Wight
PO30 1UD

Tel: IOW 821 000
www.iwight.com

Patient Responsibilities Statement

Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Users of the National Health Service have rights. The following explains what they are. They fall into three main categories.

Legislated Rights

Rights that have been written into law by means of Parliamentary Acts or Bills. (For example, UK GDPR and DPA 2018). As a patient of the NHS you have 7 rights.

You are entitled to receive health care on the basis of clinical need, regardless of your income.
You are entitled to be registered with a Medical practice. You are entitled to change your practice at any time. You do not have to give a reason for your decision.
You are legally entitled to accept or refuse treatment as you see fit. This includes examinations, tests, diagnostic procedures, medication, operations, etc.
You can refuse to be involved in research trials. If you do not agree to be involved in research trials, you can withdraw at any time.
You are entitled to equal treatment regardless of race, gender, age or disability.
You have a right to information on GP practices in your area and the services they provide. All practices must provide an information leaflet.
You have a right to confidentiality. Personal information about your health is confidential and should only be disclosed to those who need that information to provide you with effective treatment, you can consent to share with other individuals outside of the NHS

Access to your Health Records.

You have a legal entitlement to see a copy of the records held about you. All records stored on computer can be accessed. If you wish to see your records you should apply in to the practice for a Subject Access Request.

Guideline Rights

You are entitled to have reasonable access to high quality service and facilities.
You are entitled to information on what is wrong with you and the treatment options available. Ask questions. You should be given truthful, clear answers.
You are entitled to ask for a second opinion on your diagnosis or treatment.
You can ask to have someone with you (friend, relative, interpreter) at any time. You may find this beneficial, particularly if you are asking questions or need moral support.

Human Rights

It is your right to be treated as a human being by another human being and as they would wish to be treated themselves, i.e. with dignity, politeness, respect and consideration. These may not necessarily be covered legally or even be contained in guidelines, but human rights will come into many of the areas mentioned above and are certainly just as important.

Consent

A doctor, nurse, or anyone else looking after your health, has to have your agreement before they can examine or treat you. This policy applies to both children and adults. Your consent will be sought before any of your information is shared with any individual not connected with your direct health care.

Patient Responsibilities

Patients, too, have certain responsibilities:

Keeping appointments: Please try to arrive on time. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please inform the clinic or surgery in good time. Address. If you move house, change address or telephone number, or the postcode is changed, please inform your GP practice or outpatient clinic.
Treat all healthcare staff in a reasonable, courteous manner.
Use emergency services in a responsible manner. Please use the out-of-hours services for emergencies only and not for routine care.
Take care with medicines. Medicines are for one person only and should not be shared. Keep them safely away from children and in the original container. Take any unwanted medicines to a chemist for safe disposal.

Understanding GP Partnerships

Most Practices are formed as partnerships, with most partners being a GP, but other clinicians or business leaders can be partners too. Partners take the responsibility for the financial risks and rewards for running the service.

General Practice is contracted to provide NHS and Public Health services. Within these contract terms (set by NHS England, the Integrated Care Board and Public Health), General Practice does its best to use resources efficiently and effectively in delivering these services within our local communities – responding to 90% of all NHS contacts.

At Cowes Medical Centre we deliver an average 2,260 appointments/patient contacts a week that’s 14.5% of our total patient population every week. But, the appointments are only one-third of the work we do – two-thirds of the work goes unseen on:

Results
Prescriptions
Referrals
Housebound/care home patients
Patient queries
Safeguarding
Advocating for our patients
Reviewing secondary/community care letters
Insurance reports
Audits
Data controller of the patient record

Our Commitment to You:
Please work with us to do the best we can with the available resources we have to support all our patients who need us.

Zero Tolerance Policy

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and we require everyone to treat our staff patients and others persons with dignity and respect at all times.

Any patients who fail to do so may have their call terminated without warning.

This practice does not tolerate aggression in any form. A patient committing an act of violence or aggression will be reported to the police and will be removed from our list of patients.

Alternative arrangements for the care of violent or aggressive patients will be provided by the IOW ICB.