Access to Your Medical Record (the Right of Access) – (SAR)

The ICO “You have the right to get a copy of information that is held about you“. This is known as a subject access request (SAR).

Please note:

• You can sign up for to your full GP electronic record.
•  You can then look at your medical record whenever you want.

If you do wish to make a subject access request then:

• You can do this in writing (letter, email, fax)
• You can either pop in and ask for a form at reception or download the SAR form from the GDPR documents section if easier
• You can make such a request verbally to a member of staff or a doctor or nurse that you are consulting with at the surgery

We encourage you to complete the form as it means we have as much relevant information as possible to enable the request to proceed without delay in obtaining further information. Please let us know exactly what information you would like. We will provide the information within 28 calendar days.

There is usually no fee for this. We will also provide you with a copy of the “supplementary information”, which for nearly all such requests will be the detailed privacy notice for our GP records database:

• EMIS Health Ltd (our electronic GP records database)

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, you can opt out of some parts of this – see National Data Opt-out below.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

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 Mayfield Medical Centre in the last financial year was ££64,702 before tax and National Insurance. This is for eight part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised by 31 March 2020 at the latest. However, it should be noted that the prescribed method of calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it does not take into account how much time doctors spend working in the practice and should not be used for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparisons with other practices.

”We strive to provide high quality, effective healthcare to our patients in a safe and caring environment.”

Our Values

• Encourage development and promotion of excellence through evidence based medicine in a general practice environment
• To be safe and effective
• To provide a stable staff base to promote continuity of care for our patients
• Promote the wellbeing of  the entire practice

Can Patients Choose Their Own Named GP?

In the first instance, patients will be allocated a named GP. However, if a patient requests a particular GP, reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate the preference, recognising that there are occasions when the practice may not feel the patient’s preference is suitable.

Do Patients Have to see the Named GP When They Book an Appointment With the Practice?

No. Patients can and should feel free to choose to see any GP or nurse in the practice in line with current arrangements. It may not always be possible to enable you to see your named / accountable GP in the first instance.

The surgery displays a notice in reception to advise who the current GP is for all new registrations who will then be the named GP for all new patients to the surgery. If you are aged 75 or over, you will be or would have been advised of your named GP at your most recent or next contact with the surgery if you have not already been told who it is.

What are the named GP’s Responsibilities to 75s and Over?

For patients aged 75 and over the named accountable GP is responsible for:

• Working with relevant associated health and social care professionals to deliver a multi-disciplinary care package that meets the needs of the patient
• Ensuring that these patients have access to a health check

You have the choice to opt out of some (but not all) uses of your confidential patient information.

Confidential patient information is when 2 types of information from your health records are joined together.

The 2 types of information are:

• something that can identify you
• something about your health care or treatment

For example, your name joined with what medicine you take.

The Privacy Statement  explains the ways we use your information. Confidential patient information might also be used by the NHS to:

• plan and improve health and care services
• research and develop cures for serious illnesses

If you’re happy with your confidential patient information being used for research and planning you do not need to do anything.

Any choice you make will not impact your individual care.

If you want to know more before deciding, visit the NHS Your Data Matters Overview  page.

• Make your choice via this link

Patient Access is a useful online tool (also available as a phone App). It allows you  to go on-line and book an appointment, request a repeat prescription or to access some of your personal information. (If you want to register for it, see the link on the home page).

Your GP surgery will never send you a message asking you to click on a link to update your details. If in doubt, visit your registered surgery or contact them using trusted contact information.

Be aware that ‘phishing’ emails have been received by some patients. These emails claim to be from local GP practices and state that access to online GP services has been changed and that patients should log on to their account and update their information.

Please be vigilant, and report any such ‘phishing’ emails. Do not click on any links or open any attachments unless you are absolutely certain that a message is genuine. If you do click on any unverified links or attachments you may allow criminals to access your information and/or to corrupt your computer.

Ways to check that a message/request may not be from the true source it claims to be:

• Check the email address. Is it the same as the email address you usually receive emails from, or just similar?
• Check the email subject line. Be suspicious of “There is a secure message waiting for you”, “Security Alert”, “System Upgrade” or similar.
• Check the message is personalised with information like your name, your postcode or part of your account number. If it isn’t personalised at all then you should be suspicious. Sometimes the message will contain someone else’s name.
• Beware of a prompt to click on a hyperlink or a button, or to download a file – something like “Verify your account or password” or “update your security details”. These will likely take you to a copycat website where you will be prompted to enter your full details.
• Be suspicious of any message that creates a sense of urgency, such as “If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed”. A legitimate company will not create a false sense of urgency.

Never respond to any suspicious emails and don’t click on any links or attachments within them.

Phishing emails should be reported to:  https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud  

Privacy statement PDF

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.  This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record.

 Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to you can opt out of the scheme. Speak to Reception to find out more.

We ask all our patients to provide us with their mobile phone numbers and their email address, if they have them and should they so wish.

We use your mobile phone number in two ways:

• To contact you, as an alternative to your landline number
• To send you SMS text messages

The texts that we send are only ever related to your medical care. We do not use SMS for direct marketing in any way.

If you would prefer us not to ring you on your mobile phone then please say so – we will either not add your mobile phone number to your record, or remove any existing mobile phone number.

Bear in mind removing your mobile number means you will not get appointment booking confirmations or appointments reminders.

We occasionally use email to communicate with our patients, again for matters related to your direct medical care. Unless you have separately given us your explicit consent, we will not email you for non-medical matters (such as surgery newsletters and other information).

If you would prefer us not to email you then please say so and we will either not add your email address to your record, or remove any existing email address.

Bear in mind doing so means we will not be able to email you a re-set PIN / Password if your Patient on-Line access needs resetting – you will have to come into the surgery to collect a print out of this information. You will need to bring with you photographic proof of ID before this can then be released to you.