Confidentiality

We treat all information that our patients share with us with respect and confidentaility.

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others only in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you to gain access to 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 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.

Your Rights to Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 ( FOIA ) gives members of the public the right to know how public services are organised and run and how much they cost. From 1 January 2005, General practice must respond to requests about information it holds. However, the request will have to satisfy a number of conditions.

For details on our publication scheme, contact the Practice Manager.

Comments & Complaints

We care about what you think and we are happy to receive your views on the service we provide. Your comments will be totally confidential and there is no need to give your name and address, unless you would like a response.

Our practice operates an “In-house complaints procedure” and welcomes the opportunity to deal with any concerns or complaints you may have about the service we provide.

In the first instance, please contact Mrs. Carmel Lyttle, the practice manager. This can be done by letter, telephone or in person, so that the concern can be dealt with promptly. It is our policy to give you a full explanation and advise you of the outcome. If we are unable to resolve the problem to your satisfaction, you may wish to contact:

Complaints Department

NH&SCB

12-22 Linenhall Street

Belfast

BT2 8BS

Telephone no: 028 9536 3983

--------------------------------------------------

Patient Client Council

NH&SCB

182 Galgorm Road

Ballymena

BT42 1DB

Telephone No: 028 2531 1140

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

Rights & Responsibilities

Zero Tolerance

The practice has a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to bad language, abuse of staff, aggression and violence.

Our Patient's Charter

The Stewartstown Health Centre is committed to providing you and your family with quality health care

• You will be treated in a friendly and courteous manner by all our staff.
• You can expect total confidentiality of your records at all times.
• The doctor aims to see patients within 30 minutes of their scheduled appointment. You will be informed of delays.
• You should be able to see a doctor for a routine appointment within forty-eight hours.
• All urgent cases will be seen that day and it may not be with your usual Doctor.
• We want to keep you healthy and offer you health promotion services.
• All children are offered health surveillance and immunisations.
• Cervical smears are recommended every three years, with a reminder sent out to eligible women.
• We will provide training to all our staff to improve the service to you.
• If you require a chaperone present during your consultation, please inform the receptionist or the doctor.

Patients have their Responsibilities too

We work in partnership with our patients. We need your support and consideration, as we do our job to help you. We feel that our patients have a responsibility towards the doctors and the staff of the practice. For new patients we offer the following guidance:

• Keep your appointment. If you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible.
• Do make more than one appointment if more than one person is to be seen.
• Remember that the doctor may be only able to deal with one problem during one consultation.
• Please remember that a prescription is not always necessary with every consultation.
• Please do not request an urgent appointment when clearly your problems would wait for a normal appointment.
• Only request a home visit in cases where you are unable to attend the surgery because of the severity of your illness or incapacity.
• Please be patient with the receptionists. They are doing their best and are following the instructions of the doctor.
• Look after your own health. You have your own responsibility for this. Exercise regularly and watch your diet. Ask the doctors or the practice nurses for advice

Chaperones

You can always have a relative or friend with you when you see the doctor.

There are other times when the doctor will ask you if you would like to have one of our nurses present. The offer is most appropriate if the examination is of a sensitive nature, e.g. a smear, gynaecological examination, breast examination, rectal examination and testicular examination.

The objective is to protect the doctor and the patient, while hopefully lessening any embarrassment.

GP Training

On occasion, the practice undertakes the teaching of undergraduate medical students, who will simply “sit in and watch” your consultation.

Sometimes you may be asked to see the medical student before you see your doctor. You will then be seen by our own doctor with the student still present. The patients will be informed of these times.

Please do not be embarrassed if you would prefer to see your doctor alone. Please inform our receptionist.

The medical students understand and respect that this can occur.