Practice Policies & Patient Information
Complaints
If you’re unhappy with our service, let us know
If you’re not happy with how you were treated by our doctors or staff, including those from our primary care network, please contact the surgery and ask to speak to our practice manager. We use a complaints process that follows NHS guidelines.
How to speak up
Most problems can be resolved quickly and easily when they arise and with the person involved. If that doesn’t fix it, or you’re ready to make an official complaint, let us know as soon as possible. The sooner we hear from you, the easier it is to understand what happened. Please share details of your concern:
- Within six months of the incident happening, or
- Within six months of realising there is a problem, as long as it’s within 12 months of the incident.
You can voice your complaints to us verbally or in writing addressed to the practice manager. Alternatively, consider making an appointment with the practice manager who will discuss the complaints procedure with you and make sure your concerns are dealt with properly.
Our complaints process
We’ll confirm receiving your complaint within three working days.
We then aim to investigate and share findings within ten working days since you raised the complaint.
We’ll find out what happened, what went wrong, and offer you a chance to chat with the people involved. We’ll also apologise if appropriate, and look at how what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
Speaking for someone else?
We take medical confidentiality seriously. If you’re complaining for someone else, we’ll need to know you have their permission, proven with a signed note from them.
Talk to NHS England
If you aren’t comfortable raising the concern with us, you can directly contact NHS England. You can find more information on how to make a complaint through NHS England at https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/.
Not satisfied with how we’ve addressed your complaint?
If you’re unhappy with our response or NHS England’s, consider reaching out to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). PHSO is an independent service and they make the final verdict on unresolved NHS complaints in England. It’s free for anyone to use.
To take your complaint to the Ombudsman, visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website or call 0345 015 4033.
Need help making a complaint?
Ask for help from Healthwatch Hounslow in finding independent NHS complaint advocacy services in your area. Or, call POhWER at 0300 456 2370, a charity that assists people in managing their healthcare decisions.
Confidentiality & Medical Records
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, 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.
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.
Access to Medical Records
You can view your GP health record using the NHS App or by logging into your account on the NHS website. You can read more about viewing your GP health record on the NHS.uk website.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may also request to see their full medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
GP Net Earnings
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 at Apex Medical Practice in the last financial year was £50,938.00 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 3 full time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board
Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) is the NHS organisation that plans and purchases healthcare services to meet the needs of people in Kent and Medway.
Their contact details are shown below:
NHS Kent and Medway
2nd floor
Gail House
Lower Stone Street
Maidstone
ME15 6NB
Phone: 01634 335095
Email: kmicb.kentandmedway@nhs.net
For more information about Kent and Medway ICB, please visit NHS Kent and Medway ICB website.
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
You will be treated with respect and as a partner in your care.
We will:
- Ensure our patients have 24-hour access to medical advice
- Aim for you to have access to a suitably qualified medical professional within 48 hours of your initial contact during surgery hours or, in an urgent case, the same day.
- Work in partnership with you to achieve the best medical care possible.
- Involve you and listen to your opinions and views in all aspects of you medical care.
- Advise and inform you of the steps you can take to promote good health and a healthy lifestyle.
Being a partner means you too have responsibilities…
We would respectfully ask that you:
- Let us know if you intend to cancel an appointment or are running late
- Treat staff with courtesy and respect. Reception staff may have to ask some personal questions to assist us in providing you with the best service.
- Inform the practice staff of any alterations in your circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number. Please ensure that we have your most up-to-date telephone number, even if it’s ex-directory.
As patients, you are responsible for your own health and that of any dependants. It is important that you adhere to information and advice given to you by health professionals, and co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to keep you healthy.
Privacy Notice
Privacy Notice
NHS England has commissioned a provider, Xyla Health and Wellbeing, to provide the ‘Your local Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’ for patients at risk of type 2 diabetes. Once a patient is referred, they will be contacted for a motivational interview with the provider (Xyla) to help them enrol onto the course and to have an opportunity to ask any questions they have at this time, including if you don’t want to enrol in the programme.
Xyla Health and Wellbeing is part of the Acacium Group and sometimes, if required and legally allowed, Xyla may share some of your basic details such as your name and contact details with providers who have been identified as suitable to contact you to provide support for you during this programme. Any sharing of your data is done as little as possible, under due diligence and in compliance with applicable laws.
For full details on how Xyla would use your data for the diabetes prevention programme, see their privacy notice at: Preventing Diabetes | Diabetes Prevention Privacy Policy (preventing-diabetes.co.uk)For general information on the national diabetes prevention programme, please visit the NHS England website on this at: Healthier You | Diabetes Prevention Programme (preventing-diabetes.co.uk).
Summary Care Record
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. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.