Accessing someone else’s information

As a parent, family member or carer, you may be able to access services for someone else. We call this having proxy access. We can set this up for you if you are both registered with us.

To requests proxy access:

• collect a proxy access form from reception from 10am to 6pm

Linked profiles in your NHS account

Once proxy access is set up, you can access the other person’s profile in your NHS account, using the NHS App or website.

The NHS website has information about using linked profiles to access services for someone else.

Our practice is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure we are meeting essential standards of quality and safety.

This widget provides a summary of the results of the latest checks carried out by the CQC.

Read our CQC Report

Derry Downs Surgery is included in the area covered by Bromley CCG.

You can contact the CCG at:

Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group
Bassetts House
Broadwater Gardens
Farnborough
Kent
BR6 7UA

Tel: 01689 853339

The surgery has a robust complaints policy. If you have any concerns, grievances or complaints you may write all the details to the operational manager or, if you prefer, please ask the receptionist to make an appointment to see her.

Written complaints are acknowledged within a week and a full reply will be sent within 4 weeks. For some complaints it may take longer.

All complaints are dealt effectively and discussed by the doctors and management staff. You will be informed of the outcome of your complaint.

• Written Complaints can be placed in our Complaints/Compliments box situated below the television in the waiting room
• Complaints Lead is Norma Weaver – Practice Manager
• Clinical Complaints Lead is Dr Bindra
• Alternatively you can also speak to our Practice Manager : Norma Weaver.
• We will endeavour to resolve any complaints or issues as quickly as possible.
• Written Complaints will be responded to within a week, whilst verbal complaints can be addressed on the same day.

Click here to download our Complaints Information Leaflet

• In the rare case where you are not happy with the outcome you may approach the Patient Advice Liaison Service based at Princess Royal University Hospital: Telephone 0800 389 5118 or 01689 863252 or email : kch-tr.palskent@nhs.net
• If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint – you may write to: Independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• Details of the above are available from The Practice Manager

Suggestions

We welcome your suggestions and comments regarding the services we provide. Drop your suggestions into the box provided in the waiting area. Our Practice Manager is responsible for the administration of the practice. Your suggestions and views will be looked at with great interest.

Routine appointments can be booked in advance to see the preferred doctor by a patient. However this will not be possible in an emergency or same day appointment, when the appointment will be given with the doctor on call.

If you express to see a preferred doctor for a routine appointment, any available appointment should be given to you by the receptionist. You should be offered a choice of dates by the receptionist. The surgery has a policy of offering routine appointments four weeks in advance.

Your Responsibilities – is to make and keep the appointment and to cancel any appointment immediately if it is not needed by you. Your co-operation will be highly appreciated.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.

Ask at reception for further details.

General Practice Data for Planning and Research: GP Practice Privacy Notice

This link includes information on Type 1 Opt-out (opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data).

General Practice Transparency Notice for GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19)

The Derry Downs Surgery GDPR statement

How we use your information

This privacy notice explains why the GP Practice collects information about you, and how that information may be used.

As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998. This means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled in ways that are safe, transparent and what you would reasonably expect. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 changed the way that personal confidential data is processed. Therefore it is important that patients are made aware of, and understand these changes and that you have an opportunity to object if you so wish and that you know how to do so.

Health care professionals maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received within the NHS (e.g. NHS Hospital Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records help to provide the best possible healthcare.

NHS health records may be processed electronically, on paper or a mixture of both, and a combination of working practices and technology are used to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records held by this GP Practice may include the following information:

Details about you, such as address and next of kin

Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.

Notes and reports about your health

Details about your treatment and care

Results of investigations, such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.

Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

This GP Practice collects and holds data for the sole purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and we will ensure that information is kept confidential. We can disclose personal information if:

It is required by law

You consent – either implicitly for the sake of your? own care or explicitly for other purposes

It is justified in the public interest

Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we hold data centrally, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

On some occasions it may be necessary to undertake clinical audits of records to ensure that the best possible care has been provided to you or to prevent the spread of infectious disease, wherever possible this will be done in anonymised form.

Sometimes information about you may be requested to be used for research purposes. The Practice will always endeavour to gain your consent before releasing the information.

Under the powers of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (HSCA) the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) can request Personal Confidential Data (PCD) from GP Practices without seeking the patient’s consent. The Care.Data Programme allows PCD to be collected by the HSCIC to ensure that the quality and safety of services is consistent across the country. Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare providers with the objective of providing you with better care.

Any patient can choose to withdraw their consent to their data being used in this way. When the Practice is about to participate in any new data-sharing scheme we will make patients aware by displaying prominent notices in the surgery and on our website at least four weeks before the scheme is due to start. We will also explain clearly what you have to do to ‘opt-out’ of each new scheme.

A patient can object to their personal information being shared with other health care providers but if this limits the treatment that you can receive then the doctor will explain this to you at the time.

Risk Stratification

Risk stratification is a process for identifying and managing patients who are at a higher risk of emergency hospital admission. Typically this is because patients have a long term condition such as COPD or cancer. NHS England encourages GPs to use risk stratification tools as part of their local strategies for supporting patients with long-term conditions and to help prevent avoidable admissions.

Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts and from this GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your anonymous information using computer programmes. Your information is only provided back to your GP or member of your care team in an identifiable form. Risk stratification enables your GP to focus on the prevention of ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary your GP may be able to offer you additional services.

Please note that you have the right to opt out of Risk Stratification.

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, or wish to opt out of any data collection at the Practice, please contact the Practice Manager or your healthcare professional to discuss how the disclosure of your personal information can be restricted. All patients have the right to change their minds and reverse a previous decision. Please contact the practice if you change your mind regarding any previous choice.

Invoice Validation

If you have received treatment within the NHS >access to your personal information may be required in order to determine which Clinical Commissioning Group should pay for the treatment or procedure you have received.

This information would most likely include information such as your name, address, date of treatment and may be passed on to enable the billing process. These details are held in a secure environment and kept confidential. This information will only be used to validate invoices, and will not be shared for any further purposes.

NHS Health Checks

All of our patients aged 40-74 not previously diagnosed with cardiovascular disease are eligible to be invited for an NHS Health Check. Nobody outside the healthcare team in the practice will see confidential information about you during the invitation process and only contact details would be securely transferred to a data processor (if that method was employed). You may be ‘given the chance to attend your health check either within the practice or at a community venue. If your health check is at a community venue all data collected will be securely transferred back into the practice system and nobody outside the healthcare team in the practice will see confidential information about you during this process.

How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (which is overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office), Human Rights Act, the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, and the NHS Codes of Confidentiality and Security.

All of our staff, contractors and committee members receive appropriate and on-going training to ensure they are aware of their personal responsibilities and have contractual obligations to uphold confidentiality, enforceable through disciplinary procedures. Only a limited number of authorised staff has access to personal information where it is appropriate to their role and is strictly on a need-to-know basis.

We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), or where the law requires information to be passed on.

Who are our partner organisations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used. The following are examples of the types of organisations that we are likely to share information with:

• NHS and specialist hospitals, Trusts
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private and Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England
• Social Care Services and Local Authorities
• Education Services
• Police, Fire and Rescue Services
• Other ‘data processors’ during specific project work e.g. Diabetes UK

Access to personal information

You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to access/view information the Practice holds about you, and to have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. This is known as ‘the right of subject access’. If we do hold information about you we will:

• give you a description of it;
• tell you why we are holding it;
• tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
• let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.

If you would like to make a ‘subject access request’. please contact the Practice Manager in writing. There may be a charge for this service.

Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and on the Practice notice board.

We use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS

Digital to send you messages relating to your health and care.

You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages.

Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS Digital.

These are the local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Our Responsibility To You

We are committed to giving you the best possible service.

Names People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery should be well signposted and the doctors’ or nurses’ names indicated on their surgery room doors.

The surgery uses a television call in system and all patients are requested to check the TV screen attentively and note the room number displayed on the screen.

Waiting Time We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay. The receptionist will keep you informed if a doctor is running late.

Access You will have access to a doctor rapidly in cases of emergency. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.

Telephone We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone the same day.

Test Results If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, please ring the surgery after 10.00am for your results or we will inform you of the results at your next appointment.

Respect Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.

Information We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive the information which directly affects your health and the care being offered.

Health Promotion The practice will offer patients advice and information on steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness as well as self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments.

Health Records You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your Responsibility To Us

Help us to help you

Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.

Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot make it to the appointment so that someone else can be given your appointment.

Please ask for a home visit by the doctor only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.

Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for non-urgent matters.

Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so. Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.

We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect.

Please read our practice booklet. Along with this website, it will help you to get the best out of the services we offer. It is important that you understand the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.

ACR project for patients with diabetes (and/or other conditions)

The data is being processed for the purpose of delivery of a programme, sponsored by NHS Digital, to monitor urine for indications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is recommended to be undertaken annually for patients at risk of chronic kidney disease e.g., patients living with diabetes. The programme enables patients to test their kidney function from home. We will share your contact details with Healthy.io to enable them to contact you and send you a test kit.  This will help identify patients at risk of kidney disease and help us agree any early interventions that can be put in place for the benefit of your care. Healthy.io will only use your data for the purposes of delivering their service to you. If you do not wish to receive a home test kit from Healthy.io we will continue to manage your care within the Practice. Healthy.io are required to hold data we send them in line with retention periods outlined in the Records Management code of Practice for Health and Social Care. Further information about this is available at: https://lp.healthy.io/minuteful_info/.

If you would like to opt out of the summary care records please inform the management of the surgery as soon as possible.

This service is optional and the data is used by the NHS anonymously for statistical purposes.

All medical information is kept confidential and no information will be given to any organisation by the NHS England.

We treat our patients with courtesy and respect and ask the same in return. We ask that you treat your GP and all other Practice Staff courteously – without violence, abuse or harassment.

GPs and their staff have the right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. Any behaviour verbal or physical which causes staff to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or threatened, is totally unacceptable.

The Zero Tolerance policy includes aggression or threats made in person, over the telephone or in written communication. The Practice considers threatening behaviour to be:

• Attempted or actual, aggressive threatening physical actions made towards any member of staff.
• The use of aggressive, threatening or abusive language, (including raising of the voice, swearing and or shouting) which threatens or intimidates staff.

This policy applies throughout the premises, including any cars parked and the grounds of the surgery. It also applies to any employee or partner away from the practice but only in so far as it relates to the business of the practice.

Any instance or threat of physical abuse will be reported to the police. The offender will be removed from the premises by the police. The patient will then be removed from the practice list and the PCSS will be notified so they can inform the Patient that they must register elsewhere.

Instances of abusive/threatening behaviour will be reported to the Practice Manager and recorded into an incident log book.

The patient may contact the Practice Manager to discuss this Warning Letter if they wish to do so. When the Incident Log Book shows a second recorded offence, the patient will be sent a Final Warning Letter informing them of their breach of the Zero Tolerance Policy and they may be removed from the Practice list.

Thank you

Dr Bindra