Patient Information

Practice Policies and Patient Information.

Access to medical records

The practice is registered and complies with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). Any request for access to notes by a patient, patient’s representative or outside body will be dealt with in accordance with the Act. Please contact the surgery for further information.

Please see this guide for further information on your electronic patient record and the sharing of information.

Please click here for The Burns Practice & TTP Fair Processing Notice June 2017

Please ask at reception for a copy of our ‘How we use your information’ leaflet.

The leaflet includes;

Why we collect information about you
How your medical records are used
How you can access your medical records
How your records are kept confidential
How your information may be shared

We hold your records in STRICT CONFIDENCE

Chaperones

Complaints Procedure

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

In any event, this should be:

Within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of you discovering, giving as much detail as you can.

If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care, however you are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority.

Send your written complaint to:

Sue Greenham,
The Burns Practice,
4 Albion Place,
Bennetthorpe,
Doncaster,
DN1 2EG

Tel: 01302 304646
Email: [email protected]

Please ask at reception for a full information leaflet on complaints or click here for an online copy.

Disabled Access

Both Cantley and Albion Place surgeries have consultation rooms over 2 floors. To access the upstairs consultation rooms we have a stair lift at Albion Place and a lift at Cantley. Our admin team are happy to provide any assistance needed. The practice have a wheelchair at both sites, should any patients require the use of the wheelchair please speak to our admin team at reception.

There is parking available at both sites including disabled parking bays. We will try to ensure that all disabled parking spaces are used appropriately, however this can sometimes be difficult to monitor. If you have any concerns regarding inappropriately parking in the disabled bays please notify reception.

Hearing Difficulties: If you are experiencing hearing difficulties when being called into see the doctor or nurse, please do let us know in order for us to set up an alert on your medical records and personally collect you from the waiting room.

If you use British Sign Language to communicate there is an interpreting service to support you in your consultations, more details available at clarion-uk.com/doncaster

GP Net Earnings

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below.

However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

The average pay for GPs working in The Burns Practice in the financial year 2022/2023 was £109,764 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time and 8 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Integrated Doncaster Care Record (IDCR)

What is the integrated Doncaster Care Record?

It is a new electronic way of storing information about you that can be seen by health and care staff in different locations when you need help. Being able to see your health and social care records at anytime, and in different places in Doncaster means doctors and other professionals can make quicker and safer decisions about your care.

For more information please click here

To view the iDCR privacy notice click here

Named GP

All patients at The Burns Practice have a named, accountable doctor who is responsible for coordinating their care.

Your named doctor will be allocated to you by the practice; you can still talk to or make appointments to see any of our doctors or nurses, not just your named GP.

If you have a preference and would like to request a particular doctor at the practice to be your named GP please talk to one of our receptionists.

Patient Confidentiality

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible care.

This information may be used for management and audit purposes, however, it is usually only available to, and used by, those involved in your care. You have the right to know what information we hold about you and if you would like to see your records please contact the Practice Manager.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

GDPR came into force on the 25th May 2018, to find out more information please click here.

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. It is your responsibility to keep your appointments, inform us of your past illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and any other relevant details.

Patients’ charter

Patients’ rights to General Medical Services

Patients have the right to:

Be registered with a General Practitioner (GP)
Change their GP if desired
Be offered a health check on joining the Practice
Receive urgent care at any time from the Practice
Receive appropriate drugs and medicines
Be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and their GP agree
View their medical records, subject to the Acts and associated procedure, and to know all NHS employees are legally obliged to keep the contents confidential

With these rights come responsibilities. For patients this means:

Showing courtesy to the staff at all times – remember they are working under doctors’ orders.
Responding in a positive way to questions asked by reception staff.
Attending appointments on time or giving the practice adequate notice that they wish to cancel. Someone else could use your appointment!
An appointment is for 1 person only – where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed another appointment should be made and the medical records be made available.
Patients should make every effort when consulting the surgery to make best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.
When patients are asked to give 48-hours’ notice for repeat prescriptions, please give us this time as it is to allow for accurate prescribing.
Out-of-hours calls (e.g. evenings, nights and weekends) should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary.

All member of the surgery primary care team are dedicated to a quality policy to achieve health services that meet the patient’s requirements.

Practice leaflet

All new patients will receive a copy of our Practice leaflet and copies will be available at reception.

Surgery premises

Our surgery building will be welcoming, easy for patients to find their way around and appropriate to the needs of users, including the disabled.

Changes to procedures

When changes are introduced to Practice procedures that effect patients we will ensure that these are clearly explained by means of a brochure, waiting room noticeboard or individual leaflets, giving as much notice as practicable.

Appointments

With a doctor: For routine consultations we will endeavour to offer patients an appointment within 7 working days of the request. For medically urgent requests we will offer an appointment on the same day.

With a Practice nurse: For routine appointments we will offer an appointment within 5 working days. If there is a delay in the appointment wait (when you arrive) of more than 20 minutes we will let you know. We are happy to update you on any delay situation if you feel that you have been waiting too long.

Home visits

We are unable to guarantee a specific doctor will visit you as this depends on availability and other factors The decision to home visit will be at the doctors’ discretion.

Patients are able to request the GP or Nurse of their choice and in fact if a patient is attending for review of an ongoing condition then this is encouraged, in order to maintain continuity of care. However, stating a particular preference may mean waiting longer for your appointment. You are more likely to see a GP of your choice if you book a routine appointment.

Waiting times

Surgeries will normally start on time
We expect patients to be seen within 20 minutes of their appointment time and in the event of a delay we will offer an explanation.
When a doctor is called away on an emergency we will inform the patients and give them an opportunity to book an alternative appointment or, if preferred, to be seen by another doctor.

Repeat prescriptions

To ensure the best possible knowledge of your personal health these will be signed by your usual GP wherever possible.

Out of hours emergencies

We will do everything possible to ensure that our system for contacting the duty doctor is easy to follow, reliable and effective.

Referrals

Urgent referrals to other health and social care agencies will be made within 1 working day of the patient consultation. Where requested our GPS will refer you to a private health provider
We will normally process non-urgent referrals within 5 working days of the patient consultation or the doctor’s decision to refer.

Test results

When a doctor of nurse arranges for a test to be taken the patient will be informed how to obtain the result. (Results are normally available after 2pm the following day).

Transfer of medical records

The Practice will endeavour to dispatch any medical record required by the Health Authority within 7 working days or on the same day if the request is urgent.

*We will respect patients’ privacy, dignity and confidentiality at all times*

Privacy Notices

Privacy notice

As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and GDPR law 2018. This means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled in ways that are safe, transparent and what you would reasonably expect. Please find documents and links below.

Privacy Notice August 2022

Data Protection Officer: Paul Couldrey

COVID-19 Privacy Notice

COVID19 Privacy Notice (v2.0 – extended to 31st October 2022)

Using this website

Violent or Abusive Behaviour

As an employer, the practice has a duty to care for the health and safety of its staff. The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. All patients are expected to behave in an acceptable manner and violent or abusive behaviour towards staff or patients may result in removal from our practice list or even criminal proceedings. The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning Zero Tolerance.

The Practice has a policy of “zero tolerance” of verbal and physical violence towards GP’s, staff or other patients.

The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.

All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.

We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Any alteration of prescriptions is illegal and will not be tolerated.

If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient repeatedly ignores their responsibilities to the Practice, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.

Examples of unacceptable standards of behaviour

Violence.
Excessive noise eg recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting.
Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offence remarks.
Derogatory racial or sexual remarks.
Malicious allegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors.
Offensive sexual gestures or behaviours.
Abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises.
Drug dealing on practice premises.
Wilful damage to practice property.
Threats or threatening behaviour.
Theft

Zero tolerance

Our Staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

They should be able to do their jobs without being PHYSICALLY or VERBALLY ABUSED. Most people respect this.

Anyone found abusing the staff in person or on the telephone will be asked to leave the practice. This behaviour will NOT be tolerated.

Removal from the list

In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a doctor and his patient. If the breakdown is of a serious nature e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, the doctors may feel that the doctor/patient relationship has been compromised. Steps may be taken to have the patient removed from the doctor’s list. Where possible, conciliation would always be the preferred route. Reasons for removal will be given in writing.