The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation as well as the Caldicott guidelines which are specific NHS guidance on confidentiality.
Information contained in your health records is kept confidential at all times and only disclosed to others for purposes related to your health care (except when you have given permission e.g. insurance/mortgage companies). 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.
However, NHS auditors have a duty to carry out routine checks from time to time to determine if claims for payment by the practice have been made correctly.
In the course of these checks, it may be necessary to verify details from patient records. Such checks are undertaken in accordance with strict guidelines agreed with the national Health Service and the Local Medical Committee. 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. Please do not ask the receptionists
- For information regarding other patient’s appointments
- For test results of a patient other than yourself.
This type of information is confidential and therefore cannot be divulged to anyone else and we do not wish to cause offence by being unable to answer your questions.
If you have any queries, please ask to speak to Mr. Rob Paton (Practice Manager) who will be pleased to help you.
Maintaining patient confidentiality is very important to everyone at Wetmore Road Surgery.
Please click here to download our Data Security and Protection Policy
Freedom of Information
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.
Click here for more information on – Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Leaflets are available free of charge at Reception or from the Practice Manager.