This policy provides the Practice with a process for the management of requests for personal information (for living individuals) under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and (for deceased individuals) the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

It defines a process for achieving legislative requirements and ensuring effective and consistent management of such requests.

The policy ensures that all staff are aware of how a subject access request should be made and to respond quickly.

Under the Data Protection Act, subject to certain conditions, an individual is entitled to be:

• Told whether any personal data is being processed;
• Given a description of the personal data, the reasons it is being processed,
  and whether it will be given to any other organisations or people; and
• Given a copy of the information comprising the data; and given details of the source of the data (where this is available).

The Data Protection Act extends equally to all relevant records relating to living individuals, including records held in the private health sector and health professionals’ private practice records.

Download the detailed policy yma. for further information.

Making An Access Request

All requests, with the exception of a copy of the publication scheme, are to be made in writing to the following address:

Insert Address CWMAMAN SURGERY

6-14 Glanaaman road Cwmaman CF44 6HY

Clinical.enquiries.w95016@wales.nhs.uk

If you would initially like to read our publication scheme, this is available on request at reception.

The publication scheme contains the following policies and procedures:

*Our NHS relationship
*NHS income for the last financial year
*Prescribing cost information
*Practice Area and Clinical Commissioning Group
*Full partners names, qualification and status
*Key staff names, qualification and status
*Clinics and services, and opening hours
*Complaints procedures
*Confidentiality Policy
*Security Policy
*Zero Tolerance (Violent patient) policy
*Data protection Policy
*Health & Safety Policy
*Patient Removal Policy

Other information is subject to specific written
application as above. A fee may be charged.

The full freedom of information leaflet can be found yma. for further information.

• The practice will not tolerate abusive behavior to its staff or other patients.
• Patients should attend their appointment on time, if this is not possible, they should contact the practice.
• All appointments are arranged to cover one consultation. Please make an appointment for each person.
• Home visits should only be requested for patients that are housebound, patients should understand that home visits are made at the doctor’s discretion
• We ask patients to treat the doctors and staff with courtesy and respect.
• Failure to attend appointments on three separate occasions will result in the patient being removed from the practice list.

• You will be treated as an individual with courtesy and respect.
• You will be given the names of people involved in your care.
• You will be seen by a healthcare professional within 24 hours in normal circumstances.
• You will normally be seen within 30 minutes of your appointment time.
• You will be referred to a Consultant of your choice if your Doctor feels it necessary.
• The Practice does not discriminate Disability or Medical Condition, Race, Gender, Social Class, Age, Religion, Sexual Orientation or Appearance.

If patients are violent or abusive to doctors, staff or any other person present at the practice premises.  The Police will be contacted, and the practice has the right to remove patients from the practice list.

Raising Your Concern

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily with the person concerned, often at the time they arise, 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, giving as much detail as you can, 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 becoming aware of the matter

If you are a registered patient you can raise a concern about your own care. You are not able to raise a concern about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. See the separate section in this leaflet.

We are able to provide you with a separate
form to register your concern and this includes a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else. Please ask at reception for this. You can provide this in your own format, providing this covers all the necessary aspects.

Send your written concern to:

Mrs Sharon Rao, 6-14 Glanaman Road, Cwmaman, CF44 6TA

Rhif ffôn:  01685 873002

E-bost:  Clinical.enquiries.w95016@wales.nhs.uk

What Do We Do Next?

We aim to resolve concerns as soon as possible.

We will acknowledge receipt of your concern within three working days, and aim to have looked into the matter and respond to you within 30 working days. You may then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

When looking into a concern we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can learn from this, and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you would like to do so.

When the investigations are complete, a final response will be sent to you.

Where your concern involves more than one organisation (e.g. social services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do this. Where your concern has been sent initially to an incorrect organisation, we may seek your consent to forward this to the correct person to deal with.

The final response letter will include details of the result of your concern and also your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.

Raising A Concern On Behalf of Somebody Else.

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal  confidentiality. If you wish to raise a concern and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.

Please ask at reception for the concerns form, which contains a suitable authority for the patient to sign to enable the concern to be investigated.

Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the concern. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances that prevent this in your covering letter.

Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply.

We may still need to correspond directly with the patient, or may be able to deal direct with the third party. This depends on the wording of the authority provided.

If  You Are Dissatisfied With The Outcome

 You have the right to approach the Public Health Service Ombudsman for Wales. The contact details are:

The Public Health Services Ombudsman for Wales, 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed. CF35 5LJ

Rhif ffôn:           0300 790 0203

Fax:           01656 641199

Website: www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk

Our full complaints procedure can be found yma..

Putting Things Right document for advice and guidance for complaints can be found yma..

Threatening Behaviour

When a patient:-

•          Is physically violent or threatening towards a doctor, practice staff or other patients on the practice premises or via social media
•          Causes physical damage to practice premises or other patient’s property
•          Gives verbal abuse or makes threats towards the doctor, practice staff or other patients whether in person or on social media
•          Gives racist abuse, orally or physically or via social media
•          Is violent or uses or condones threatening behaviour to doctors (or some other members of the primary health care team) while visiting the patient’s home.  Such behaviour involve the patient, a relative, a household member, or pets (such as unchained dogs)

CWM TAFF Morgannwg Headquarters

Ynysmeurig House Unit 3 Navigation Park, Abercynon. CF45 4SN

Rhif ffôn:  01443 744800

Firearms Licensing is not undertaken at Cwmaman Surgery.  Dr Rao is aware of his responsibilities and obligations under the GMC guidance on conscientious objection.

Safeguarding Lead : Dr Sriram Rao.

For further advice, please click yma..

Cauldicott Guardian/Data Protection Officer : Dr Sriram Rao.

Again, for further advice and information, please click yma..

If you have any immediate concerns, please dial 999.

Our safeguarding poster.