Practice Policies & Patient Information
Access to your Records
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are entitled to request information from your clinical records, or any other personal data that we hold about you.
Provision of Information to Third Parties
The practice may share your personal information with other NHS organisations where this is lawful and appropriate for your health care. In other circumstances we may approach you for specific consent to release personal information to a third party. Information will not normally be released to other family members without written patient consent.
In some circumstances there are statutory or ethical obligations (for example, in connection with public health) for information to be disclosed to one or more third parties without your consent, however you may be consulted about these in advance.
All staff have access to some or all of your personal information and health record, but only to the extent required in relation to their roles, governed by employee contractual confidentiality agreements and by the legal requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
More information about accessing your records can be found at NHS Choices.
Chaperone Policy
You may request a suitably trained chaperone for an y procedure, test or examination.
Friends or family are not permitted to act as chaperones.
Please note
Both male and female clinical team members work within the practice, if you have a preference, please ensure you discuss this when you book your appointment.
For more information, please speak to reception.
Children’s Privacy Policy
Complaints
The doctors, office staff and other health workers in this practice work to provide our patients with comprehensive medical services of the highest possible quality. Our staff will be happy to advise you on the best possible use of these services.
However, it is acknowledged that you may have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors, or any of the staff working in this practice. To ensure our continued excellent service we welcome your comments and suggestions.
Please direct your comments to the Managing Partner at Cedars Medical Centre in Alsager Health Centre.
Download our Complaints Leaflet
Confidentiality and Medical Records
The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation.
Identifiable information about you will be shared with other in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. 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 service e.g. diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
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 at Cedars Medical Centre in Alsager Health Centre.
GP Net Earnings
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Cedars Medical Centre in the last financial year was £59,135 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 1 full time GP and 8 part time GPs and 0 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Privacy Notice
Proxy Access
Giving another person access to your GP online services
Did you know that you can choose to give another person access to your online services on your behalf? You don’t need to know how to use these services or have a computer yourself to give another person access.
Please note, Cedars Medical Centre only allows medical record access to those aged over 16, where consent has been given.
Who can have access?
You choose who you want to give access to. This could be your carer, partner, parent or another family member. You can also give access to more than one person. Giving access to another person is your choice. No-one can go and ask for access to your online services without your permission.
How to apply
Please ask for a Proxy form at any of our reception desk. ID, patient consent or proof of Lasting Power of Attorney will be required for over 16’s requesting record access.
Things to consider before giving another person access
- Is there any information in your records you would not like anyone to see or know about?
- Can you trust the person to keep your information safe and not share it with others or use it without your permission?
- Is anyone forcing you into sharing your online services with them or do you think someone could force you to share it with them? If so, we would advise that you do not give them access. If you have any concerns that someone has access to your online records without your permission, speak to your surgery and they can change your password or stop your online services
- How long would you like your chosen person to have access for? This can be for a short time, for example when you are suffering from a certain illness and you need support with managing your health during that time. It can also be ongoing so they can help you for a long period of time. You can discuss this with the Practice.
Giving another person access to your GP online services Booklet
RCGP Active Practice
Violence Policy
The NHS operates 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 circumstances leading to it.