Anyone has a right to request information from a public authority. We have two separate duties when responding to these requests:

• to tell (you or your representative) the applicant whether we hold any information falling within the scope of their request; and
• to provide that information

We normally have 20 working days to respond to a request.

For a request to be valid under the Freedom of Information Act it must be in writing, Please submit your request to the Practice Manager. Any letter or email to a public authority asking for information is a request for recorded information under the Act.

Our policy is designed to ensure and promote equality and inclusion, supporting the ethos and requirements of the Equality Act 2010 for all visitors of our Practice.

We are committed to:

• ensuring that all visitors are treated with dignity and respect
• promoting equality of opportunity between men and women
• not tolerating any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any visitor for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
• providing the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, religion or belief
• This policy applies to the general public, including all patients and their families, visitors and contractors.

Procedure Discrimination by the Practice or Visitors / patients against you.

If you feel discriminated against:

• You should bring the matter to the attention of the Practice  Manager
• The Practice  Manager will investigate the matter thoroughly and confidentially within 14 working days
• The Practice Manager  will establish the facts and decide whether discrimination has taken place and advise you of the outcome of the investigation within 14 working days
• If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should raise a formal complaint through our Complaints Procedure

Discrimination against our Practice staff

The Practice will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of our staff by any visitor. Any visitor who expresses any form of discrimination against or harassment of any member of our staff will be required to leave the Practice premises immediately. If the visitor is a patient they may also be removed from the Practice list if any such behaviour occurs at the discretion of the Practice Management.

We all share a common purpose as partners in health and social care – and that is to provide high quality care and ensure the best possible outcomes for people using care services. Promoting improvement is at the heart of what we do.

We endeavour to provide a first class service at all times. However, we acknowledge that at times things may go wrong and our service may fall below our expected levels.

In order to comply with Regulation 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulations 2014) we pledge to:

• Have a culture of openness and honesty at all levels
• Inform patients in a timely manner when safety incidents have occurred which may affect them
• Provide a written and truthful account of the incident, explaining any investigations and enquiries made
• Provide a written apology
• Provide support if you are affected directly by an incident

Consent to treatment is the principle that a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test or examination.

This must be done on the basis of an explanation by a clinician.

Consent from a patient is needed regardless of the procedure, whether it’s a physical examination, organ donation or something else.

The principle of consent is an important part of medical ethics and the international human rights law.

Defining consent
For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.

These terms are explained below:

• voluntary– the decision to either consent or not to consent to treatment must be made by the person themselves, and must not be influenced by pressure from medical staff, friends or family
• informed– the person must be given all of the information in terms of what the treatment involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are reasonable alternative treatments, and what will happen if treatment doesn’t go ahead
• capacity– the person must be capable of giving consent, which means they understand the information given to them and they can use it to make an informed decision

If an adult has the capacity to make a voluntary and informed decision to consent to or refuse a particular treatment, their decision must be respected.

This is still the case even if refusing treatment would result in their death, or the death of their unborn child.

If a person doesn’t have the capacity to make a decision about their treatment, the healthcare professionals treating them can go ahead and give treatment if they believe it’s in the person’s best interests.

But clinicians must take reasonable steps to seek advice from the patient’s friends or relatives before making these decisions.

Read more about  assessing the capacity to consent.

How consent is given
Consent can be given:

verbally– for example, by saying they’re happy to have an X-ray

in writing– for example, by signing a consent form for surgery

Someone could also give non-verbal consent, as long as they understand the treatment or examination about to take place – for example, holding out an arm for a blood test.

Consent should be given to the healthcare professional directly responsible for the person’s current treatment, such as:

• a nurse arranging a blood test
• a GP prescribing new medication
• a surgeon planning an operation

If someone is going to have a major medical procedure, such as an operation, their consent should ideally be secured well in advance, so they have plenty of time to obtain information about the procedure and ask questions.

If they change their mind at any point before the procedure, the person is entitled to withdraw their previous consent.

Consent from children and young people

If they’re able to, consent is usually given by patients themselves.

However, someone with parental responsibility may need to give consent for a child up to the age of 16 to have treatment.

Read more about the rules of consent applying to children and young people

When consent isn’t needed

There are a few exceptions when treatment may be able to go ahead without the person’s consent, even if they’re capable of giving their permission.

It may not be necessary to obtain consent if a person:

requires emergency treatment to save their life, but they’re incapacitated (for example, they’re unconscious) – the reasons why treatment was necessary should be fully explained once they’ve recovered

• immediately requires an additional emergency procedure during an operation – there has to be a clear medical reason why it would be unsafe to wait to obtain consent, and it can’t be simply for convenience
• with a severe mental health condition, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or dementia, lacks the capacity to consent to the treatment of their mental health (under the Mental Health Act 1983) – in these cases, treatment for unrelated physical conditions still requires consent, which the patient may be able to provide, despite their mental illness
• requires hospital treatment for a severe mental health condition, but self-harmed or attempted suicide while competent and is refusing treatment (under the Mental Health Act 1983) – the person’s nearest relative or an approved social worker must make an application for the person to be forcibly kept in hospital, and two doctors must assess the person’s condition
• is a risk to public health as a result of rabies, cholera or tuberculosis (TB)
  is severely ill and living in unhygienic conditions (under the National Assistance Act 1948) – a person who is severely ill or infirm and is living in unsanitary conditions can be taken to a place of care without their consent

Consent and life-sustaining treatments

A person may be being kept alive with supportive treatments – such as lung ventilation – without having made an advance decision, which outlines the care they would refuse to receive.

In these cases, a decision about continuing or stopping treatment needs to be made based on what that person’s best interests are believed to be.

To help reach a decision, the healthcare professionals responsible for the person’s care should discuss the issue with the relatives and friends of the person receiving the treatment.

They should consider, among other things:

• what the person’s quality of life will be if treatment is continued
• how long the person may live if treatment is continued
• whether there’s any chance of the person recovering

Treatment can be withdrawn if there’s an agreement that continuing treatment isn’t in the person’s best interests.

The case will be referred to the courts before further action is taken if:

• an agreement can’t be reached
• a decision has to be made on whether to withdraw treatment from someone who has been in a state of impaired consciousness for a long time (usually at least 12 months)

It’s important to note the difference between withdrawing a person’s life support and taking a deliberate action to make them die. For example, injecting a lethal drug would illegal.

Complaints
If you believe you’ve received treatment you didn’t consent to, you can make an official complaint, please write to the Practice Manager who will assist you with this process.

You have a right to know who holds personal information about you. This person or organisation is called the data controller. In the NHS, the data controller is usually your local NHS board and your GP surgery. The NHS must keep your personal health information confidential. It is your right.

Please be aware that our staff are bound to the NHS code of confidentiality. Our staff are therefore not permitted to discuss any of our patient’s medical history, this includes their registration status, without their written consent to do so.

Once we have received their written consent and verified this with the patient, then we can provide you with this information, this includes complaining on behalf of a patient, but excludes patients who are unable to act on their own behalf and already have a designated person or carer responsible for their medical care.

We therefore respectfully ask parents and guardians not to request information regarding their relatives or to complain on their behalf unless we have their written consent to do so.

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our Practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To have your complaint investigated, you usually need to complain within 12 months of the event happening, or as soon as you first become aware of the issue you want to complain about.

The time limit can be extended in special circumstances.

In General

If you have a complaint to make, you can either contact the Practice Manager or ask the receptionist for a copy of our complaints Procedure. We endeavour to acknowledge any letter or complaints form within 3 working days of receiving it, and to deal with the matter as promptly as possible- usually within 20 working days- dependent on the nature of the complaint.

Who can complain

• Complainants can normally be current or former patients, or their nominated or elected representatives (who have given consent).
• Patients over the age of 16 whose mental capacity is unimpaired should normally complain themselves or authorise someone to bring a complaint on their behalf.
• Children under the age of 16 can also make their own complaint, if they’re able to do so.

If  the patient’s lack capacity to make decisions, their representative must be able to demonstrate sufficient interest in the patient’s welfare and be an appropriate person to act on their behalf. This could be a partner, relative or someone appointed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 with lasting power of attorney.

Appropriate person

In certain circumstances, we need to check that a representative is the appropriate person to make a complaint.

• For example, if the complaint involves a child, we must satisfy ourselves that there are reasonable grounds for the representative to complain, rather than the child concerned.
• If the patient is a child or a patient who lacks capacity, we must also be satisfied that the representative is acting in the patient’s best interests.

If we are  not satisfied that the representative is an appropriate person, we cannot consider the complaint, giving the representative reasons for our decision in writing.

Time limits

A complaint must be made within 12 months, either from the date of the incident or from when the complainant first knew about it.

The regulations state that a responsible body should consider a complaint after this time limit if:

• the complainant has good reason for doing so, and
• it’s still possible to investigate the complaint fairly and effectively, despite the delay.

Procedure

We have a two stage complaints procedure. We will always try to deal with your complaint quickly. However if it is clear that the matter will need a detailed investigation, we will tell you and keep you updated on our progress.

Stage one – Early, local resolution

• We will try to resolve your complaint within five working days if we can.
• If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can ask us to consider your complaint at Stage two.

Stage Two – Investigation

• We will look at your complaint at this stage if you are dissatisfied with our response at Stage One.
• We also look at some complaints straight away at this stage , if it is clear that they are complex or need detailed investigation.
• We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days
• We will give you out decision as soon as possible. This will be no more that 20 working days unless there is clearly a good reason for needing more time

Complain to the Ombudsman

If you’re unhappy with the final response from the Practice you can take your complaint to the ombudsman.

The ombudsman is independent of the NHS and free to use. It can help resolve your complaint, and tell the NHS how to put things right if it has got them wrong.

The ombudsman only has legal powers to investigate certain complaints. You must have received a final response from the Practice before the ombudsman can look at your complaint.

The ombudsman will generally not look into your complaint if it happened more than 12 months ago, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Address:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman,
Tower, 30
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Phone: 0345 015 4033
email

Clinical governance is the system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which clinical excellence will flourish

Clinical governance encompasses quality assurance, quality improvement and risk and incident management.

Our Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patient and staff cab be confident that best Practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All medical consultations, examinations and investigations are potentially distressing. Patients can find examinations, investigations or photography involving the breasts, genitalia or rectum particularly intrusive (these examinations are collectively referred to as “intimate examinations”). Also consultations involving dimmed lights, the need for patients to undress or for intensive periods of being touched may make a patient feel vulnerable.

Chaperoning is the process of having a third person present during such consultations to:- provide support, both emotional and sometimes physical to the patient, and also to protect the doctor against allegations of improper behaviour during such consultations, and sometimes to provide practical support. Please ask clinician , if you want a chaperone.

By 31st July 2016 all NHS organisations are required to meet the Accessible Information Standard. This aims to make sure that people with disabilities have access to information that they can understand and any communication support they might need.

As part of this process, we want to get better at communicating with our patients. If you find it hard to read our letters or if you need someone to support you at appointments, please let us know. We are keen to hear from you if you have a visual or hearing impairment or another disability and would prefer to receive information in any of the following formats.

Please let us know if you, or someone you know has particular communication needs – you may have requirements that are not shown here.

This website is run by your GP Surgery. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts
• zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
• navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
• navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
• listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
• live video streams do not have captions

What to do if you cannot access parts of this website

If you need information on this website in a different format please contact

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 30 working days. If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us refer to our contact page for directions.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact please contact our practice manager.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Find out how to contact us on our contact details page.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

We are committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non compliance with the accessibility regulations

Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

We plan to add text alternatives for all images. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

Disproportionate burden

Interactive tools and transactions

Some of our interactive forms are difficult to navigate using a keyboard. For example, because some form controls are missing a ‘label’ tag.

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and with interactive tools and transactions. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the website is next updated.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

Many of our older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).

Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents. We plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Live video

Live video streams do not have captions. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.4 (captions – live).

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on October 2019 using the WAV (Web Accessibility Tool)

We tested our home page and a random sample of 10 content pages from the site.

This statement was prepared on November 2019.