Policies

Hope Farm Medial Centre is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that Best Practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance. Trust is important in the relationship between the healthcare professional and patient and we would, at all times, wish you to feel able to ask for a chaperone. It is the policy of Hope Farm Medical Centre to respect the privacy, dignity, cultural and religious beliefs of our patients.

There are occasions when patients need to be examined by a clinician which may involve intimate examinations. A chaperone provides a safeguard for patients during such an examination or consultation and protects against verbal, physical, sexual or other abuse for both patient and clinician. A clinician has the right to request a chaperone if they feel it necessary.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. A variety of people can act as a chaperone in the practice. Where possible, it is strongly recommended that chaperones should be clinical staff familiar with procedural aspects of personal examination. However, members of our Patient Services Team are fully trained Chaperones.

The chaperone will only be present for the examination itself, and discussion with the patient will take place while the chaperone is not present. Patients should be reassured that all practice staff understand their responsibility not to divulge confidential information.

Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking your appointment so arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible, we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of request. However, occasionally it may be necessary to re-schedule your appointment.

Your GP or Nurse may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice and we welcome your feedback and the opportunity for reflective learning. However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint.

Making a formal complaint

The NHS Choices website explains the NHS complaints process here. Under the NHS Constitution if you are unhappy with an NHS service and decide to make a complaint, you have the right to have that complaint acknowledged by the organisation receiving the complaint within three working days (this does not include weekends and bank holidays). You also have the right for that complaint to be investigated properly.

To pursue a complaint please contact the Practice Manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. You may make a complaint in person, by telephone, by e-mail or in writing. It is important to make your complaint as soon as possible. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from the Patient Services Team.

If you are unable to make a complaint yourself, then someone can act on your behalf with your written consent. We can accept complaints from:

• A person acting on behalf of a child, normally the parent or legal guardian
• A person acting on behalf of a patient who has died, normally the next of kin
• Someone who has suffered hardship or injustice as a result of actions of the NHS

All patients’ records are completely confidential. Hope Farm Medical Centre complies with the Access to Medical Records Act, the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Access to patient records is limited to health professionals and administration staff who are bound by a code of confidentiality.

More information is available here:

• Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice
• GMC: Confidentiality

At Hope Farm Medical Centre, we are committed to ensuring equal access for all patients. We recognize that individuals with disabilities may face unique challenges when seeking healthcare services. Therefore, we have taken specific steps to enhance accessibility:

1. Physical Accessibility: Our premises are designed to accommodate individuals with mobility challenges. We have ramps, wide doorways, and two accessible parking spaces. There is a wheelchair available to use, if you would like this please ask for assistance when you arrive.
2. Communication Support: We provide communication aids such as large-print materials, sign language interpreters, and accessible formats upon request. Let us know your preferences, and we’ll assist where we can.
3. Service Animals: Service animals are welcome in our practice. Feel free to bring your service dog.
4. Staff Training: Our team receives regular training on disability awareness and communication. We strive to create a welcoming environment for all patients.

If you have specific needs or require additional support, please let us know. Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to help you.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

The Freedom of Information Act gives the general right of access to all types of recorded information held by the practice. The intention of the Act is to encourage a spirit of openness and transparency in the NHS and the whole public sector. Our organisation aims to fully support this.

The public has had full access rights from January 2005.  This means that far more information will be routinely and freely made available.  This is subject to some exemptions, which are outlined in the Practice’s Freedom of Information Act leaflet.

Any individual or organisation can make a request for information.  The applicant does not have to explain why this information is requested.  The Act gives the right to be told if the information exists, and receive information (ideally in the format requested, for example, as a copy or summary or the applicant may ask to inspect a record.)

For further information please see our FOI leaflet.

All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in Hope Farm Medical Centre in the 2022/23 financial year was £107,969 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 5 full time GPs, 2 part time GPs and 2 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.

Some of our GPs have a financial interest in Hope Farm Pharmacy. This has no effect on their prescribing of medication. Patients are not obliged to use our own on-site pharmacy and are free to use any pharmacy of their choice.

What is GP2GP?

GP2GP enables patients’ electronic health records to be transferred directly, securely, and quickly between GP practices. It improves patient care as GPs will have full and detailed medical records available to them for a new patient’s first consultation.

• GP2GP functionality is compliant with EMIS Web, INPS Vision, Microtest Evolution, and TPP SystmOne
• Over 5.1 million records have been transferred
• 96% of practices in England are live with GP2GP (July 2015)

The process

When a patient joins a practice as a full General Medical Services registration, GP2GP is triggered by a successful Personal Demographics Service match.

When the new and old practices are both in England and live with GP2GP, the patient’s electronic health record is transferred to the new practice where it is then integrated, to create a rich electronic health record. This is usually achieved in a few minutes.

Any active medication, allergies, or drug reactions are highlighted for practice personnel to check and process. This is an important clinical safety requirement.

Why do GPs use GP2GP?

The General Medical Services GP Contract 2014 places a contractual requirement to use GP2GP whenever possible for the transfer of patient records between practices.

• Patients expect GPs to receive their medical records at the earliest opportunity, and receipt and integration of the GP2GP electronic health record fully fulfils this expectation
• GP2GP supports the Health Secretary’s objective that ‘patients should have compatible digital records so their health information can follow them around the health and social care system’
• GP2GP has been described as “the best innovation for medical records since we started using computers for patient care.”

In the National Health Service we aim to provide you with the highest quality of health care.  To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.  These records may include:

• Basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, next of kin
• Contact we have had with you such as  clinical visits
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details and records about your treatment and care
• Results of x-rays, laboratory test etc.
• Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well, such as health professionals and relatives
• For further information please see our Health Records Leaflet for patients

We aim to keep our practice clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients, relatives and staff. We are proud of our modern, purpose built practice and endeavour to keep it clean and well maintained at all times.

If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control, please report these to our Patient Services Team.

Our GPs and nursing staff follow our Infection prevention & control policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment we use is safe.

In addition the practice takes the following measures to make sure we maintain the highest possible infection prevention and control standards:

• Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report any incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control.  We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems
• Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection prevention and control procedures are working
• Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection prevention and control
• Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance
• Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risk
• Use disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc., and ensure that these are changed frequently to minimise risk of infection
• Make alcohol hand rub gel available throughout the building

You can download and view our privacy notices here:

• Patient Privacy Notice
• Patient Privacy Notice (Children)

We hope that the Privacy Notices are helpful in setting out the way we handle your personal data and your rights to control it.  Should you have any questions please contact the practice Data Protection Officer at the following contact details:

Sharon Forrester-Wild
Email Sharon at: DPO.healthcare@nhs.net.

There is a new central NHS computer system called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP.

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

More Information

• http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/records/healthrecords/Pages/overview.aspx

There may be circumstances when it would be considered reasonable, or in the best interests of the patient or practice staff, to remove patients from our list. This section gives a summary of the practice guidelines for removal of a patient from the practice list, and how to ensure that any concerns about removing patients from the practice list are dealt with and considered fairly. A copy of the policy is available upon request.

As a practice we have a zero-tolerance stance towards violent and/or abusive patients, and a patient will be removed from the practice list without warning if they have displayed violent, abusive or threatening behaviour towards any member of the practice team or other patient within the medical facilities. Violent, abusive or threatening behaviour includes face-to-face, over the phone and electronic communication such as by email or social media. Patients can also be removed from the practice list if it is proved that they have engaged in fraud or deception to obtain services or medication.

There are other reasons where a patient may be removed from the practice list, but a letter will be sent to the patient in advance. This includes, but is not limited to:

• A patient moving outside of the practice boundary (our current practice boundary is visible here)
• Where a patient has moved abroad for a period of 3 months or longer
• Repeated failure to attend pre-booked appointment on a number of occasions
• Irretrievable breakdown of the Doctor/Nurse-patient relationship
• Where a patient’s behaviour falls outside of that which is normally considered reasonable and leads to an irretrievable breakdown of the doctor/nurse-patient relationship
• Unnecessarily persistent or unrealistic service demands that cause disruption

In cases where immediate removal is not appropriate, following the issue of a warning letter, every effort will be made to reach a mutually satisfactory solution before any final decision is made to remove the patient from the practice list.

The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way.

The Practice supports the government’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. They would respectfully remind patients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations, all at the same time.  The staff understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint.

However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police being contacted.

In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients the practice would like to ask all its patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:

• Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
• Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
• Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
• Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
• Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot
• Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises, staff or patients
• Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently