If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets or exceeds national criteria.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. You should address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager (you can use the attached form). He/she will make sure that we deal with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible.

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality (a separate leaflet giving more detail on confidentiality is available on request). If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this. A Third Party Consent Form is provided below.

WHAT WE WILL DO

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have fully investigated within 28 days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances; make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate, and take steps to make sure any problem does not arise again.

You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations.

Please complete the following online complaints form which will go direct to senior staff.

Online complaints form

TAKING IT FURTHER

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to NHS England, who commission local health services, or if you are still not satisfied by their response, the next step would be to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to review how the complaint has been handled.

Complaints to NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

After 1 July 2023, patients and members of the public can make a complaint about primary care services (such as GP services, pharmacy, optometry and dentistry) by contacting NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin instead of NHS England.

You can do so by phone, e-mail or written correspondence via the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Patient Services Team at:

Telephone: 01952 580407

E-mail: [email protected]

Writing to us at: Halesfield 6, Halesfield, Telford, TF7 4BF

There are two ways to make a complaint:

• You can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example a GP surgery or dental surgery, or;

You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received, such as your local ICB (NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin).

Complaints to NHS England

If a complainant has concerns relating to a directly commissioned service by NHS England, then the first step is, where appropriate, for complaints and concerns to be resolved on the spot with their local service provider. This is called by NHS England ‘informal complaint resolution’ and is in line with the recommendations of the Complaints Regulations of 2009.

If it is not appropriate to raise a concern informally or where informal resolution fails to achieve a satisfactory outcome, the complainant has the right to raise a formal complaint with either the service provider or the commissioner of the service NHS England.

A complaint or concern can be received by mail, electronically or by telephone via these details;

By telephone:         03003 11 22 33

By email:                [email protected]

By post:                 NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower

Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

Tel 0345 0154033

If you are not happy with the Ombudsman’s decision, then you can appeal directly to the PHSO, and details of this process can be found on their website;

www.ombudsman.org.uk

Once the Ombudsman or one of their senior staff has considered the complaint and sent a response, their decision is final. Unless you raise any new issues that they consider significant to the complaint, they will not send further replies (but will still acknowledge further correspondence).

Did you know? From summer 2021, everyone’s health and social care records in Shopshire, Telford and Wrekin will be available on the new integrated care record ‘One Health and Care’.

Completely confidential and secure, it’s designed to help doctors, nurses and other registered health and social care professionals directly involved in your care to make better, safer decisions.   You can find out more information via the following link https://stwics.org.uk/about-us/one-health-and-care

The information that they will be able to see includes:

•     Your name, date of birth, sex, address, telephone number, NHS number
•     The name of your GP Practice and GP
•      Medications, allergies, ongoing and historic conditions, immunisations and diagnoses
•     Test results, hospital referrals, admissions, discharges and clinics attended
•     Social and mental health information and care plans

Sensitive information such as attendance at sexual health clinics, fertility treatment records, and records relating to gender reassignment will not be included.

During summer 2021, all GP practices within Shopshire, Telford and Wrekin will have access to One Health and Care along with the following organisations:

•      Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
•      Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
•      Shropshire Council (Social care)
•      Telford & Wrekin Council (Social care)
•      Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
•      Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

If you’re happy for your records to be available on One Health and Care to health and social care professionals, you don’t need to do anything.  Alternatively, if you wish to object, you need to contact your GP Practice.

Here is the link on how to update your integrated care record click here, leaflet with information Integrated care record leaflet, and frequently asked questions Frequently asked questions.

If you have been unable to find answers to your questions via https://stwics.org.uk/about-us/one-health-and-care, you can send an email directly to [email protected] 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE –  DELAYED ROLLOUT  NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes

The current NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes (known as the GPDPR) has been delayed due to NHSD wishing to review the way in which this data will be collected, to conduct more public involvement and information about the plans and change the way in which patients can opt out of the extract of their GP data.

Currently the only way to opt out is to complete a Type 1 opt out form and return this to the practice by the 1^st September.  However, this extract will not be taken until the NHSD have changed the way it will take the data and respect the patient’s choice for using their data.  NHSD are introducing the following changes to the opt out process which will mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time::-

• Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1st September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded.
• NHS Digital will create the technical means to allow GP data that has previously been uploaded to the system via the GPDPR collection to be deleted when someone registers a Type 1 opt-out.
• The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while we get the new arrangements up and running and will not be implemented without consultation with the RCGP, the BMA and the National Data Guardian.

This means that you can opt out at any time in the future and NHSD will delete data that they already have taken for research purposes, the deadline of the 01/09/2020 has been delayed until a new system of opt out is developed.  Hopefully, this will be a simple centralised approach via the NHS app or NHS website to avoid paper form and administration work for your GP.

We will update you when we know more about the NHSD plans to change how you can control who has access to your data.

Privacy Notices

General Child’s Privacy Notice Oct 2021

General Privacy Notice Sep 2023

COVID19 Privacy Notice v6 August 2023

Data Protection Officer

The Data Protection Officer for the Practice is Paul Couldrey of PCIG Consulting Limited

Any queries regarding Data Protection issues should be sent to:

Email:   [email protected]

Address:  PCIG Consulting Limited

7 West Acre Drive

Quarry Bank

Dudley

West Midlands

DY5 2EE

In March 2010 the Primary Care Trusts wrote to patients registered with GP practices in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin to inform them that the NHS in England is introducing a new electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR), which will be used to support your emergency care. The Summary Care Record is an electronic record which will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about your health, to help provide you with safe treatment when you need care in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed.

Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the ‘Summary Care Record’ – SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.

Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases.

As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When you speak to an emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record, unless you are medically unable to do so.

On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice. Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.

For existing patients it is different in that it is assumed that you want your record uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt out.

If you choose to have a Summary Care Record it will contain important information about any medicines you have been or are currently taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you had. Your permission will always be asked if anyone needs to look at information in your SCR, unless in an emergency when you are unable to give permission.

If you choose to have a Summary Care Record you do not need to do anything and one will be created for you.

If you do not want a Summary Care Record you can download an opt out form (see below) or collect one from the practice. Once completed, return it to the practice and your wishes will be recorded. Your existing health record will continue to be used as it is now.  You can change your mind at any time.

For more information:  Download a leaflet (SCR leaflet) or you can phone the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.

There is further information online at Connecting for Health Website and at http://www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/

If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery.