CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

Confidentiality & Medical Records

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from 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 services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Freedom of Information

Information about the General Practioners 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.

Access & Subject Access Requests

You have the right to see what information we hold about you and to request a copy of this information. Any requests for copies of medical records will need to be in writing. We will provide this information free of charge however, we may in some limited and exceptional circumstances have to make an administrative charge for any extra copies of if the information requested is excessive, complex or repetitive.

We have one month to reply to you and give the information that you require. We would ask, therefore,. that any requests you make are in writing and it is made clear to us what and how much information you require.