Freedom Of Information – Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.

This scheme is available from reception. Or by downloading via this link.

Access To Patient Information

We store all our patients’ medical records on our practice computer system. The NHS is committed to developing electronic patient records (EPRs) so health information can be shared between the clinicians responsible for your care.

We are responsible for the accuracy and safe-keeping of your medical record. You can help us to keep it accurate by informing us of any change to your name, address or telephone number and by ensuring that we have full details of your medical history. We protect your EPR from accidental loss or damage by taking daily back-ups of our entire database.

If you change practice we will send back your medical record to PCSE, to be forwarded on to your new GP. However, entries into your EPR made whilst you were registered with us will remain in our computer archives.

You have the right to keep your personal health information confidential between you and your doctor. This applies to everyone over the age of 16 years and in certain cases to those under 16 years. The law does impose a few exceptions to this rule but apart from these, mentioned below, you have a right to know who has access to your medical record.

We have to respect a balance between your privacy and good practice. We will normally share information with other health professionals involved in your health care unless you ask us not to do so. These people work for a variety of organisations such as NHS Trusts, CCGs, social services or private hospitals. Our nursing team have access to medical records. They are governed by the same professional codes of confidentiality as the GPs and will not disclose health information without your consent.

Administration staff also deal with medical records. They notify PCSE of registration details, scan hospital letters and input data into EPRs and file information which cannot be scanned into manual records.

When Do We Disclose Information?

We are required by law to notify the government of various diseases, for public health reasons. Law courts can also require that GPs disclose information to them (non-cooperation on the part of GPs can be severely punished).

A patient’s written consent is always required before any information is given to solicitors or life assurance companies. When completing an insurance report a GP must disclose all relevant medical conditions. You can ask to see the report before it is sent back to the company but if you instruct us not to make a full disclosure we have to inform the insurance company of your instructions. Limited information is shared with ERYCCG to organise national breast and cervical screening programmes.

Local authority and government agencies such as social services or the Benefits Agency may require medical reports. These do not have to include your written consent but we will assume that you wish us to complete these reports in your best interests. Failure to co-operate with these agencies can lead to loss of benefits or other support.

We are required by law to allow you access to your computer and written medical records. Requests need to be made in writing.

We have a duty to keep your medical records up to date. A patient is allowed to correct any errors of fact that may have crept into their medical records over the years.

To protect your privacy and confidentiality, we will not normally disclose any medical information over the telephone unless we are sure we are talking to you. This means that we will not disclose information to family, friends or colleagues about any medical matters unless we know we have your agreement to do so. However, if you want us to discuss your medical information with a third party (ie a spouse / next of kin etc), then we will require you to complete a Consent form:

SRMG Consent to Disclose Information.docx

GP Earnings

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

The average pay for GPs working in Snaith and Rawcliffe Medical Group in the last financial year (2018-2019), was £83,741 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 5 GP Partners, and 3 Salaried GPs, who worked in the practice for more than six months. The Practice did not use any GP Locums.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice are publicised, and the required disclosure is shown above. However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice