If for any reason you need to access your medical records please put your request in writing to the practice manager who will send you a written explanation of the procedure and charges.

Death of a Relative

If Death Occurs At Home

 1. Telephone the doctor who will visit to confirm that death has taken place.

2. Contact a funeral director.

3. Arrange to collect the doctor’s Medical Certificate of Death (usually from the surgery).

4. Take this to the Registrars Office, (together with the deceased’s Medical Card and Birth Certificate, if available) for the area in which the death took place. Alternatively you can register by declaration at any convenient Registrars Office but certificates will not be available as these will have to be posted to you a few days later.

5. The Registrar will normally issue a Green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).

If The Death Occurs In Hospital

1. Contact a funeral director to inform him his services are required.

2. Collect the certificate from the hospital then follow 4 – 5 as above

Note For Cremation

Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.

NHS England is commissioning a modern data service from (HSCIC) – Health and Social Care information Centre on behalf of the entire health and social care system. The program is known as “Care Data”. Patient data will be extracted from patient records using (GPES) General Practice  Extraction Service.  No “free text ” data will be extracted only the following:

• NHS no
• Date of Birth
• Post code
• Gender
• Coded referral information
• NHS prescription data
• Other Clinical data

The technical specification can be viewed by clicking the link below: http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/data-info/

You can also find further information on NHS Choices web site by following the link below: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/records/healthrecords/Pages/care-data.aspx

If you do not want to share your data then you can “Opt-out”.

From 11.10.18 the practice staff can no longer do this for you. For further information please go to the following website www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters where you can find out more about data sharing opt out.

The practice operates a chaperone policy for patients who may want another person present if an intimate examination needs to be performed.

What is a Chaperone?

There are two types of chaperone:

Informal, which is the presence of a familiar person of the patients’ choice and

Formal, which is a clinical health person such as a nurse or a specifically trained clinical staff member such as a receptionist.

To protect the patient from vulnerability and embarrassment the chaperone would normally be of the same sex as the patient. The patient has the right to decline the Formal chaperone if he/she feels that they are unacceptable for any reason. Please ask a receptionist or the doctor you are seeing if you would like a chaperone present during your consultation.

All patient information, in whatsoever form, is regarded as absolutely confidential. Information can only be released with patient consent, however information may be exchanged between health bodies/ professionals. (Please see section on Summary Care Record SCR )

The Practice will treat all patients with the utmost respect and dignity and in all matters will be wholly non-discriminatory. We also expect the same treatment ourselves, particularly our reception staff.

The practice has zero tolerance for any behaviour which is discriminatory on grounds of age, race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, health problem or any other factor. The Practice is committed to delivering high quality care to our patients. The relationship between the patients and those working in the surgery is an important issue and is a two-way process. Therefore in order to protect both the staff and other patients, we respectfully point out that the following inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated:- Swearing, threatening or abusive behaviour, drunkeness verbal or physical abuse of any kind, racial abuse, drug taking/dealing, inappropriate demands for service.

Statement of Fitness for Wor

Fit notes were introduced in April 2010. With your employer’s support the note will help you to return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your sickness or injury. It is a common myth that employees have to be “signed fit” by their GP to go back to work. If an employer needs this advice then they can do this by arranging their own occupational assessment.

If you have been off work for some time you may not need an appointment to see your doctor for a further Fit note. A receptionist can request this for you. You do not need a “sick note” for the first 7 days of sickness. Your employer may request an SC2 form. You can print a form by clicking here.

We hope you find this information useful.

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

The average pay for GPs working in The Beeches Medical Centre in the last financial year 2020/21 was £99,828.38 before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 3 full time GP, 3 part time GPs, and 0 locum GPs who worked in the practice more than 6 months.

We have a visual aid for patients via our patient call system display board, which is updated periodically with topical information. We have hearing loops to assist patients with impaired hearing. If you need any assistance in walking to the consultation rooms please ask one of our receptionists who will be pleased to offer their assistance

From 1st April 2015 all patients will be allocated a named GP who will have the overall responsibility for their care. This does not prevent a patient from seeing the doctor of their choice. You are welcome to see any doctor in the practice. If you would like to know who your named GP is then please ask a receptionist.

The practice has a patient forum group which meets to discuss the annual patient survey report and offers suggestions to help us deliver and improve patient services.

Please inform us if you have moved to a new address or have a new telephone number as we may need to contact you and need up to date information at all times.

Our aim is to deliver an equitable, patient driven, high quality and caring primary health care service without prejudice to patients of the practice.

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding simply means keeping people safe from harm. It is about protecting children and adults from abuse or neglect. There are many different types of abuse.

Types of abuse that children can suffer include:

• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• neglect
• emotional abuse
• domestic abuse
• bullying and cyberbullying
• child sexual exploitation
• child trafficking
• criminal exploitation and gangs
• female genital mutilation
• grooming

For more information on these types of abuse and how you can spot them, visit:

• Halton Safeguarding Partnership: https://hcypsp.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk/children-and-young-people/

• NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/

Types of abuse that adults can suffer include:

• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• domestic abuse
• psychological or emotional abuse
• financial or material abuse
• modern slavery
• discriminatory abuse
• organisational or institutional abuse
• neglect
• self-neglect

For more information on these types of abuse, you can visit:

• Halton Safeguarding Adults Board: https://adult.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk/what-is-abuse/

• Social Care Institute of Excellence:

https://www.scie.org.uk/safeguarding/adults/introduction/types-and-indicators-of-abuse

Who is responsible for safeguarding?

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Here at The Beeches Medical Centre, all staff members play a role in safeguarding. Safeguarding is not just something we choose to do, it is also something we are required by law to do.

At The Beeches Medical Centre, the Safeguarding Lead is Dr Baker and the Deputy Safeguarding Lead is Dr Maguire.

How does The Beeches Medical Centre safeguard children and adults who are, or who might be, experiencing abuse or neglect?

Keeping children and adults safe from abuse and neglect cannot be done by one person or one agency. At the heart of any safeguarding process is the child or adult who may be suffering abuse. We work in partnership with our patients who are, or who are at risk of, experiencing abuse as well as their families and advocates as appropriate.

We work closely with our health colleagues such as health visitors, the school nursing team, midwives, paediatricians, mental health teams and other hospital colleagues.  We also work with our partner agencies locally such as child and adult social care, education and the police to ensure any child or adult suffering abuse can be supported and protected and any concerns about abuse can be properly investigated.

To find out more about how agencies work together in Cheshire to keep children and adults safe visit:

• Halton Safeguarding Partnership: https://hcypsp.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk

• Halton Safeguarding Adults Board: https://adult.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk

Safeguarding Training

All staff at The Beeches Medical Centre have the appropriate levels of safeguarding training for their job role. Safeguarding training standards are set nationally for all healthcare professionals and we follow this national guidance. Safeguarding training is essential to ensure all staff are able to spot signs of abuse or neglect and take action. We work hard to make safeguarding a key priority for our practice and our patients.

What will happen if a GP or any member of staff at the practice is worried that a child or adult is being abused or neglected?

All staff in the practice have a duty and responsibility to speak up and say something if they are worried a child or adult might be being abused or neglected. If any staff member has concerns they will discuss this with the practice Safeguarding Lead or with one of the other GPs who will decide what needs to happen next.

If a doctor is concerned that a child or young person is at risk of abuse or neglect, they must take steps to make sure the child or young person is protected. It can be very upsetting and stressful for families when this happens and parents often have questions about what their doctor may or may not do.

This leaflet from the General Medical Council (GMC) helps to answer those questions:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/what-to-expect-if-your-doctor-is-worried-about-your-child-s-safety-78085189.pdf?la=en

If a doctor is concerned that an adult is at risk of abuse or neglect, they will

• Ask the person if they require any immediate support to keep themselves safe
• Explain how safeguarding works
• Ask the person what they would like to happen
• Support the person in a way to give them choice and control to improve their quality of life, well-being and safety.

To do this the doctor will:

• Listen to the person
• Understand their views and wishes
• Take them seriously
• Treat them with respect
• Support them to feel as safe as they want
• Support them to make their own decisions
• Keep them informed and involved
• Tell the person what will happen next.

Capacity

When making decisions about what action is necessary to safeguard an adult, healthcare professionals have to consider whether the person has capacity to understand their situation and make decisions about what should happen to them.

What is capacity?

• Capacity means the ability to use and understand information to make a decision, and communicate any decision made.
• A person lacks capacity if their mind is impaired or disturbed in some way, which means they’re unable to make a decision at that time.

For more information on capacity visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/consent-to-treatment/capacity/

All professionals have to follow The Mental Capacity Act which empowers and protects people who are not able to make their own decisions. This covers decisions about property and financial affairs, health, welfare and where they live.

For more information on The Mental Capacity Act visit:

https://safeguardingadults.co.uk/keeping-safe/mental-capacity-act/

Information Sharing

Sharing information with other relevant professionals is an important part of safeguarding. Sadly, reviews of cases where a child or adult has been killed or seriously harmed due to abuse or neglect, have often found that professionals have not shared the right information with the right person at the right time to keep the child or adult safe.

All staff at the practice must comply with the law and national guidance when making decisions about information sharing. The General Medical Council (GMC) provide guidance for doctors making decisions about information sharing. The practice also follows the Caldicott Principles:

1. Justify the purpose(s) for using confidential information
2. Don’t use personal confidential data unless it is absolutely necessary
3. Use the minimum necessary personal confidential data
4. Access to personal confidential data should be on a strict need-to-know basis
5. Everyone with access to personal confidential data should be aware of their responsibilities
6. Comply with the law
7. The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality

As a general rule we will ask for the person’s (or relevant parent/guardian, advocate, Power of Attorney) permission before sharing information for safeguarding purposes.

However, there are circumstances where we will need to share information even without the person’s permission (consent). Examples of these circumstances include:

• Other people are, or may be, at risk, including children
• Sharing the information could prevent a serious crime
• A serious crime has been committed
• Someone in a position of trust is implicated in causing abuse/neglect
• The risk of serious harm or death is very high in a domestic abuse situation
• A court order has requested the information

Again as a general rule, we will inform the person that we will need to share information about them in order to keep them or others safe from serious harm, as long as this does not increase risk of harm to the person or others.

Where can you get help if you are worried you or someone else is suffering abuse or neglect?

Remember:

• Abuse is always wrong
• No one should have to live with abuse
• By reporting abuse you can help bring it to an end

Worried about a child?

Where there are significant immediate concerns about the safety of a child, you should contact the police on 999.

if you are worried about any child and think they may be a victim of neglect or abuse, you can make a referral to:

• Children’s Social Care Contact Centre –
  Tel: 0151 907 8305 (Office Hours 9 am – 5 pm Mon – Thurs, 9 am – 4.30 pm Fri)
• Children’s Social Care Out of Hours: 0345 050 0148
• iCART (Integrated Contact and Referral Team) Referral Form: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fchildren.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk%2Fdocs%2FICARTform.docx
• You can also contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, email them or submit an online form. Further details are on the NSPCC website:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Worried about an adult?

If you or the person you are concerned about is in danger and immediate action is required, you should ring the emergency services on 999.

If you or the person you are concerned about is not in immediate danger, you should ring

• Adults Social Care – Tel: 0151 907 8306
• Adults Social Care Out of Hours – Tel: 0345 050 0148

You can also speak in confidence to any member of The Beeches Medical Centre.

The summary care record means that part of your medical record can be accessed anywhere in the country when you seek medical advice. This is particularly useful if your care is unplanned, urgent or out of hours. Information in your SCR could save you and the NHS time and also one day be lifesaving. You have the choice of not taking part in the information sharing scheme. If you do not want to participate then please ask a receptionists for an “Opt Out” form. After completing the form please hand it back to a receptionist, who will then ensure that your “opt out” choice is recorded in your medical record.

The practice is a training practice so you may sometimes see a registrar. Registrars are fully trained doctors who are gaining experience in general practice. Sometimes if you book an appointment with a registrar there may be occasions when a receptionist will ask if you would agree to have your consultation videoed to assist training. This is to assist them and their training mentors to observe their consultations. You have the right to refuse to be videoed. A receptionist will always ask for your permission before you go in for your consultation. Please do not feel obliged to have your consultation videoed if you feel uncomfortable with  this, please let a receptionist know. We will be welcoming our new registrar in August 2019