For our access to medical records process and policies, visit this page https://www.tmcwakefield.co.uk/practice-information/access-to-medical-records/

Practice Agreement

The practice will ensure that accessibility to the services provided is available for every individual both registered and non-registered.

The practice staff will ensure that the needs of each individual patient are met to the best of their ability. All staff will assist patients attending the surgery including collecting them from the waiting area and escorting them to their consultation as appropriate. Patients requiring this will have a major alert message placed on the clinical system record to prompt both clinical and non-clinical staff.

Physical Accessibility

The practice is as dementia friendly as is currently possible.

Parking

There are clearly marked and wider disabled parking bays at both surgeries The route from the designated disabled space to the building is obstacle free with dropped curbs.

Premises

– Allows guide or other assistance dogs into the premises

– Both surgeries have automatic doors.

– The approach is flat with no steps and dipped curbs.

– The lobby between external and internal automatic doors has clear wheelchair access.

– There is clear signage on the exterior of the building. The reception area is clearly signed.

– There is a lower part of the reception desks for wheelchair access.

– If access is needed to the first floor at Almshouse Surgery we have a lift with large clear areas in front of the doors. There is a phone which goes straight through to a manned service desk.

– The practice provides a range of high-backed winged-chairs with a high seat base to assist elderly or disabled patients in standing or sitting.

– Both surgeries have disabled toilets on the ground floor which fits the criteria for size and grab rails.

Communication

The practice;

– Provides large font Practice leaflets on request

– Can offer communications in alternative formats where necessary such as SMS or email for users requiring electronic communications

– Offers private room facilities for patients who may have communication, reading, or writing difficulties.

– Allows disabled patients to make appointments online, by phone or letter.

– Will respond to these requests using the method most appropriate to the needs of the patient.

– Has a hearing loop on the reception desk and a portable hearing loop is available to be used in any consultation if required.

What is a Privacy Notice?

A privacy notice helps your Doctor’s surgery tell you how it uses information it has about you, like your name, address, date of birth and all of the notes the Doctor or Nurse makes about you in your healthcare record.

Why do we need a Privacy Notice?

Your Doctor’s surgery needs a privacy notice to make sure it meets the legal requirements which are written in a new document called the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR for short).

What is the GDPR?

What a great question!  The GDPR is a new document that helps your Doctor’s surgery keep the information about you secure.  It’s new and will be introduced on the 25^th May 2018, making sure that your Doctor, Nurse and any other staff at the Surgery follow the rules and keep your information safe.

How do you know about our Privacy Notice?

At your surgery, we have posters in our waiting room and leaflets to give to children and adults and we also have lots of information about privacy on our website, telling you how we use the information we have about you.

What information do we collect about you?

Don’t worry, we only collect the information we need to help us keep you healthy – such as your name, address, information about your parents or guardians, records of appointments, visits, telephone calls, your health record, treatment and medicines, anything you are allergic to, test results, x-rays and any other information to enable us to care for you.

How do we use your information?

Another great question!  Your information is taken to help us provide your care.  We might need to share this information with other medical teams, such as Hospitals, if you need to be seen by a special doctor or sent for an x-ray.

Your Doctor’s surgery may be asked to help with exciting medical research, but don’t worry, we will always ask you, or your parents or adults with parental responsibility, if it’s okay to share your information.

If you have a long-term medical problem then we know it is important to make sure your information is shared with other healthcare workers to help them help you, making sure you get the right care when you need it.

How do we keep your information private?

Well, your Doctor’s surgery knows that it is very important to protect the information we have about you.  We make sure we follow the rules that are written in the GDPR and other important rule books.

What if I’ve got a long-term medical problem?

If you have a long-term medical problem then we know it is important to make sure you information is shared with other healthcare workers to help them help you.  This helps in making sure you get the care you need when you need it!

Don’t want to share?

All of our patients, no matter what their age, can say that they don’t want to share their information. You can get more information from a member of staff at the surgery, who can also explain what this means to you.

How do I access my medical records?

Remember we told you about the GDPR?  Well, if you want to see what is written about you, you have a right to access the information we hold about you, but you will need to complete a Subject Access Request (SAR).

What do I do if I have a question?

If you have any questions, ask a member of the Surgery team or your parents or adults with parental responsibility can ask on your behalf.  You can also :

– Contact the Practice Manager via email at [email protected] or write to the Practice Manager at Trinity Medical Centre, Thornhill Street, , Wakefield, WF1 1PG.

– Ask to speak to the Practice Manager

The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for Trinity Medical Centre is yet to be appointed.

What to do if you’re not happy about how we manage your information?

We really want to make sure you’re happy, but we understand that sometimes things can go wrong.  If you, your parent or guardian are unhappy with any part of our data processing methods, you can complain.  For more information, visit www.ico.org.uk and select ‘raising a concern’

We always make sure the information is up to date.  Any updates will be published on our website and surgery leaflets.

Conflicts of Interest Policy

Register of Interest 2018

All partners at Trinity Medical Centre have Partnership Shares in Novus Health. 

The practice would like to reassure patients that although this is a financial interest, this has no bearing on what services are available to our patients. Novus Health must go through a strict tendering process by either the CCG or the wider federation before any services in the area can be approved. Only following this, will their services be available to patients.

If a GP feels the need to refer patients to an external provider for any reason, the GP will make a referral to the CCG’s Referral Management Team. Each patient will then be given a choice of locations and providers by this Referral Management Team who manage all referrals. GP’s with financial interest in Novus Health will receive no direct financial gain based on the amount of referrals made to Novus Health.

We are constantly keeping our records up to date so would like to ask a few questions about your health records.

Patients have the option to share their health records and information with other services that are providing them care. You also have the option to allow services to share this information with us. All the information recorded by other health care professionals forms an important part of your record and it is useful for all healthcare professionals involved in your care to be able to see everything so that they can provide the most appropriate care.

This is known as Sharing In and Sharing Out. Consent must be given at each organisation that treats you and you can change your preference at any time.

Your health record becomes a “pool” of information and you can choose who can add into the “pool” and who can see information from it.

This image helps explain how your information could be shared or not shared.

In this example;

Your GP and the District Nurse can see all the information on your shared record and all the information recorded by your GP and the District Nurse is added to the shared record.

The Smoking Clinic, however, can see the information from your shared record but the information recorded by the Smoking Clinic will not be added to your shared record so will not be seen by anyone else.

If we do not have this information recorded already for a patient, people working at our practice will see a pop up box asking for a patients consent to share. This is the information we must complete:

Sharing Out means that information recorded at our practice will be shared with other healthcare providers that you see BUT ONLY if you agree to allow the other healthcare provider to share in.

Sharing In means that we can see information recorded at other healthcare providers BUT ONLY if you agree to those healthcare providers to share out from their organisation.

We cannot override consent so we must ensure that sharing options are up to date all the time.

The national data opt-out is a new service that allows people to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning.

You may have heard about this programme in the news or you may have received a letter asking you to make your choice.

The national data opt-out is introduced on 25 May 2018, providing a facility for individuals to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes. This is provided in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs. The service will initially be in beta, while we ensure the service design is optimal.

To find out more information about the National Data Opt Out programme and to make your choice please follow the link below to the NHS Choices website:

https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/

PLEASE NOTE: You will need your NHS Number to be able to make your choice. This can be found on any of your prescriptions, letters from a hospital, or by logging into SystmOnline

Alternatively you can call the surgery on 01924 784101 and request your NHS number over the phone.

Trinity Medical Centre are proud members of the Trinity Health Group Federation.

This federation was officially formed in 2015. The practices involved were previously linked as “Network 5” under the re-structuring of the old PCT into Wakefield CCG.

The practices that make up the federation are;

– Trinity Medical Centre

– Warrengate Medical Centre

– Maybush Medical Centre

– Crofton & Sharlston Medical Practice

For more information on the Trinity Health Group Federation please visit the federations’ website;

http://www.trinityhealthgroup.co.uk

A Non Attendance (DNA – Did Not Attend) is when the patient does not attend an appointment at the practice.

It is practice policy to remove a patient from the practice list if they have failed to attend appointments on numerous occasions. The amount of missed appointments before the warning process will be initiated is;

– 3 consecutive missed appointments OR

– 3 missed appointments within a 12 month period

When the above criteria has been met, the patient will be sent a warning letter to advise them that a further missed appointment will result in the patient being considered for removal from the practice list.

After a further missed appointment within a 12 month period, a GP Partner will be made aware that the patient is being considered for removal. If there are no medical reasons for the missed appointments and the GP sees fit, the patient will be sent a letter advising them to find a new practice within 30 days.

The practice will write to NHS England and ask them to initiate the removal process and including the letters that the practice has sent to the patient. NHS England will automatically deduct the patient after 7 days.

Vulnerable Adults

If a patient that falls under the above criteria for 3 missed appointments and is on the Learning Disability Register or the Mental Health Register, they will still be sent a gentle warning letter. If there are any further missed appointments the Mental Health Lead Nurse or GP will be made aware and will contact the patient or their support worker/carer in the first instance to determine if any additional support is needed.

Re-Registration

Patients will not be able to re-register a patient for 12 months following the date they were removed for non-attendance.

If you know you are going to miss your appointment but its not too late, we now have an updated automated phone service by introducing an appointment cancellation option when you press 1. Please call us and leave your name, date of birth and contact telephone number along with the details of the appointment you wish to cancel.

As a practice we have a comprehensive collection of policies and procedures. Below we have listed the policies and information that we feel is most important to our patients.

Chaperone Policy

(We will be updating this list as our policies are updated to Trinity Medical Centre)

View our Privacy Notice here

View the GP Care Wakefield Privacy Notice

View the transparency notice for GPES data for pandemic planning and research (COVID-19)

View the Healthy.io: ACR Project for Patients with Diabetes Privacy Notice