In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager. Repeated requests for medical records by the same patient and in cases where our clinicians need to write a report may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

Information about the General Practitioners 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.

Your request must be in writing and can be either posted or emailed.
Please write “Freedom of Information” in the subject line. We only supply relevant information that is not already available from other sources.

Freedom of Information Policy v1.1(1).pdf

The processing of personal and sensitive information is governed by the Data Protection Act 2018  and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

At Amwell Group Practice, we adhere to these laws, along with the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality and the 8 Caldicott Principles.

Our Privacy Notice contains an in depth description of how we handle your data.

Important Documents

• Summary of Privacy Notice
• GDPR detailed Privacy Notice
• GDPR Privacy Notice for Children
• Data Subject Access Form

Exercising Your Right to Opt-Out

You retain the right to dissent from the sharing of your personal health data related to your GP medical record for research purposes. This can be accomplished through the National Data Opt-out process; refer to the NHS Your Data Matters page for more information.

For the British Sign Language Version:

Electronic Patient Records

Statement of intent for Amwell Group Practice

Nationally the way GP records are managed in the NHS is changing in three important ways.

1. Summary Care Record (SCR)

2. GP to GP Record Transfers

3. Patient Online Access to Their GP Record

These changes do not let your records be shared outside of the team of professionals who look after you. They are designed to improve and speed up your care, and let you have more access to what is in your medical records.

If you want to find out more about these, or any other way in which your records are handled, please read the leaflets available in your practice or speak to a member of practice staff.

1. Summary Care Record (SCR)

NHS England requires GP practices to upload any changes to patient’s summary information on their Summary Care Record by 31st March 2015.

A Summary Care Record (SCR) is a brief summary of your medical records that will help anyone treating you in an emergency who does not have your full medical record. The SCR contains information like any medicines you

may be taking, or any allergies you have. Your SCR is automatically updated at least daily to ensure that your information is as up to date as it can possibly be.

2. GP To GP Record Transfers

A new way of transferring patient records between GP practices has been developed to be used when a patient moves from one GP practice to another.

NHS England requires this new method to be usedfor all new or de-registered patients by 31 March 2015.

However, we are already using this new method here at Amwell Group Practice.

For your own medical care it is very important that you are registered with a GP practice. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be forwarded on to your new GP. It can take up to two weeks for your paper records to reach your new surgery.

With the new system your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.

Dr Davies & Partners confirm that these GP to GP transfers are already active and we send and receive patient records via this system.

3. Patient Online Access To Their GP Record

As you may know we already offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments and also for ordering your repeat prescriptions on-line. Alongside this all patients in England will have access to their GP medical records online by 31st March 2015.

This means you can have secure online access to relevant parts (Current medications, immunisations and allergies) of your record from device that can access the internet.

To get online access to your records you will need to come to the practice with photographic ID. We will then give you the login details you will need.

Please Note: You do not have to have a SCR if you do not want one; if you don’t, then let us know. You can do this by informing our reception team at the practice.

Purpose

We want to know how we can improve our service to you and how you perceive our surgery and staff.

Who can join?

All patients are welcome to join our PPG.

How often does the PPG meet?

We run regular PPG meetings face to face at the practice.

Why should you join?

• To make a difference in your community by helping to improve the surgery and its services.
• To meet other patients and share ideas.
• To learn more about how the surgery works and how you can get involved in your care.
• To link with other groups locally within the area.

What is the PPG not for?

• Discussing personal or individual healthcare issues.
• Not valuing other members’ contributions and viewpoints.

Benefits of joining the PPG

• Patients benefit from the opportunity to recommend improvements and raise issues which can lead to action. They also get a better awareness of how Amwell Group Practice operates.
• The practice benefits from improved communication with patients and the potential for a mutual, respectful relationship.

How to join

If you are interested in joining the PPG, please speak to a member of staff at the surgery.

Additional information

• The PPG is a consultative group. This means that it cannot make decisions on behalf of the surgery. However, the surgery will take the PPG’s views into account when making decisions about its services.
• The PPG is independent of the surgery. This means that it is not controlled by the surgery and is free to express its own views.

We hope you will consider joining the PPG and helping us to make our surgery the best it can be.

All staff at the practice have a right to carry out their work without threat of violence.

We have a policy of removing from our list any patient who is physically or verbally abusive or threatening towards any member of our staff or other patients. We aim to treat all our patients with respect – in return, we feel our staff are entitled to the same respect.

We value your experience and strive to provide you with the highest quality service at all times. We continuously review our practices to ensure your satisfaction. Your feedback, whether it’s a comment, complaint, or suggestion, is invaluable to us as it helps us improve our services.

1: Amwell Group Practice

You have several options to share your feedback with us.

• We have a comments book available in the waiting room where you can write down your thoughts.
• Alternatively, you can contact the Practice Manager in writing either by sending a letter to our practice address or by emailing us at amwellgrouppractice@nhs.net if you have a complaint.

Our practice has a well-defined complaints procedure, and you can find more information in the information leaflet available or at our reception. We encourage you to follow this procedure as it allows us the best opportunity to address any concerns and make necessary improvements. However, we understand that you may prefer to seek independent advice if you feel unable to raise your complaint with us or if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of our investigation.

2: North Central London Integrated Care Board

Starting from July 2023, if you wish to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner, please contact the North Central London Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England. You can reach them at:

• Telephone: 020 3198 9743
• Email: nclicb.complaints@nhs.net
• Post: North Central London Integrated Care Board Complaints Team, Laycock PDC, Laycock Street, London,  N1 1TH

If you have a formal complaint, we recommend attempting to resolve the issue directly with the provider first. However, if you remain dissatisfied with the resolution, you have the right to escalate your complaint further.

3: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

In such cases, you can appeal to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. However, please note that the Ombudsman can only assist if either the GP Practice or NHS England has completed their investigation or if your complaint remains unresolved after 6 months.

• Telephone: 0345 015 4033
• Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
• Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint

According to the law, it is necessary to contact the Ombudsman within one year of the incident you are complaining about.

We appreciate your trust in our practice and assure you that we will do our best to address any concerns you may have.

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

More Information

For further information visit the NHS Care records website.

Download the opt out form >>>>

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons.

Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety.

Violent behaviour either physical or verbal would result in a report to the police and an immediate removal from the list.

Abusive behaviour or language would result in single warning followed by removal from the list if repeated.