Please see the: NHS Health Check Online Privacy Notice

Patients who require a urine test each year can be part of a programme called Minuteful Kidney. Taking part is optional and the GP practice will ask each patient before including them in the programme. If a patient takes part their data will be processed for the purpose of delivery of the programme, sponsored by NHS Digital, to monitor urine for indications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is recommended to be undertaken annually for patients at risk of chronic kidney disease e.g., patients living with diabetes. The programme enables patients to test their kidney function from home.

We will share your contact details with Healthy.io to enable them to contact you and send you a test kit. This will help identify patients at risk of kidney disease and help us agree any early interventions that can be put in place for the benefit of your care. Healthy.io will only use your data for the purposes of delivering their service to you. If you do not wish to receive a home test kit from Healthy.io we will continue to manage your care within the Practice. Healthy.io are required to hold data we send them in line with retention periods outlined in the Records Management code of Practice for Health and Social Care. Further information about this is available at: http://minuteful.com/.

Privacy Notice

What information do we collect about you?

We only collect the information (“data”) that we need to help us keep you healthy – such as your name, address, next of kin, records of appointments, visits, telephone calls, your health record, treatment and medicines, test results, X-rays and any other information to enable us to care for you.

How do we use your information?

• • We share your medical records with other health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is only ever on a need-to-know basis and event by event.

• • Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record.

• • We share some of your data with local out-of-hours provider

• • Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as flu, cervical cytology and diabetes prevention.

• • Your data about you is used to manage the NHS and make payments.

• • We share information when the law requires us to, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people

• • Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.

• • We may also share medical records for medical research

Enhanced Access Privacy Notice

Streatham PCN is made up of a number of GP Practices and has been created for members practices to work collaboratively to deliver the requirements of the PCN Directed Enhanced Service Contract.

The following practices are part of Streatham PCN:

• • Palace Road Surgery

• • Streatham Hill Group Practice

• • Valley Road Surgery

• • The Exchange Surgery

• • Streatham Common Practice

• • The Vale Surgery

As part of the PCN DES service, we are required to provide Enhanced Access to patients registered with practices in the PCN. Enhanced Access is patient appointments outside core practice hours – that is between 6.30-8.00 pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays 9.00 am till 5.00pm. We have chosen to also offer some appointments between 7.00 am-8.00 am on weekdays. We have also chosen to subcontract some of the provision of these appointments to our local GP federation (Lambeth GP Federation), who have previously provided access hubs in the area.

The Enhanced Access service for our patients requires the following:

• An interoperable Clinical IT solution and
• Data Sharing between the PCN practices and the GP Federation

To enable us to provide our Enhanced Access Service to you, clinicians from other practices in our PCN and working for our local Federation will at times have access to your full GP record, but only when providing direct care to you.

People who have access to your information will only normally have access to information that they need to fulfil their roles. For example, admin staff will normally only see your name, address, contact details, appointment history and registration details in order to book appointments; the practice nurses will normally have access to your immunisation, treatment, significant active and important past histories, your allergies and relevant recent contacts whilst any GP you see or speak to will normally have access to everything in your record.

1. Controller Contact Details

The controller of your data when it is in your practice clinical record will be your registered GP practice. Streatham Common Practice, Elaine Bell, Practice Manager/ IG Lead, 02034746999, 293 Streatham High Road, London SW16 3NP.

The controller of your data when it is in the GP Federation clinical record system is Lambeth GP Federation, A: Unit 7, The Viaduct Business Centre, 360A Coldharbour Lane London SW9 8PL.

2. Data Protection Officer Contact Details

John Eni-Uwubame, GP Data Protection Officer, gpdpo@selondonics.nhs.uk.

3. Purpose of the Processing

To provide our patients with direct care.

4. The Lawfulness Conditions and Special Categories

The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR:

• Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’.
• Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…”

We will also recognise your rights established under UK case law collectively known as the “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”.

5. Recipient or Categories of Recipients of the Shared Data

• Palace Road Surgery
• Streatham Hill Group Practice
• Valley Road Surgery
• The Exchange Surgery
• Streatham Common Practice
• The Vale Surgery
• Lambeth GP Federation

6. Rights to Object

You have the right under Article 21 of the GDPR to object to your personal information being processed. Please contact the Practice if you wish to object to the processing of your data. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection which is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.

GP Practices process personal data under Article 6(1)(c) on a lawful and legitimate basis where the organisation is obliged under law to comply with:

• The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
• The Freedom of Information Act
• The NHS Constitution
• The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009

By complying with these laws, the Practice has compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms in the right to object.

7. Right to Access and Correct

Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to see or be given a copy of any personal data we hold about you. To gain access to a copy of your information, you will need to make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the Practice you are normally registered with.

You also have the right to have incorrect data held about you corrected.

8. Retention Period

The data will be retained for the period as specified in the national NHS records retention schedule.

9. Right to Complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office or call their helpline on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate).

The NHS App

We use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Data Provision Notices

NHS Digital has powers, under sections 259(1)(a) and 259(1)(b) of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act 2012, which requires health and social care bodies in England to provide NHS England with certain datasets.

The DPN makes it clear whether an organisation is legally required to supply the data or is being requested to do so only.

In either case, when data is provided in response to a requirement or a request made under section 259, the data can be supplied without breaching the common law duty of confidentiality.

For more information about Dara Provision Notices, please see https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/directions-and-data-provision-notices/data-provision-notices-dpns

COVID-19 Public Health Directions 2020

NHS England established the OpenSAFELY service Trusted Research Environment (TRE). It supports the use of data for COVID-19 purposes only including research, clinical audit, service evaluation and health surveillance.

NHS England has been directed by the Government to establish and operate the OpenSAFELY service. This service provides a Trusted Research Environment that supports COVID-19 research and analysis.

Each GP practice remains the controller of its own patient data but is required to let researchers run queries on pseudonymised patient data. This means identifiers are removed and replaced with a pseudonym, through OpenSAFELY.

Only researchers approved by NHS England are allowed to run these queries and they will not be able to access information that directly or indirectly identifies individuals.

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.

In this situation, we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

The current Central NHS Computer System is 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.

You may need to be treated by health and care professionals that do not know your medical history. Essential details about your healthcare can be difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell or have complex care needs. Having an SCR means that when you need healthcare you can be helped to recall vital information.

SCRs can help the staff involved in your care make better and safer decisions about how best to treat you.

You can choose to have additional information included in your SCR, which can enhance the care you receive. This information includes:

• Your illnesses and health problems.
• Operations and vaccinations you have had in the past.
• How you would like to be treated – such as where you would prefer to receive care.
• What support you might need.
• Who should be contacted for more information about 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?

If you are registered with a GP practice in England you will have a Summary Care Record (SCR), unless you have previously chosen not to 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. It includes important information about your health:

• Medicines you are taking.
• Allergies you suffer from.
• Any bad reactions to medicines.

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 our online Summary Care Record Opt Out form.

For further information visit the NHS Care Records website.

If you would like to give us any feedback or wish to make a complaint, please complete our Feedback and Complaints Triage.

Complaints

If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, preferably at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

• Within six months of the incident that caused the problem.
• Within six months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.

The practice manager will be pleased to deal with any complaint. She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your complaint:

• In person  – ask to speak to the practice manager.
• In writing – some complaints may be easier to explain in writing. Please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of the practice manager as soon as possible.

What We Will Do

Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible.

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.

When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong.
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
• Make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.

At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A consent form signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this. Please let us know if this is the case.

What You Can Do Next

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.

Complaining to the commissioners

If you feel that you cannot raise your complaint with us, you can phone or write to the complaints department at South East London Integrated Care System. Their staff will aim try to sort out complaints and can make enquiries on your behalf.

Their contact details are:

Email: contactus@selondonics.nhs.uk
Tel: 0800 328 9712 or 0208 176 5337

Taking your Complaint Further

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS. You can contact their helpline on 0345 015 4033, email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk, or via post Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

Further information about the Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk.

There are time limits for making a complaint. Complaints must be made:

• within 12 months after the date when the matter happened that is the subject of the complaint
• the date when complainant knew they had cause to complain, if more than 12 months later.

The timescale can be extended in certain circumstances.

For more information about how to complain to the NHS, including other services, please see https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/

What is non-NHS work and why is there a fee?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951 and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged.

Sometimes the charge is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, providing copies of health records or producing medical reports for insurance companies, solicitors or employers.

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients but not non-NHS work. It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS; they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc. – in the same way as any small business.

In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is that they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients are:

• Accident/sickness certificates for insurance purposes
• School fee and holiday insurance certificates
• Reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise
• Private prescriptions for travel purposes

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

• Life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
• Reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with
• Disability living allowance and attendance allowance
• Medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering
• Copies of records for solicitors

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions, for example, a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients. Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

The British Medical Association (BMA) suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (i.e. work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, the fees suggested by them are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates they suggest.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time. Our GPs do non-NHS work out of NHS time at evenings or weekends so that NHS patient care does suffer.

I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the police.

If you are a new patient we may not have your medical records so the doctor must wait for these before completing the form.

What will I be charged?

It is recommended that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be. It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge. The surgery has a list of fees based on these suggested fees which are available on request.

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example, passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge. Read the information that comes with these types of forms carefully before requesting your GP to complete them.

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight: urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this may cost more. Usually, non-NHS work will take up to 4 weeks.

All GP Practices are required to declare 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 practice of Streatham Common Practice in the last financial year was £59,257 before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 3 Full time GPs and 4 Part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.