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 Acle Medical Partnership in the last financial year was £60,986 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 7 part time GPs and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than six months. 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.

Accessible Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard is a new ‘information standard’ for implementation by all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care.

The Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability or sensory loss receive information that they can access and understand, for example in large print, braille or via email, and professional communication support if they need it, for example from a British Sign Language interpreter.

The Standard requires organisations that provide NHS or adult social care to:

Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs.
Share people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

Although not exhaustive, the standard is likely to apply to people who are blind and/or deaf, those who have some hearing or visual loss, and people with learning disabilities.

Successful implementation of the Standard aims to lead to improved outcomes and experiences, and the provision of safer and more personalised care and services to those individuals who come within the Standard’s scope.

At practice level we will be making sure that we amend our commonly used forms to ask patients if they have any special communication needs. We will then record any on the patient’s medical record so that anyone seeing the patient is aware that the patient may need assistance with communication. We will make sure that all our forms are available in larger print for patients.

If you do have any special communication needs please make sure that you let us know so that we can help.

Information Governance

Introduction

Information Governance (IG) is a set of multi-disciplinary structures, policies, procedures, processes and controls implemented to manage information at an organisational level. Information Governance supports Acle Medical Partnership’s immediate and future regulatory, legal, risk, environmental and operational requirements.

Information is a vital asset, both in terms of the commercial development and the efficient management of services and resources. It plays a key part in governance, service planning and performance management.

It is therefore of critical importance to ensure that information is appropriately managed, and that policies, procedures and management accountability and structures provide a robust governance framework for information management.

Acle Medical Partnership recognises the need for an appropriate balance between openness and confidentiality in the management and use of information. Acle Medical Partnership fully supports the principles of clinical and corporate governance and recognises the power of public accountability, but equally places importance on the confidentiality of, and the security arrangements to safeguard, both personal information about patients, the public and staff and commercially sensitive information. Acle Medical Partnership also recognises the need to share information with commissioners, partners and other third parties in a controlled manner consistent with the established lawful basis.

This overarching Information Governance Policy and the associated protocols sets out Acle Medical Partnership’s policy with respect to the governance of;

Privacy
Information and Cyber Security
Data Quality and Records Management

Statutory Mandatory Framework

This policy serves to support Acle Medical Partnership to navigate and comply with the complex framework within which Information Governance operates.

This framework includes but is not limited to;

NHS Act 2006
Health and Social Care Act 2012
Data Protection Act 2018
Human Rights Act 1998
Common Law Duty of Confidence
Computer Misuse Act 1990
General Data Protection Regulations (EU) 2016/679)
Mental Health Capacity Act 2005
Children Act 1989
DH Records Management Code of Practice
DH Information Security Code of Practice
DH Confidentiality Code of Practice

Accountable Parties

Practice Manager

The Acle Medical Partnership has overall responsibility for Information Governance at Acle Medical Partnership. As the senior accountable officer, he/she is responsible for the management of the organisation and for ensuring appropriate mechanisms are in place to provide the necessary assurance to internal and external stakeholders.

Acle Medical Partnership has a particular responsibility for ensuring that Acle Medical Partnership meets its corporate legal responsibilities, and for the adoption of internal and external governance requirements.

Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO)

The SIRO;

leads and fosters a culture that values, protects and uses information for the success of the organisation and benefit of its customers.
owns the organisation’s overall information risk policy and risk assessment processes and ensuring they are implemented consistently by Information Asset Owners / Administrators.
owns the organisation’s information incident management framework.

Information Asset Owners (IAOs)

The IAO will;

Hold local responsibility for information risk management, devolved to the relevant directors, department leads by the SIRO.
Business function leads within Acle Medical Partnership have overall responsibility for the management of risks generated by their information assets and are supported on a daily basis by Information Asset Administrators.

Caldicott Guardian Function

The Caldicott Guardian will;

produce procedures, guidelines and protocols to support staff in the appropriate management of patient information.
provide a point of escalation and specialist advice for staff with respect to information sharing, acting as the conscience of the organisation.
bring to the attention of the relevant manager any occasion where the appropriate procedures, guidelines and protocols may have not been followed and raise concerns about any inappropriate uses made of patient information where necessary.

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

The DPO Will;

inform and advise the organisation and its employees about their obligations to comply with the data protection legislation.
monitor compliance with the data protection legislation, including managing internal data protection activities, advise on data protection impact assessments; train staff and conduct internal audits.
be the first point of contact for supervisory authorities and for individuals whose data is processed (employees, patients etc).

All Staff

All staff, whether clinical or administrative, who create, receive and use data have information governance responsibilities. Employees have a contractual and legal obligation to read and comply with all company policies and to attend mandatory training to support the appropriate management of information.

Openness

Non-confidential information related to Acle Medical Partnership and its services will be available to the public through a variety of media, in line with Acle Medical Partnership’s overall commitment to transparency.
Acle Medical Partnership will adopt and maintain clear procedures and arrangements for liaison with the press and broadcasting media.
Acle Medical Partnership will adopt and maintain an Information Rights and Access Protocol and a Freedom of Information Protocol to provide guidance for handling queries from data subjects and the public.

Privacy and Information Rights

Acle Medical Partnership is committed to the privacy of its patients, staff and the public. Acle Medical Partnership will undertake or commission annual assessments and audits of its compliance with privacy legislation and will adopt and maintain protocol for completion of Data Protection Impact Assessments.
Acle Medical Partnership regards all Personal Data relating to staff as confidential except where national policy on accountability and openness requires otherwise.
Acle Medical Partnership will adopt and maintain protocols to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act, General Data Protection Regulations, Human Rights Act and the common-law confidentiality.
Acle Medical Partnership will establish and maintain protocols for the controlled and appropriate sharing of personal information with other agencies, taking account of relevant legislation (e.g. Data Protection Act, Human Rights Act).
Acle Medical Partnership will ensure that contractual or best practice documents are in place for routine sharing of information between sharing partners.

Information Security

Acle Medical Partnership will adopt and maintain protocols for the effective and secure management of its information assets and resources.
Acle Medical Partnership will undertake or commission annual assessments and audits of its information and IT security arrangements.
Acle Medical Partnership will promote effective information and cyber security practice to its staff through policies, procedures and training.
Acle Medical Partnership will establish and maintain incident reporting procedures and will monitor and investigate all reported instances of actual or potential breaches of information and cyber security.

Information Quality and Records Management

Acle Medical Partnership will establish and maintain protocols and procedures for information quality assurance and the effective management of records.
Acle Medical Partnership will undertake or commission annual assessments and audits of its information quality and records management arrangements.
Managers will be expected to take ownership of, and seek to improve, the quality of information within their services.
Wherever possible, information quality will be assured at the point of collection.
Data standards will be set through clear and consistent definition of data items, in accordance with national standards..
Acle Medical Partnership will promote information quality and effective records management through protocols, procedures/user manuals and training.

Associated Protocols

This policy should be read in conjunction with;

Risk Management Policy
Change Management Policy
Information Rights and Access Protocol
Information Sharing and Privacy Protocol
Information Lifecycle and Data Quality Protocol
Information / Cyber Security Protocol
Information Incident Protocol
Information Risk and Audit Protocol
Data Protection Impact Assessment Protocol
Freedom of Information Protocol

Audit Schedule

Compliance with this policy will be audited and the results fed into the Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle described in the Information Risk and Audit Protocol.

GDPR/Privacy Notices

COVID-19

Please read about how your information is being used for COVID-19 research.

We have an obligation to protect all our staff and employees’ health. For this reason, it is reasonable for us to ask you to tell us if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. In such circumstances we may need to collect specific health data about you. Where we need to do so, we will not collect more information than we require and we will ensure that any information collected is treated with the appropriate safeguards.

It is unlikely that the practice will be asked to share information with authorities about you specifically but if this is necessary then data protection law will allow us to do so.

Please be aware that we may use new providers or suppliers to help us quickly adapt during the outbreak and to continue your care effectively. For example, we may use a new provider for video consultations. We may not be able to add these to our transparency materials right away, and we apologise for this but please be assured that all of our processors are bound by contract to protect your data.

During COVID-19 we may ask you to send a photograph of your bruise or skin condition that you are concerned about whilst we conduct virtual consultations. This photograph will be used by the clinician to determine any medical treatment necessary and will be added to your medical record.

Please note that as this is sent via email, it may not be secure and we therefore ask that you only include your NHS number alongside your photograph in the email. The photograph should only be of the area requested and no other person should be visible in the shot.

Your Information

Your practice takes privacy seriously and we want to provide you with information about your rights, who we share your information with and how we keep it secure.

Please use the links below to find more information about the practice and data protection:

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act creates a right of access to recorded information and obliges a public authority to:

Have a publication scheme in place,
Allow public access to information held by public authorities.

The Act covers any recorded organisational information such as reports, policies or strategies, that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, however it does not cover personal information such as patient records which are covered by the Data Protection Act.

Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces.

The Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner who regulates both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.

The Surgery publication scheme

A publication scheme requires an authority to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The scheme lists information under seven broad classes, which are:

who we are and what we do,
what we spend and how we spend it,
what our priorities are and how we are doing it,
how we make decisions,
our policies and procedures,
lists and registers,
the services we offer.

You can request our publication scheme leaflet at the surgery.

Who can request information?

Under the Act, any individual, anywhere in the world, is able to make a request to a practice for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing, by the practice, whether the practice holds information of the description specified in the request and if that is the case, have the information communicated to him. An individual can request information, regardless of whether he/she is the subject of the information or affected by its use.

How should requests be made?

Requests must:

be made in writing (this can be electronically e.g. email/fax),
state the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence,
describe the information requested.

What cannot be requested?

Personal data about staff and patients covered under Data Protection Act.

For more information see these websites:

Enhanced Summary Care Record

What is the NHS Care Records Service?

The summary care record will initially consist of basic information from the patient record such as your date of birth and address, details of allergies, current prescriptions and bad reactions to medicines. Then, each time a patient uses an NHS service, more information may be added to it.

In Norfolk the majority of patients already have a Summary Care Records created, and these can be accessed – with patient consent – by the NNUH / A&E dept, the Out of Hours Services, 111 and the Ambulance Service.

Adding more information to your Summary Care Record

To enhance your summary care record you can fill out our online Enhanced Summary Care Record Opt-In form.

Additional information can be added to your SCR by your GP practice and is a summary of information about your medical history. It can include the following:

Your long term health conditions – such as asthma, diabetes, heart problems or rare medical conditions.
Your relevant medical history – clinical procedures that you have had, why you need a particular medicine, the care you are currently receiving and clinical advice to support your future care.
Your healthcare needs and personal preferences – you may have particular communication needs, a long term condition that needs to be managed in a particular way, or you may have made legal decisions or have preferences about your care that you would like to be known.
Immunisations – details of previous vaccinations, such as tetanus and routine childhood jabs.

Please note: specific sensitive information such as any fertility treatments, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy terminations or gender reassignment will not be included, unless you specifically ask for any of these items to be included.

How will additional information help me?

Essential details about your healthcare can be very difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell. Having additional information in your SCR means that when you need healthcare, you will be helped to recall this vital information.

There are already clear benefits for your care from having medication, allergy and adverse reaction information available through your SCR. If you choose to add additional information, this can further increase the quality of your care. Additional information can also empower you if you need some help to communicate your complex care needs.

Other forms and information

Please complete our online form to opt out of the Summary Care Record.

Please complete our online form to sign up to the Enhanced Summary Care Record.

COVID-19

Please be aware that we may use new providers or suppliers to help us quickly adapt during the outbreak and to continue your care effectively.

For example, we may use a new provider for video consultations.

We may not be able to add these to our transparency materials right away, and we apologise for this but please be assured that all of our processors are bound by contract to protect your data.

Please note that as this is sent via email, it may not be secure and we therefore ask that you only include your NHS number alongside your photograph in the email.

The photograph should only be of the area requested and no other person should be visible in the shot.

Confidentiality

The practice complies with the Data Protection Act. All information about patients is confidential: from the most sensitive diagnosis, to the fact of having visited the surgery or being registered at the Practice. All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their permission except in the most exceptional of circumstances, when somebody is at grave risk of serious harm.

All members of the primary health care team (from reception to doctors) in the course of their duties will have access to your medical records. They all adhere to the highest standards of maintaining confidentiality.

As our reception area is a little public, if you wish to discuss something of a confidential nature please mention it to one of the receptionists who will make arrangements for you to have the necessary privacy.

Under 16s

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person. Young people aged under 16 years can choose to see health professionals, without informing their parents or carers. If a GP considers that the young person is competent to make decisions about their health, then the GP can give advice, prescribe and treat the young person without seeking further consent.

However, in terms of good practice, health professionals will encourage young people to discuss issues with a parent or carer. As with older people, sometimes the law requires us to report information to appropriate authorities in order to protect young people or members of the public.

Useful Websites

Chaperones

There are occasions when patients need to be examined by a clinician which may involve intimate examinations. A chaperone provides a safeguard for patients during such an examination or consultation and protects against verbal, physical, sexual or other abuse for both patient and clinician. A clinician has the right to request a chaperone if they feel it necessary.

Acle Medical Practice is committed to putting patients at ease wherever possible. If you wish a chaperone to be present during an examination please do not hesitate to ask a clinician or one of our receptionists. It may not be possible for such a person to be provided immediately and you may have to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.

Trust is important in the relationship between clinician and patient and we would at all times, wish you to feel able to ask for a chaperone. It is the policy of Acle Medical Practice to respect the privacy, dignity, cultural and religious beliefs of our patients.

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) makes sure hospitals, care homes, dental and GP surgeries, and all other care services in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and encourages them to make improvements where possible.

They do this by inspecting services and publishing the results on their website: www.cqc.org.uk

You can use the results to help you make better decisions about the care you, or someone you care for, receives.

Our CQC Inspection

Our practice is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure we are meeting essential standards of quality and safety.

This widget provides a summary of the results of the latest checks carried out by the CQC.