Whitstable Medical Practice - Practice policies on confidentiality, comments and suggestions, data protection etc

Health Charities

Marie Curie Cancer Care is a UK charity dedicated to the care of people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. Over the financial year 2010/11, we reached a total of 31,799 patients

01 Dec - 28 Feb
YouthHealthTalk

Youthhealthtalk enables young people, their family and friends, and professionals such as doctors and teachers to understand young people's experiences of health, illness and life in general. The website feature real-life accounts of issues such as effect on work and education, social life and relationships, consulting health professionals and treatment.

03 Sep - 28 Feb
Macmillan Cancer Support

One in three of us will get cancer and it’s the toughest thing most of us will ever face. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one has, you’ll want a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way. Macmillan provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care.

BBC Health

Health bodies reject NHS reforms

Physiotherapist leaders have joined the Royal College of GPs in calling for the health bill in England to be scrapped, increasing pressure on the government.

Malaria toll 'is twice as high'

The number of deaths worldwide from malaria has been underestimated, according to data published in the medical journal the Lancet.

Weekend hospital admission fears

Research which suggests that patients are more likely to die in hospital if they are admitted at the weekend is backed up by a major study.

Poison arrest nurse loses appeal

A nurse arrested and later freed over the poisoning deaths of patients at Stepping Hill Hospital loses an appeal against her sacking.

Brains may be wired for addiction

Abnormalities in the brain may make some people more likely to become drug addicts, according to scientists.

PFI hospitals 'get bailout fund'

Seven English NHS hospital trusts with debts caused, in part, by PFI repayments are to have access to a £1.5bn government bailout fund.

Record 'legal highs detected'

A record number of potentially dangerous new legal highs were found in Europe last year, say doctors.

Legionella Britons die in Spain

Three British men die and three more people remain in hospital after contracting Legionnaires' disease while on holiday in Spain, a tour company says.

Watermelon 'is salmonella source'

A salmonella outbreak linked to watermelon has affected 35 people, killing one, in the UK since December, health experts have revealed.

Chairman quits troubled NHS trust

The chairman of a hospital trust that closed an emergency department and considered bringing in army medics is to stand down.

Health Protection Agency

Current alert level: Level 3 - Cold Weather Action in one or more regions of England

There is a 100% probability of severe cold weather between 1000 on Monday and 1000 on Friday in parts of England.

Health Protection Agency confirms new incinerator study

A new study to further extend the evidence base as to whether emissions from modern well run Municipal Waste Incinerators affect human health has been approved by the Health Protection Agency.

HPA helps solve radon problems in West Oxfordshire homes

Hundreds of homes across West Oxfordshire have been found to have high levels of radioactive gas radon. Last summer, the Health Protection Agency invited about 9,000 householders across West Oxfordshire to apply for a free test for radon, a naturally occurring gas present in all homes.

HPA helps solve radon problems in Orkney homes

Hundreds of householders across Orkney are being advised to act to protect their health, after HPA tests detected high levels of radioactive gas radon.

Cornish radon hotspot targeted

Thousands of households in a part of Cornwall with historic radon problems are being offered a free test for levels of the radioactive gas radon.

New Guidelines to Control Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Infections in UK Hospitals Launched

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) together with the group A streptococcal (GAS) Working Group* has today launched new guidelines for the investigation, control and prevention of GAS infection in acute healthcare settings, including maternity units, in the UK.

Whooping cough cases increase

Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in England and Wales have more than doubled from 421 cases in 2010 to 1040 in 2011. Increases in levels of whooping cough are seen every three to four years and figures in 2011 are in line with cases reported in the last peak year of 2008.

HPA publishes second migrant health report

The Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) second report on Migrant Health, and the first UK-wide report is published today.

Levels of norovirus within seasonal norms

Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools, nursing and residential homes.

HPA warns winter sun seekers to seek protection from malaria

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is reminding UK travellers visiting friends and family or taking winter sun holidays to ensure they take anti-malaria tablets when visiting countries where malaria is prevalent.

Confidentiality

Complaints

Access

Research

PALS

Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS and we may need to share some information about you. We only use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone's interests. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.

You have a right of access to your health records. Requests for access must be made in writing and charges may apply.

In the event that we should have to correspond with children all post will be addressed to the individual concerned.

Complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors, or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know.

We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

Please click on the link below to open a copy of the Practice leaflet regarding compliments, comments and complaints.

compliments_comments_and_complaints.pdf

Access

Our surgeries at Chestfield Medical Centre, Whitstable Health Centre and Estuary View Medical Centre all have suitable access for disabled patients.

All the patient areas including the waiting room and the consulting rooms have wheelchair access. There are also patient toilets at each site which have wheelchair access.

If you require one, there is a wheelchair available at reception on each site.

There are designated disabled parking spaces in the car park of each surgery.

Research

We are a research practice accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners. Anonymous data about groups of patients in the practice may sometimes be used in our studies, and we may approach you with an invitation to take part in a study.

Dr Hilary Pinnock leads research in the practice and would be pleased to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

Further Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct

NHS 111 is a new service being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services