We ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded securely on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act with the Information Commissioner's Office. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team, it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team. Please see also our "Fair Processing and Privacy Notice" on this website.
- Gold Street Surgery recognises the right of every patient to have information about them kept secure and private.
- Any information given to any member of staff will remain confidential.
- In exceptional circumstances, permission from the patient will be sought before any information is disclosed.
- The practice has a confidentially policy which is signed and adhered to by every member of staff. Patients have a right to the standards of confidentiality maintained by those providing their care and these standards should be made known at their first point of contact.
All patient information is considered to be confidential and we comply fully with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Caldicott principles. All employees in the practice have access to this information in relation to their role, have confidentiality clauses in their contracts of employment and have signed a confidentiality agreement. All staff members adhere to the Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice 2003.
Where appropriate, patient information may be shared with other parties within the care team. However, they must be involved in the direct care of patients, based on implied consent. This will be on a “need to know” basis only and in order to ensure the safe, effective care of patients. Where a patient wishes information not to be shared within the team providing direct care, then they must discuss this with their GP.
Patient information will not be shared outside of the direct care team without consent being sought. An individual has the right to refuse to have their information disclosed, although this may have an impact on their care, and their wishes will be complied with.
It is imperative that when it is right to release details to 3rd parties that the information only includes what has been asked for and not necessarily the full record.
Medical information may be divulged to parents or guardians of children under 16 years, but this must not override the young person’s right to privacy. The patient’s best interests come first.
If you need to speak to someone in private then please tell the reception staff who will arrange this for you.
You do not have to say what it is about, we respect your privacy and right to confidentiality.
"Virtual" Consultations
A virtual consultation is a video or telephone appointment, which allows patients to speak to their clinicians without the need to travel to the surgery. Virtual consultations have played a particularly significant role during the coronavirus pandemic, and many patients appreciate their convenience.
Virtual consultations have often enabled continuity of services, for those with longer term conditions, and patients who are unable to travel (eg those in high risk groups), and has also allowed shielded staff and those in quarantine to work remotely. This has demonstrated that there are several benefits of using virtual consultations.
However, virtual consulting presents particular challenges for young people aged 10 to 25 and carries potential risks, such as safeguarding, confidentiality, and digital exclusion due to socio-economic status and access to technology.
If a virtual consultation is likely to involve either photographs or video that the patient is likely to perceive as intimate, or involving an intimate area, Gold Street Surgery clinicians will follow the principles laid out in the GMC guidance "Intimate Examinations and Chaperones", and will ensure the consent of the patient, protection of their privacy (both in the patient's surroundings and the clinician's) to ensure that no-one can view or overhear the call without the patient's explicit consent. In some circumstances either the Clinician or the patient may wish for an appropriate chaperone for a virtual consultation.