Confidentiality
Whatever a patient tells a doctor is treated confidentially.
Normally a record is kept either in the written notes or on a computer, sometimes both.
The law normally gives you access to this information and we will provide you with help to understand it. It may be necessary to charge for this, but the charges are restricted by law. Photocopies of our records may be provided but we do have to charge for this.
Access to any details of your attendance or treatment is provided to doctors and staff at the surgery, or when seeing other health services on a “need to know” basis.
From time to time other people ask for information about you; we do not provide this information without your written consent, or knowledge. The exception to this is when information is requested for administration of the NHS, or audit and inspection of our work. Those who are given this information work under strict rules of confidentiality and will usually be dismissed, or even prosecuted for disclosure. You may, however, ask our Management Partner to mark your records as 'closed' to such activity.
Sometimes we are required to give information about you by law, or in the interests of others; this includes notification of births, deaths and certain infections, information concerning child protection and records that we are required to produce to the courts; normally we will seek your consent, or at least inform you, in such cases.
When can Young People see the Doctor or Nurse on their Own?
All in the above about confidentiality applies to young people too.
If you are 16 years of age or over you can give your permission to have any treatment and we will not involve your parent or guardian without your consent. This means that you can choose to be seen on your own by a doctor or a nurse.
If you are under 16 years of age, ideally we would like you to involve your parent or guardian in any medical matter. However, if you do not want to involve your parent or guardian we are willing to treat you provided you understand what the treatment is about.
Contraception and Young People
The doctors and nurses are happy to talk to any young person of any age about contraceptive matters and they are able to prescribe treatment if appropriate.
Freedom of Information
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.
Model Publication Scheme - further information