Accessible Information Standard – What is it?
It aims to ensure patients and carers with a disability, impairment or sensory loss;
- Get information they can access and understand
- Receive any communication support they need
Please talk to any of our team, we want to ensure we communicate effectively with you;
Do you have any special communication requirements?
What communication support should we provide for you?
For patients with profound hearing loss an email address is available upon request.
What will we do with the information?
Record on your file what your communication needs are, and make sure that you get information in an accessible way and communication support if you need it.
When necessary and with your permission share this information with other NHS and adult social care providers.
For more information please visit the following website: www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo
Chaperone Policy
Our Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.
Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking the appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of request.
Please Note – There may be occasions where it is necessary to reschedule your appointment. Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.
Data Protection Certificate
Fitness to Work Data Extraction
‘This practice may supply personal health data to comply with its legal obligations from time to time, as directed by the Secretary of State for Health, or other recognised Statutory Authority.’
‘Anonymised data on the use of fit notes is being provided to the HSCIC on behalf of the Department of Health, and the Department for Work and Pensions. This will enable the Department for Work and Pensions to undertake research analysis to inform policy relating to employment and sickness absence, including evaluation of Fit for Work.’
Additional information can be found on the following websites:
www.hscic.gov.uk/article/4963/What-we-collect
GP Privacy Notice
This leaflet explains who we are, why information is collected about you, the ways in which this information may be used, who it is shared with and how we keep it safe. It also explains how the practice uses the information we hold about you, how you go about accessing this information if you wish to see it and to have any inaccuracies corrected or erased.
Introduction to Summary Care Records
Today, records are kept in all the places where you receive care. These places can usually only share information from your records by letter, email, fax or phone. At times, this can slow down treatment and sometimes make it hard to access information.
Summary Care Records are being introduced to improve the safety and quality of patient care. Because the Summary Care Record is an electronic record, it will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about you, and help to give you safe treatment during an emergency or when your GP surgery is closed.
For example, a person who lives in London is on holiday in Brighton. One evening, they’re knocked unconscious in a car accident and taken to an accident and emergency (A&E) department. Under the current system of storing health records, it would be difficult for A&E staff to find out whether there are any important factors to consider when treating the person (such as any serious allergies to medications), especially as their GP surgery is likely to be closed. If healthcare staff cannot get the relevant health information quickly, some patients may be at risk.
A Summary Care Record is an electronic record that’s stored at a central location. As the name suggests, the record will not contain detailed information about your medical history, but will only contain important health information, such as:
- whether you’re taking any prescription medication
- whether you have any allergies
- whether you’ve previously had a bad reaction to any medication
Access to your Summary Care Record will be strictly controlled. The only people who can see the information will be healthcare staff directly involved in your care who have a special smartcard and access number (like a chip-and-pin credit card).
Healthcare staff will ask your permission every time they need to look at your Summary Care Record. If they cannot ask you, e.g. because you’re unconscious, healthcare staff may look at your record without asking you. If they have to do this, they will make a note on your record.
For further information, including a link to download a Summary Care Opt out form, please click on the following link: http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/thenhs/records/healthrecords/pages/servicedescription.aspx
Patient Charter
The Porch Surgery is committed to working in partnership with the local Community to provide, within the financial constraints imposed, an efficient, effective and compassionate primary health care service.
SURGERY QUALITY STANDARDS
1. Any patient requiring an urgent appointment will be offered one on the same day.
2. All requests for house visits received before 11 o’clock, if considered appropriate, are made on the same day.
3. During the working week, repeat prescriptions are processed within 48 hours.
4. All patients will be treated in a friendly, helpful and compassionate manner.
5. All patients, whenever possible, will be involved in any decisions about their treatment.
IN ORDER TO HELP US ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES WE NEED YOUR HELP
DUTY SURGERIES
These surgeries are held on a daily basis for patients with a medical condition which can’t wait until the next available routine appointment. These appointments are intentionally brief; patients who attend with long-standing problems may be asked to come back and see their doctor in a routine surgery, as there is insufficient time to deal with these problems thoroughly.
LATE ARRIVALS
We appreciate that surgeries can run late. This is because we are unable to predict the exact length of time consultations will take. However, in order to keep the appointment system running as smoothly as possible, it is essential that patients arrive at the surgery a few minutes before their allocated time. Reluctantly, we have decided that patients arriving late may be asked to re-book.
CANCELLATIONS
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please ensure that you cancel as early as possible so that somebody else can be offered the appointment.
DATA PROTECTION
We need to hold personal information about you on our computer system and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances. Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your care if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both a legal and contractual duty to keep your details private. All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss. In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstances you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc. To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends, or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not leave messages with others. You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details. An appointment will be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.
Patient Privacy Notice
Updated Patient Privacy Notice
This leaflet explains who we are, why information is collected about you, the ways in which this information may be used, who it is shared with and how we keep it safe. It also explains how the practice uses the information we hold about you, how you go about accessing this information if you wish to see it and to have any inaccuracies corrected or erased.
Patient Recording in the Surgery
Patients are welcome to record their own consultations with the healthcare professional that they have an appointment with. They can either record by audio or video. It is courteous, and it is surgery policy, that patients doing so, discuss this and, where possible, gain the agreement of, the healthcare professional BEFORE commencing any recording.
We ask that patients think very carefully before carrying out concealed recordings of surgery staff. Such behaviour will inevitably damage trust between the patient and the surgery and will not promote a positive therapeutic relationship. We ask that patients considering making a covert recording of a staff member consider how they themselves would feel if a member of the surgery made a concealed recording of them during a consultation or discussion. In such a situation, patients would feel rightly violated and the member of staff would face a serious disciplinary issue.
Accordingly: It is surgery policy that a covert recording of a member of staff is deemed as Unacceptable Behaviour. Patients found to be doing so will be asked to stop the recording and will receive a behaviour warning which may put at risk their registration with the surgery.
No one is permitted to use a recording device in the public areas of the surgery. To do so is deemed as Serious Unacceptable Behaviour, which may lead to removal from the surgery register. Patients have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they attend the surgery. Recorded audio and or images made in the public areas of the surgery, e.g. by the reception desk, may reveal personal and intimate information. Such images and audio (that may either be shared, uploaded, or otherwise stored) would cause a serious breach in a patient’s expectation of privacy.
Practice Statements
Statements available:
- Statement of Intent for the Porch Surgery- IT/Electronic patient records
- Statement of Purpose
Statement of Intent for The Porch Surgery
IT/Electronic Patient Records
New contractual requirements came into force from 1st April 2015 requiring that GP practices should make available a statement of intent in relation to the following IT developments:-
- Referral Management
- Electronic Appointment Booking
- Online Booking of repeat prescriptions
- Summary Care Record
- GP2GP transfers – The Porch Surgery now offer our patients all of the requirements under the GP contract relating to IT developments.
- Patient Access to the detailed information from the medical record.
Statement of Purpose
Health and Social Care Act 2008
| Part 1
Health and Social Care Act 2008, Regulation 12, schedule 3 The provider’s business contact details, including address for service of notices and other documents, in accordance with Sections 93 and 94 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 |
| 1. Provider’s name and legal status | |
| Full name1 | The Porch Surgery |
| CQC provider ID | 1-19975143 |
| Legal status1 | Partnership |
| 2. Provider’s address, including for service of notices and other documents | |
| Business address2 | The Porch Surgery
Beechfield Road |
| Town | Corsham |
| County | Wiltshire |
| Post code | SN13 9DL |
| Business telephone | 01249 712232 |
| Electronic mail (email)3 | rhonda.ward1@nhs.net |
| We do wish to receive notices and other documents from CQC by email | Yes |
| 3. The full names of all the Partners in the Porch Partnership | |
| Dr St John Mohr
Dr William Davies Dr Joanna Swallow Dr Michele Reade Dr Catherine Bennett Dr Thomas Gamble
|
|
| Part 2
Aims and objectives |
|
|
|
Part 3
Location and the people who use the service their service type(s) and regulated activities.
| Name of location | The Porch Surgery |
| Address | Beechfield Road
Corsham Wiltshire |
| Postcode | SN13 9DL |
| Telephone | 01249 712232 |
| rhonda.ward1@nhs.net |
| Description of the location
(The premises and the area around them, access, adaptations, equipment, facilities, suitability for relevant special needs, staffing & qualifications etc) |
| The Porch Surgery is a purpose built General Practice situated in the town of Corsham. Patients are seen on the ground floor which is flat with access for wheelchairs.
We serve a population of circa 12,000 from the town and surrounding communities.
|
| CQC service user bands: |
| The whole population |
| The CQC service types(s) provided at this location: |
| Doctors consultation Service (DCS)
Doctors treatment Service (DTS) |
| Regulated activity(ies) carried on at this location |
| Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
Registered Manager for this activity: Dr St John Mohr |
| Surgical Procedures
Registered Manager for this activity: Dr St John Mohr |
| Diagnostic and Screening procedures
Registered Manager for this activity: Dr St John Mohr |
| Maternity and Midwifery service
Registered Manager for this activity: Dr St John Mohr |
| Family Planning Service
Registered Manager for this activity: Dr St John Mohr |
Part 4
Registered manager details
| The information below is for manager number: | 1 | of a total of: | 1 | Managers working for the provider shown in part 1 |
| 1. Manager’s full name | Dr St. John Mohr |
| 2. Manager’s contact details | |
| Business address | The Porch Surgery |
| Town/city | Corsham |
| County | Wiltshire |
| Post code | SN13 9DL |
| Business telephone | 01249 712232 |
| Manager’s email address | |
| rhonda.ward1@nhs.net | |
| 3. Locations managed by the registered manager at 1 above
(Please see part 3 of this statement of purpose for full details of the location(s)) |
||
| Name of location (list) | Percentage of time spent at this location | |
| The Porch Surgery | 100% | |
| 4. Regulated activities managed by this manager: | ||
| Treatment of disease, disorder or injury | ||
| Surgical procedures | ||
| Diagnostic and screening procedures | ||
| Maternity and midwifery services | ||
| Family planning service | ||
| 5. Locations, regulated activities and job shares
Where this manager does not manage all of the regulated activities ticked / checked at 4 above at all of the locations listed at 3 above, please describe which regulated activities they manage at which locations below. Please also describe below any job share arrangements that include or affect this manager. |
Publication of GP’s net earnings
NHS England example publication of GP Net Earnings for 2023/24
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 who worked for six months or more in The
Porch Surgery in the last financial year was £59,863 before Tax and
National Insurance. This is for 2 full-time GP’s, 7 part-time GP’s and 2
locum GP’s
Sedative: Prescribing for Fear of Flying
The Porch Surgery will no longer prescribe sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for this can be found below:
1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.
3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
4) According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF) Benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed) in phobia. Your doctor is taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
5) NICE guidelines suggest that medication should not be used for mild and self-limiting mental health disorders. In more significant anxiety related states, benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines or antipsychotics should not be prescribed. Benzodiazepines are only advised for the short term use for a crisis in generalised anxiety disorder in which case they are not fit to fly. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.
6) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
7) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.
Given the above we will no longer be providing Diazepam or similar drugs for flight anxiety.
We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a number of these below.
Flight anxiety does not come under the remit of General Medical Services as defined in the GP contract and so we are not obliged to prescribe for this. Patients who still wish to take benzodiazepines for flight anxiety are advised to consult with a private GP or travel clinic.
For similar reasons we are not able to prescribe Diazepam or other sedative medication for any other travel purposes, claustrophobia or to aid relaxation if you are due to have a procedure such as a scan.
Statement on Shared Care for patients
Shared care is a term used within the NHS to describe the situation where a specialist doctor wishes to pass some of the patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to their general practitioner (GP). This is something that can be requested but the guidance for all medications is that this may only be done if the GP agrees. The GP will need to consider a number of factors to decide if this is safe.
As a surgery, we will review all requests for shared care prescribing using the following checklist. Please be aware that if we cannot satisfy all of the outcomes, we will not be able to enter into shared care prescribing.
For our shared care framework please click here
Your Data Matters to the NHS
You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.
You can change your choice at any time.
To find out more visit nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or call 0300 330 9412.
Your Medical Records Your Choice
Your Named GP
You may be aware that all practices are required to provide their patients with a named GP who is responsible for patients’ overall care at the practice. If you express a preference as to which GP that is, the practice will make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request. This does not prevent you from seeing any other GP in the practice.
The named GP will take lead responsibility for the coordination of all services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each of their patients where required (based on the clinical judgement of the named accountable GP).
Patients will be informed of their named accountable GP at the first appropriate interaction with the practice.
If you wish to know the name of your named GP, please ask the receptionist.