Everyone who is cared for by the NHS in England has formal rights to make choices about the service they receive.  These include the right to choose a GP surgery, to state which GP you’d like to see, to choose which hospital you’re treated at, and to receive information to support your choices.

These rights form part of the NHS Constitution.

NHS Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has published a guide to help patients make choices about their NHS care.

This follows a survey earlier in the year which showed that nine out of 10 local people would like to be able to choose their GP practice.

A similar number would like to choose the hospital they are referred to, as well as the time and date of any appointments, according to the poll of 1,004 people living in Fylde and Wyre.

The online guide includes patients’ rights to making choices about their GP practice, hospital and which healthcare professionals they see. It also includes choice with regard to maternity and community services, as well as end-of-life care.

Your doctor and other NHS healthcare professionals caring for you need to keep records about your health and any treatment and care you receive from the NHS. These records help to ensure that you receive the best possible care and healthcare professionals have the most accurate, up-to-date information about you, while any concerns you may have can be properly investigated.

How health records are used

Some of the information on your health record is held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where this is the case, strict measures ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

Where we need to use identifiable information for essential purposes, we will only ever use this information with your consent, unless the law requires us to pass on the information. We will ensure that appropriate information is available if you see another health professional or are referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS.

Who information is shared with

We may share information with the following main partners:

• NHS hospital trusts and other care providers
• Ambulance services
• Clinical commissioning groups
• NHS England
• NHS commissioning support units
• External suppliers providing healthcare services to the NHS

We may also share your information with:

• Social services
• Education services
• Local authorities
• Voluntary sector providers
• Private sector providers
• Police and judicial services

Ensuring confidentiality

Under the Data Protection Act (1998) all staff working for the NHS have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. We never disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as when the health and safety of others is at risk or it is required by law). Anyone who receives information from us is legally bound to keep it confidential.

Access to your health records

If you want to view your health records, you may not need to make a formal application. Healthcare professionals can informally show you your own records, and you can make an informal request during a consultation or by phoning the surgery.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you have a legal right to apply for access to health information held about you, and you don’t have to give a reason.

You should submit your request in writing or by email to your GP, and we will then decide whether your request can be approved. A request can be refused if, for example, it is believed that releasing the information may cause serious harm to your physical or mental health or that of another person.

Under the Data Protection Act, requests for access to records should be met within 40 days. However, government guidance for healthcare organisations says they should aim to respond within 21 days.

The NHS is there for us from the moment we are born. It takes care of us and our family members when we need it most.

The NHS Constitution was created to protect the NHS and ensure it will always do the things it was set up to do when launched in 1948: provide high quality healthcare that is free and for everyone.

No government is able to change this constitution – essentially a promise that the NHS will always be there for you – without the full involvement of staff, patients and the public.

The NHS Constitution sets out what you can expect from the NHS, your rights as a patient, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments available to you and your right to comment and complain.

View the NHS Constitution here

Patient Responsibilities

To help all healthcare services provide a prompt, courteous and efficient service to all, we ask you to:

• Use appointment and prescription systems appropriately and responsibly
• Supply information requested by staff
• Treat staff with courtesy and respect

Patient Responsibilities

To help us provide a prompt, courteous and efficient service to all, we ask you to:

• Use our appointment and repeat prescription systems appropriately and responsibly
• Supply information requested by staff
• Treat staff with courtesy and respect
• Comments, compliments and complaints

Please do let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or complaints about the service you have received. We operate a practice complaints procedure that meets national criteria and ensures your views are recorded and, where appropriate, acted upon.

If you would like to make a complaint, please contact either Adrian Machinn (Practice Business Manager) as soon as possible, or ask for a complaints form at reception.

All other comments, views or suggestions are always welcome and help us to continue providing a high-quality service to all our patients. Please contact any member of staff with any comments you have to make.

How we Use Your Data

All data you supply to us is kept confidential. Any information about you, your medical issues or treatment is only ever shared with other healthcare professionals on a ‘need to know’ basis. Information is sometimes shared with NHS management for data audit and planning, and all those who work for the NHS have a duty of confidentiality towards patients.

Zero Tolerance

The practice operates a zero tolerance policy regarding the use of bad language, shouting or violence towards any member of staff or other patients.

Research shows that treatments are more effective if patients choose, understand and control their care. This is why giving people more choice is a key priority of the NHS.

The Choice Framework sets out your legal right to choice about your NHS treatment and care, which usually involves selecting a GP, hospital and making informed decisions about your treatment. It is important to remember that you have a right to be involved in important decisions about your treatment and care.

NHS doctors have a duty to inform you about your available options and will always advise you as to what they think is the best option, but, ultimately, it is you, the patient, that must decide what is right for you.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised and that the required disclosure is shown below.

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 working in the practice and should not be used for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make comparisons with other practices.

The average pay for GPs working in The Village Practice in the last financial year was 129,524 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 0 full time GPs, 4 part time GPs and 1 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

March 2024

In May 2018, the strict rules about how this data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How Your Data is Used

Your health and care information is used to improve your individual care. It is also used to help us research new treatments, decide where to put GP clinics and plan for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

What is Confidential Patient Information?

Confidential patient information identifies you and says something about your health, care or treatment. You would expect this information to be kept private. Information that only identifies you, like your name and address, is not considered confidential patient information and may still be used: for example, to contact you if your GP practice is merging with another.

Who can use Your Confidential Patient

It is used by the NHS, local authorities, university and hospital researchers, medical colleges and pharmaceutical companies researching new treatments.

Making Your Data opt-out Choice

You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information for research and planning. There may still be times when your confidential patient information is used: for example, during an epidemic where there might be a risk to you or to other people’s health. You can also still consent to take part in a specific research project.

Will Choosing this opt-out Affect Your Care and Treatment?

No, your confidential patient information will still be used for your individual care.

Choosing to opt out will not affect your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What Should you do Next?

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your confidential patient information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your choice at any time by clicking here.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000, created new rights of public access to information held by public authorities, as defined under the Act. The Act only applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A separate Freedom of Information Act applies to Scotland.

The Act specifically defines general practice contractors providing general or personal medical services as public authorities in respect of information relating to the provision of those services; APMS practices are not designated as public authorities. The Information Commissioner, who regulates the Act, has ruled that Practices may act cooperatively within their practice structure to discharge their obligations under the Act.

The Act obliges each practice to respond to requests about the information that they hold and have recorded in any form and creates a right of access to that information.

Practices must: (i) have a publication scheme in place (ii) respond to individuals’ requests for information.

Publication Scheme

The practice publication scheme is available from reception, you can request a copy via our secure online form

Making a FOI request

To make a freedom of information request please contact the Practice Business Manager Adrian Machinn on 01253 955 561.

This condition applies during your relationship with the Practice and after the relationship ceases.

Confidential information includes all information relating to the Practice and its’ patients and employees. In the capacity of a visitor, this would be limited but would include any conversation which may be accidentally overheard behind Reception.

If you are in doubt as to what information may be disclosed, you should check with the Practice Business Manager.

The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates the use of computerised information and paper records of identifiable individuals (patients and staff). The Practice is registered in accordance with this legislation. If you are found to have made an unauthorised disclosure you may face legal action.

By signing the Visitors Book you show agreement to the following:
I understand that I am bound by a duty of confidentiality and agree to adhere to this Code of Conduct and the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.