Practice Policies

For certain examinations during consultations, an impartial observer (a “Chaperone”) will be required.

The chaperone will be a Practice Nurse or Health Care Assistant who is familiar with the procedure and will be available to reassure and raise any concerns on your behalf.

You are free to decline any examination or choose an alternative examiner or chaperone. You may also request a chaperone for any examination or consultation if one is not offered to you. The GP may not undertake an examination if a chaperone is declined.

The role of a Chaperone:

• Maintains professional boundaries during intimate examinations.
• Acknowledges a patient’s vulnerability.
• Provides emotional comfort and reassurance.
• Assists in the examination.
• Assists with undressing patients, if required.

The practice fully supports the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy. The aim of this policy is to tackle the increasing problem of violence against staff working in the NHS and ensures that doctors and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused.

We are committed to taking all reasonable precautions necessary to ensure the health, safety, welfare and well-being of our employees, patients and visitors, and endeavour to ensure that all employees are protected from physical and verbal abuse while they are working.

The Practice acknowledges that there may be instances where violence and / or aggression forms part of a patient’s illness.  In these circumstances, the issue will be discussed with the patient and form part of their care planning.

This information will be recorded in the patient’s medical record and flagged to ensure that staff are aware. In addition, where deemed necessary, appropriate support will be put in place, e.g. staff member does not see the patient alone. 

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly as possible.

To pursue a complaint, please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. You can put your complaint in by emailing us at [email protected].

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 , Human Rights Act 1998, the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, and the NHS Codes of Confidentiality and Security.

All of our staff receive appropriate and on-going training to ensure they are aware of their personal responsibilities and have contractual obligations to uphold confidentiality, enforceable through disciplinary procedures.

We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it.

We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), or where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the new information sharing principle i.e. “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.”

This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott Principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.

Your information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided or ensure we are providing appropriate care.