Practice Policies
Confidentiality
Any communication you make with any of the Chawton House staff is totally confidential. Your medical records are secure and will never be divulged without your consent. Please be aware that all practice staff, by virtue of their employment, have access to your records and all communications about you. We are here to look after you. If you have a problem, never hesitate to ask for help. We are always open to constructive suggestions.
Access To Medical Records
Whilst we are responsible for the proper maintenance of your Medical Record during your period of Registration with this practice, these records remain the property of the Department of Health. Chawton House Surgery is registered under the Data Protection Act 2018. We are required under the Data Protection Act 1988 to maintain your personal medical records in a confidential manner and access to your records is therefore restricted to those persons deemed to be maintaining those records on behalf of the Department of Health and by those directly involved in your health care.
As a Training practice we are occasionally called upon to facilitate research into clinical conditions and prevalence data. Only fully qualified medical staff undertakes such research and the data extracted is fully anonymised to ensure that no individual Data Subject can be identified.
As the patient (Data Subject) you have a right, subject to limitations under the law, to have access to your personal Medical Record. Enquiries about your medical history from such bodies as Insurance/Life assurance etc. are only permissible with your formal consent. You should be asked to give consent to such enquiries before your General Practitioner releases information. If for any reason you wish to view your personal Medical Record you are required to make a formal request to the practice manager who will agree a date and time for you to visit the practice and have access to those records.
Whilst viewing your record you are at liberty to make any notes that you may feel appropriate. You will be allowed to ask for copies of any information that you have seen and you will be asked to pay a nominal sum for these copies. It is not permissible under any circumstances to amend, delete or in any other way alter the records.
If you believe that there is an error in your record, you must bring this to the attention of the practice manager who will ensure that your concerns are notified to your General Practitioner. The alleged error will be investigated and if the error is confirmed, the General Practitioner will amend your records accordingly.
Violent and Abusive Behaviour
Our staff are encouraged to handle all enquiries in a friendly and helpful manner and wherever possible to avoid confrontation. We are aware that for many patients their attendance at a GP Surgery can be a stressful experience. We endeavour to provide a clean and relaxing environment so that patients can await their consultation with our clinician in comparative peace.
Occasionally patients may try to express their feelings of frustration or anger in a violent or abusive manner. Chawton House GPs, nurses, Staff and other patients are not here to be the butt of unreasonable expressions of anger and this sort of behaviour will not be deemed acceptable under any circumstances.
If a patient persists in such behaviour and continues to act unreasonably in either a verbal or physically violent manner we are at liberty to take action that may result in the patient being removed permanently from the practice list. We will, in extreme cases, enlist the assistance of the local Police to remove an offender and in this instance we will ask the Police to issue a crime reference number that will be reported to the New Forest Primary Care Trust.
Violent or abusive patients who have been identified to the Primary Care Trust in this manner may subsequently find it difficult to register for Medical Services with an alternative General practice in the locality and may be referred to a special unit who deal specifically with violent or abusive patients.
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