In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations how they should make sure that disabled patients receive information in formats that they can understand and receive appropriate support to help them to communicate.  All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. These standard include making sure that people get information in different formats if they need it, such as: large print, braille, easy read, email etc.

Further information can be found on NHS England’s website at: www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/patients/accessibleinfo/  

Please let the surgery know if you require any communication or information support needs.

• Accessible Information Standard Policy

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, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.

• Complaints Policy

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

There is suitable access for the disabled.

Prams and Pushchairs

Prams must be left outside the building at all times as they constitute a dangerous hazard for patients with disabilities. They can also block passageways which may be dangerous should there be an emergency.

The average pay for GPs working in Groves Medical Group in the last financial year was £50,922 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 5 full time GPs, 39 part time GPs and 7 long term locum GPs who worked in the practice for six months or more.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised by 31 March 2024 at the latest. However, it should be noted that the prescribed method of calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice and should not be used for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparisons with other practices.

When you register with us, you will be allocated a named, accountable GP. Although this doctor will have overall responsibility for the care and support that we provide to you, this does not prevent you from seeing any other doctor in the practice of your choice.

Similarly since none of the GPs here work five days a week, if your named doctor isn’t working on the day that you want to see or speak to someone, you can speak to any other doctor here as they all have full access to your medical records. If you want to know who your named GP is, please just ask a member of staff on reception.

There is currently a national shortage on the Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B Vaccinations. We have a very limited stock of the vaccination and this will be prioritised for at risk patients.

Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?

Your questions answered…

Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees; in other cases, it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, medical reports for insurance companies.

Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are self-employed, and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor’s costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients. In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to be sure that information provided is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

• accident/sickness insurance certificates
• certain travel vaccinations
• private medical insurance reports

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

• medical reports for an insurance company
• some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
• examinations of local authority employees
• DS 1500 Form (Disability Living/Attendance Allowance)

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

The BMA suggests fees for non-NHS work which is not covered under a GP’s NHS contract, to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates suggested.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload – the majority work up to 70 hours a week – and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.

I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

What will I be charged?

The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and how much. It is up to the individual doctor to decide how much to charge, but the BMA produces lists of suggested fees which many doctors use. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees.

What can I do to help?

• Not all documents need signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
• If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them all at once as a (job lot) at a reduced price.
• Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. You should expect the form(s) to take up to 4 weeks for the GP to complete and return

The Groves Medical Group

Fees for Non NHS Services

The Practice will make a charge for certain services that are not available under the NHS.

Forms may take on average a minimum four weeks to complete by the surgery.

Payment is required by the practice prior to forms being completed.

Non-NHS Services (No Charge)

• Job Centre Plus ESA Reports
• Get Active Referrals
• Achieving for Children Reports
• Debt Evidence forms
• Health Assessment Advisory forms
• Public Health England Immunisation Questionnaires
• Housing Association/Application/Benefit forms
• Council Tax Exemption form

Please note that the doctors cannot provide the following services:

• Passport countersignature
• Character Reference

All of our patients have a right to confidentiality. This means that we do not share any information about you with anyone except those working for other health and social care organisations involved with your care.

However, you may wish other members of your family or close friends who might be involved in your care, to be able to talk to the staff about your care on your behalf. This can be particularly useful if you find it difficult to get to the GP surgery or communication is difficult for you (such as hearing a voice on the telephone) or if that person helps to care for you.

This form will allow you to enable us to share information about your care with the person you specify on this form. We need both you and the person you would like us to share your information with to sign this form. It is important that your carer or relative treats information about your care as confidential.

You have the right to allow access to all or only part of your medical information. For instance if you have had previous medical problems you would prefer your carer or relative not to know about, you can specify this on the form. You can also override this consent to share information at a later date if you wish, for instance if you are currently undergoing treatment for a mental health condition requiring a carer to be involved and then your condition resolves.

If you have more than one person whom you wish to give permission for us to share information with, please fill out a separate form for each and return to the surgery.

Download

• Consent to share information with relative/carer

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

• Zero Tolerance Policy