All Polices

Personal Data

The following IT systems are in use at the practice:

  • Electronic Referral Management Service (using NHS numbers in referrals)
  • Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments)
  • Online requesting of repeat prescriptions
  • Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
  • GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register)
  • Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).
  • Text Messaging services (the facility to send annual health invitations as well as information)

If you are not already registered for online access and would like to be please complete our online form or alternatively sign up for the NHSapp. Please see this page for more information: NHS App – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please use the link to opt out:  www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

Chaperone Policy

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

Data Protection

We need to hold personal information about you on our computer systems 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 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 circumstance 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 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 about our patient information leaflet. An appointment may be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.

Confidentiality

You can be assured that anything you discuss with any member of the surgery staff, whether doctor, nurse or receptionist, will remain confidential. We are all bound by the same strict confidentiality rules. Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone, including parents, other family members, care workers or teachers, without your permission. The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.

If you have any worries or queries about confidentiality, please ask a member of staff.

If you would like to discuss matters of a confidential nature, either with our receptionists/managers or clinical team, we have a side room available in reception for this purpose.

If you would like to give permission for a family member or personal representative, please can you complete the form below and return to the surgery.

Consent to share information Form PDF Only [112KB]

GP Earnings

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 required disclosure is shown below.

The average pay for GPs working in Rowden Medical Partnership in the last financial year was £79,118 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 18 part time 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 2025 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.