Confidentiality

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 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.

All patient information is considered to be confidential and we comply fully with the Data Protection Act.  All employees have access to this information in relation to their role and have signed a confidentiality agreement.  Information may be shared, in confidence, with other NHS organisations in the interest of patient care.  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.

Your personal details and medical records are kept in confidence. Information stored on computer is governed by the Data Protection Act. To maintain confidentiality, you will be asked certain personal details before giving your test results over the telephone.

Please note that it is the Practice's policy to record all telephone calls for the purposes of patient and staff care, security, and dispute resolution.  Recordings and their use will be at the partner's discretion and will also comply with the Practice's Data Protection registration.

Access to your medical records

You can apply for online access to your medical record, along with requesting medications and booking appointments through Patient Access or the NHS APP. Please complete the application form:

Patient Access Information & Application Form

Alternatively, if you wish to receive copies of your medical records, you can apply for a subject access request. If you wish to receive copies of your medical records, please complete a Subject Access Request APPLICATION FORM and return it to the practice. Requests will be dealt with within one month.

Should your doctor decide that you seeing your records might put your health at risk, you may only be shown part of the records.

Complaints Procedure and Forms

We always try to provide the best possible service to our patients.

However, there may be times when you feel this has not happened.

Please feel free to use the suggestion box in reception or ask to speak to the practice manager regarding any concerns you may have.

The practice operates an in-house complaints procedure in line with NHS guidelines. This page gives information regarding raising a complaint and the course of action.

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily with the person concerned, often at the time they arise, and this may be the approach you try first. 

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing, addressed to the Practice Manager as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, giving as much detail as you can, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so we will acknowledge the complaint in three working days. We will investigate your concerns and aim to reply with a written response within 10 working days. Occasionally it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout.  We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.

We value your constructive feedback and strive to continue to provide safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led service for all our patients.  

Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person.

 Please click on the link below to download our Patient Complaint Form:

Complaint Form

Complaint Third-party Consent Form

Please click on the link below for our Practice Complaints Leaflet:

 Complaints Leaflet

Feedback

We welcome all fair comments and suggestions from our patients for the improvement of our service.

 It is always valuable to receive positive feedback from our patients - please tell us when you think we have got it right.

 You can give feedback via a range of methods:

• Writing a review on NHS Choices:

1. Visit: NHS Choices - East Finchley Medical Practice
2. Click on ’Leave review’ and follow the instructions online.

• Completing a Family and Friends Test questionnaire - cards can be found in reception.
• Completing a Comments/Suggestions card and placing it in our suggestions box in reception.
• Contacting the surgery directly by phone, post, fax or email.

 Thank You

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

Our practice staff are here to help you. Our aim is to be as polite and helpful as possible to ALL patients.

If you consider that you have been treated unfairly or inappropriately, please ask to speak to the practice manager who will be happy to address your concerns.

However, aggressive or intimidating behaviour towards practice staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances, including any abusive, personal, discriminatory and/or aggressive comments; swearing; physical contact and/or aggressive or threatening gestures or behaviour which leaves staff and/or other patients feeling intimidated.

Any incidence of abuse or aggressive behaviour may be reported to the police and patients failing to abide by this policy may be removed from the practice list.

Please help us to help you.

This notice focuses on patient data only; you can find fuller details of our use of data on the website, or ask at reception for an accessible copy. This notice was last updated September 2022.

Data Controller

East Finchley Medical Practice is the data controller for your information. We are contracted by NHS England under a General Medical Service (GMS) contract to provide Primary Healthcare services to local residents & other individuals registered with the Practice.

Data protection Officer’s contact details

Our Data Protection Officer is contactable via:

• A letter to the data protection officer at this practice
• By email at ncl@nhs.net

Purpose of processing your data

We use your information to provide you with the best possible direct care services.

Your information is also used for indirect care, planning, research, auditing and population health management. A national opt-out from some of these purposes is available.

Lawful basis for processing your data

We process your data in the public interest for purposes focused on delivering healthcare – UK GDPR article 6 1(e). For special category personal data (e.g. health) our lawful basis is UK GDPR article 9 2(h) – processing necessary for medical/social care or management of same. For some information we process your data to fulfil our legal obligations – UK GDPR Article 6 1(c).

The categories of personal data concerned

We use name, address, date of birth, postcode, NHS number to identify you. We also keep data on your medical/health status which may include other sensitive data where relevant to your health e.g. your racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, genetic data, sexual life and sexual orientation data.

Potential recipients of your data

We share data with other healthcare providers (e.g. hospitals) for delivery of your care. We also share with organisations for the management of health and care, and for indirect purposes as noted above. NHS England require us to supply data to them under Data Provision Notices, which is used for a variety of purposes including the NHS App.

How long your data will be retained

We only keep your data as long as is required by law. Data is retained following national records management practice, available in the full notice.

Your rights

You have the right to receive information on our uses of your information (this notice is part of that). The right to access, view or request copies of your records; request rectification of inaccuracies in your record, restrict or object to processing of your information. These rights are not absolute and are qualified in certain circumstances. You also have the right to complaint to our Data Protection Officer or the Information Commissioner if you are dissatisfied with out use of data

Safeguards if data is transferred to a country outside the UK.

When we use suppliers outside the UK, we ensure that the suppliers we use had full safeguards for your data and your legal rights are protected. We do not transmit data elsewhere except where legally required to (e.g. if you move to another country and ask us to share your data with local healthcare). When we do so, we insist on secure transmission.

Privacy Notice - Summary

EFMP Full Privacy Policy

Data Protection and Cyber Security Policy

Subject Access Request Policy

It is important that you are informed how the NHS uses your data. The following links provide information on this and how to opt out.

For information about the General Practice Data for Planning and Research and how to register a Type 1 Opt Out please see below:

NHS Digital - General Practice Data for Planning and Research

For information about the National Data Opt Out please see below:

NHS Digital - National-data-opt-out