Chaperone Policy
If you would like to have someone present during your examination (another member of staff who is chaperone trained), please inform the clinician who you are seeing and we will be only too happy to oblige.
If a chaperone is not immediately on hand to help, this may mean waiting a short while until they become available.
As well as offering chaperones on patient request, the clinician themselves may a require another member of staff to be present for certain intimate examinations. This is standard procedure, as recommended by the GMC, for the protection of both the patient and the clinician against allegations of misconduct.
Fees
Why do we charge?
Patients sometimes require services which fall outside of our NHS work, for example letters to non NHS agencies (housing, solicitors, etc), signing passports, letters regarding holiday cancellation, etc.
We get hundreds of such requests every year, each of which requires time from the doctor, receptionist, and secretaries. None of this work is reimbursed by the NHS and it would simply not be viable to do all this work for free. To waive the fee on an individual basis would be unfair to those who do pay.
There are set fees for these services (below) and we will require payment before we do the work. This can be done by cash or card at reception.
In order to avoid this cost, it may be worth considering whether a GP letter is actually necessary.
Letters and private sick notes
(including student notes)
- Sick note £10.50
- Short letter £16
- Detailed letter £26.50
- Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) evidence form £10.50
Pre-employment Medicals / Full Medicals / BUPAPrivate / Jet Medicals / Camp America / Taxi medicals
- With exam (student) £75.50
- With exam (non student) £112.50
- Without exam (student) £56
- Without exam (non student) £84
Other
- Health questionnaires/Clothier / Occ Health £26.50
- General Dental Council £84
- Seafarer medicals £105
Home visit policy
Home visits (for housebound patients only) should preferably be requested early in the morning, to enable the duty doctor to plan these around clinics.
How we use your information
Covid-19 data sharing notice
This practice is supporting vital coronavirus (COVID-19) planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital. For more information about this see here.
Privacy Notices
Please find below a list of privacy notices for your GP practice, which are for your information in accordance with GDPR.
Aston Healthcare – Privacy Notice for General Practice Patients
Aston Healthcare – Privacy Notice For Young People
Protecting privacy
The health information you share with us is kept in your medical record, a life-long history of your health, which helps us with your future care. Your relationship with your doctor and other health workers is based on mutual trust and confidence and we do all we can to protect that trust.
Patient confidentiality underpins the structure of the NHS and is a priority. Dedicated teams of professionals make up the NHS and we will normally share your information only with others directly involved in your medical care.
We aim to keep your health record confidential and we will continue to improve this. We hope you feel confident that your information is safe. The NHS uses new technology to help deliver better patient care – health records can now be securely stored and shared electronically. NHS organisations have developed an Electronic Health Record – a way of storing your medical information electronically. This allows doctors and other health professionals to access your up to date information, whether it is from your GP practice or the hospital. This will enable doctors to make more effective decisions about your treatment and care. Some of the information contained in your health record might be used for reasons other than your own personal healthcare:
- In the teaching and training of healthcare professionals.
- As part of the funding arrangements for local health services.
- To audit processes and practices.
- To help plan future health services.
- In health research programmes; you will be specifically asked to consent to any research project in which you participate directly.
- To help plan your ongoing care with other agencies (e.g. Health visitor, midwives, social services, school health services).
The NHS is also required to have processes in place to manage patient information (e.g. keeping and updating records) which will include your medical information. These reasons are vital to the running of the NHS. Wherever possible, the shared information will be anonymous but if you have concerns about this, you can choose not to allow the information to be used.
Who has access?
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals need access to your records. However, this is on a need-to-know basis and includes only those directly involved in your care. If you are referred to hospital, your health/medical information will need to be transferred from your GP to the hospital, and back again. Secretaries, receptionists and other clerical staff will need limited access in order to carry out administrative tasks such as typing letters and booking appointments. All staff employed by the NHS have a duty of confidence to ensure that your information is not disclosed inappropriately, and they work to a Code of Conduct for handling personal information.
Other uses for your information
- The NHS must, by law, notify the government of certain infectious diseases for public health purposes, e.g. measles, mumps, meningitis, etc. but not HIV/AIDS.
- Births and deaths must also be notified.
- A Court of Law can insist that medical information be disclosed to them.
- Limited anonymised information is also shared with Primary Care Trusts to assist with the organisation of national public health programmes, e.g. breast screening, cervical smear tests, and childhood immunisations. Your personal information will not be passed on to any organisation for monetary gain.
Can I see my medical records?
Yes – requests should be made to your GP Practice, if requesting verbally or in writing please clarify as much as possible the content and purpose of your request. The request must be satisfied within 28 days however, depending on the nature and size of the request, an extension of up to two further months can be agreed with yourself within 28 days of the initial request and, if applicable, a charge may be made. If you feel anything has been added to the record that is factually incorrect, you have the right to apply to have it amended or deleted in accordance with the guidance in the 1998 Data Protection Act. You can now also request to have on-line access to your full GP record, apply at the practice if you wish to have full access.
Can my records be withheld?
We may withhold information contained in your records deemed likely to cause harm to your mental or physical state, or that of other people. A senior clinician will make this decision. Any third party information would not be revealed without their consent.
Third party consent
Please complete this form (link to be provided) if you would like to give consent for a third party to discuss a particular condition with a specified individual (parent/carer etc.)
How to choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning
Information about the National Data opt-out programme.
Named GP
When you register with us, you will be allocated a named GP who is accountable for your care. For continuity of care we encourage you to see your named GP each time you come to the Practice. There will be times, however, when s/he isn’t available to see you and when this happens we will provide an explanation and offer you an appointment with another clinician. If you are not happy with your allocated GP you may request a change and we will endeavour to accommodate your request.
Private Services List and Fees
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges.
Examples include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
- Fit to travel certificates
The list of private Fees are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability. Click here for helpful information regarding non-NHS work.
Our Practice policy states that if a patient DNAs one appointment for a private medical, they will need to make alternative arrangements elsewhere.
Rights and responsibilities
Patients have rights to:
- Be registered with a GP
- Be offered a health check
- Receive emergency care at any time
- Receive appropriate drugs and medicines
- Be referred for a specialist opinion where appropriate
- Choose whether or not to take part in medical research or student training
- To have involvement in decisions around the treatment and care you receive
- To have a choice of treatment options including any referral to Secondary Care
- To be treated with dignity, respect and with due regard for age, sex, religious persuasion, sexual orientation, racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and any disability
Patients have responsibilities to:
- Try, where possible to use our service within the resources available
- Cancel a pre-booked appointment
- Not be violent or display abusive behaviour
- Maintain good relations with the Practice