Practice Policies

Rights and Responsibilities

We are committed to providing high quality care in an environment of mutual respect.

Patients have the right to:

Be treated with dignity, courtesy and without discrimination
Receive safe care and clear information about their health
Expect that their personal information is kept confidential

Patients have the responsibility to:

Treat staff, clinicians and other patients or visitors with respect
Attend appointments on time and cancel those that are no longer needed
Order repeat prescriptions in good time to avoid running out
Attend regular reviews for long term conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or asthma

Repeated failure to attend appointments without cancellation may lead to warnings and in some cases, removal from the patient list, in line with NHS guidance.

Violent, abusive or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated and may result in immediate removal and/or police involvement.

Our staff are responsible for treating every patient with dignity and respect, regardless race, age, gender, disability or any other protected characteristic.

Privacy / Fair Processing

We handle personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For full details on how we use, store and protect your personal data, please see our Privacy/Fair Processing page.

Confidentiality

All practice staff are bound by strict confidentiality rules.

We cannot disclose any information to third parties (including spouses and parents of young people aged 16 years or over) without the patient’s explicit consent. This includes disclosing if a patient is on the premises.

We are a computerised practice and are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Freedom Of Information (FOI) – Publication Scheme

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the practice is required to maintain a Publication Scheme, which outlines the types of non-personal information we routinely make available.

Your Rights Under FOI

You may request access to recorded information we hold about the practice (not personal medical records).
Requests must be made in writing with your full name and contact details.
We aim to respond within 20 working days*, in accordance with the Act.
Any cost associated with providing information will be confirmed in advance

*Working day does not include Saturday, Sunday, public holidays or bank holidays.

For further guidance, please see the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

To make a FOI request please write to: Church Street Partnership, 30a Church Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, CM23 2LE or email: css.managers@nhs.net

ICO Registration number: Z7368916

Data Protection Officer: Dr Radu Burtan

Caldicott Guardians: Dr Radu Burtan and Victoria Menard

Access to Your Medical Records (Subject Access)

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to access your own medical records, known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).

Requests can be made to the practice in writing. We will respond to all requests within one calendar month.

Information Sharing

NHS England may use health and care information for planning and research. This is known as the National Data Opt Out.

Your choice about whether your identifiable data is used for planning and research is managed centrally by NHS England not by GP practices.

You can change or check your preference at: your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/, or by telephoning 0300 303 5678 (Mon – Fri between 9am – 5pm)

Zero Tolerance Policy

We are committed to a culture of kindness, dignity, and mutual respect. Abuse, aggression, or violence towards our staff, clinicians, or other patients will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

We support the NHS England Zero Tolerance initiative which protects healthcare staff from violence, abuse, and discrimination.

What is considered unacceptable behaviour?

Examples include (but are not limited to):

Shouting, swearing, or verbal abuse towards staff, patients or visitors
Racial, sexist, homophobic, or other discriminatory language or behaviour
Threatening, intimidating or aggressive behaviour (physical or verbal)
Sexual harassment
Persistent and unreasonable demands for prescriptions, treatment or services or fraudulent misuse of services
Abusive or hostile messages sent via phone, text, email, or online services
Theft, damage to property, or fraudulent use of services including alteration of documents or prescriptions

If unacceptable but non-violent behaviour occurs, the following steps will be taken:

First incident: we will usually issue a written warning outlining our concerns and advising that further incidents may lead to removal.
Repeat behaviour within 12 months: we may issue a final written warning, ask you to register with another GP surgery or decide to remove you from our patient list.
Serious incidents that endanger safety, or continued unacceptable behaviour: You may be removed from our patient list immediately. The police and/or relevant authorities may be notified. You may also be registered under a Special Allocation Scheme to ensure continued access to care.

All incidents, warnings and removals will be documented in a patient’s record. Where a removal takes place, written confirmation will be provided unless inappropriate or unsafe.

Removal from the practice list

A good patient-GP relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of safe and effective care. Removing a patient is always a last resort and only occurs when trust and safety have been irreparably compromised. In rare and serious cases (such as violence or threats), removal may be immediate and without prior warning, in line with NHS guidance.

Fairness & Equity

No patient will ever be removed on the basis of any protected characteristic or medical condition.
Clinical care is never affected by the issuing or a behaviour related warning.

Working Together with Respect

We ask all patients to treat our staff with the same courtesy and professionalism they would expect in return. Our team works hard to support you, please support them in return.

For more information, clarification of our Practice Policies please contact Practice Manager at css.managers@nhs.net