Suggestions & Complaints

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our Practice. However, we are aware that sometimes there may be cause for concern or a patient may feel that they have a cause for complaint or even wish to make a suggestion about how we run things. If any of these apply, we would wish for the matter to be dealt with as soon as possible.

To make a Comment, Complaint or Suggestion please see (and print, if necessary) the Patient Information Leaflet below which details the procedure you need to follow".

Patient Information Leaflet - Comments, Complaints and Suggestions

Protecting your Information - Your records are safe with us.

We ask for information about you only so you can receive the best possible care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, to ensure that your doctor or nurse has accurate and up-to-date information. It may also be needed if we see you again.

Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality about patient information. We only pass information concerning you to people who have a genuine need for it. Whenever we can we shall remove details that identify you as an individual. It at any time you would like to have more information about how we use your information please speak to the practice manager.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005. The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

FOI replaced the Open Government Code of Practice, which has been in operation since 1994.

Data Protection and FOI – how do the two interact?

The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It provides living individuals with a right of access to personal information held about them. The right applies to all information held in computerised form and also to non-computerised information held in filing systems structured so that specific information about particular individuals can retrieved readily.

Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves (personal data), which is held on computer and in some paper files under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The right also applies to those archives that meet these criteria. However, the right is subject to exemptions, which will affect whether information is provided. Requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

The Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. A few of its strategic objectives being:

• To improve people’s knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities
• Seeking to encourage an increase in openness in the public sector
• Monitoring the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information
• Developing a data protection policy which properly balances personal information privacy with the need for public and private organisations to process personal information