Access to Medical Records
Subject Access Request (SAR)
Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the ‘Right of access’ which is commonly known as a Subject Access Request (SAR). This gives you the right to request a copy of the data we hold about you; this means that you are entitled to see your medical records. We are required by law to respond to your request within 1 calendar month.
You can make a Subject Access Request electronically, verbally or by using our form; whilst we accept all requests, we would prefer the request to be made in writing, to ensure that we are providing you with the information you want.
You can request a summary of your information, specific dates or conditions or your full medical record.
You do not need to provide us with a reason for requesting your data.
When making the request we will ask to see 1 form of photo ID as we need to verify the identity of the patient.
SARs are currently being managed by an NHS approved partner called iGPR.
Subject Access Request Leaflet
Common Abbreviations to Help You Understand Your Medical Records
Access to Medical Records of Deceased Patients
Access to the medical records of a deceased patient is granted under The Access to Health Records Act 1990. The Act only allows you access to medical records created after 1st November 1991, there is no right to access information before this date.
After death, patients continue to have the right to confidentiality, and we must be satisfied that you have a right to access their medical records.
Access can only be granted in the following circumstances:
- You are the patient’s personal representative with a role set out in law, for example if you hold a Grant of Probate, Letter of Administration or if you are named as an executor in the deceased’s will.
- We have been ordered by the Court.
Please note that evidence of the above must be supplied along with proof of identity (1 x photo ID and 1 x proof of address).
If you are not the personal representative, but you have a claim arising out of the death you may have the right to see the health records of the deceased where they are relevant to your claim. These requests will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Accessibility
The Practice will:
- Provide large font Practice leaflets.
- Promote the Induction Loop System and provide staff training. Loop signs will be clearly displayed in Reception and patients will be asked to indicate if they wish to use this.
- Ensure signage is clear and non-obstructive.
- Provide a clearly marked and wider disabled parking bay(s).
- Allow guide or other assistance dogs into the premises.
- Provide a range of high-backed winged-chairs with a high seat base to assist elderly or disabled patients in standing or sitting.
- Offer private room facilities for patients who may have communication, reading, or writing difficulties.
- Allow disabled patients to make appointments by unusual methods, e.g. online booking or letter. The Practice will respond to these requests using the method most appropriate to the needs of the patient.
Chaperones
St Thomas Medical Group is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment, where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.
Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking an appointment, so that arrangements can be made and your appointment not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of request. However, occasionally it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.
Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.
If you would like to see a copy of our Chaperone Policy, or have any questions or comments regarding this, please contact the Group Manager.
Tel: 01392 676676
Complaints
Complaints Procedure
We always try to give you the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. This leaflet explains what to do if you have a complaint about the services we provide. We hope you will use it to allow us to investigate and, if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes that have been made.
How to let us know about a complaint and how we deal with it:
If you wish to make a complaint, please write to our Complaints Team who are based across the medical group. The team will take full details of your complaint and decide how best to undertake the investigation.
Email: [email protected] Tel: 01392 676676 Address: St Thomas Health Centre, Cowick Street, Exeter, EX1 1HJ
All complaints, comments and suggestions will be treated in strict confidence. No patient or relative’s healthcare will be adversely affected as the result of making a complaint.
We think it is important to deal with complaints quickly, so you will normally receive an initial acknowledgement within a few days with an expected response time for your complaint.
We will try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation, and discuss any action that may be needed. If we think the timescale is likely to change from that specified on your acknowledgment, we will let you know.
You may be offered the opportunity to meet with a member of the complaints team or another member of staff from the Practice to discuss your complaint. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting and we hope that at the end of the meeting you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly.
Please note that if you should want to raise a complaint or concern on behalf of another patient, then to respect our duty of confidentiality to our patients, it will be necessary to have that person’s written consent.
Please note that our Practice Complaints Procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation, for which you should seek legal advice.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the practice. If you do not wish to deal with the Practice directly, or if you remain dissatisfied about how your complaint has been handled, you are entitled to put your complaint to NHS Devon.
Email: [email protected] Tel: 0300 123 1672 Address: Patient Advice and Complaints Team, Pomona House, Edginswell Business Park, Oak View Close, Torquay, TQ2 7FF
NHS Devon will support patients and their representative with any concerns or complaints regarding primary care services in Devon, however, unless directly concerning the commissioning of the service will recommend any complaints are handled with the provider directly.
If you are unhappy with how the NHS has dealt with your complaint, you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman. www.ombudsman.org.uk
Confidentiality
As patients, you will be aware that we hold medical information about you in the Health Centre. We would like to reassure you that this information remains confidential at all times, all of our computers are password protected and medical records are accessed via a smartcard.
Information is only available to other health care professionals caring for patients of the Practice. Any audit information provided to NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) is anonymised.
Please be aware that all staff working for St Thomas Medical Group are bound by the NHS Code of Confidentiality and all individuals working within the practice, whether permanently or temporarily, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.
In general, we will not divulge any information to a third-party, unless it is in your best interest to do so or if you have provided us with consent.
In certain cases, we have a legal duty to disclose or report your information:
- Registration of birth/deaths
- Notification of infectious diseases (e.g., meningitis, mumps or food poisoning)
- Release of records demanded by a court order.
If you are concerned about any information being held about you, please contact our Data Protection Officer on 01392 676676 / [email protected]
Data Protection
The practice is committed to the security of patient and staff records. Regular checks will be undertaken to assess workspaces for potential breaches and loss of data.
The practice will take steps to ensure that individual patient information is not deliberately or accidentally released or (by default) made available or accessible to a third party without the patient’s consent, unless otherwise legally compliant. This will include training on Confidentiality issues, Data Protection Act principles, working security procedures, and the application of Best practice in the workplace.
When considering new practice and methods a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) will be completed by the practice, to look at information usage, storage and the legal basis.
The practice will maintain a record of data breaches and near misses. Based on the investigations, improvements to systems will be implemented and staff involved will be offered support and further training to prevent a repeat. The log will be reviewed annually and fed back to all members of staff.
The practice will undertake prudence in the use of, and testing of, arrangements for the backup and recovery of data in the event of an adverse event.
The practice will maintain a system of Significant Event Reporting through a no-blame culture to capture and address incidents which threaten compliance.
Freedom of Information Policy
At St Thomas Medical Group, we are committed to transparency and accountability in delivering healthcare services to our patients. This FOI Policy outlines our approach to complying with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and ensure that information about our Practice is accessible to the public.
What is FOI?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public the right to request access to information held by public authorities, including NHS healthcare providers like us. It is a fundamental part of our commitment to openness and accountability.
FOI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – What is the FOI Act and are we covered? | ICO
Our Commitment to FOI Compliance
We are dedicated to upholding the principles of the FOI Act. Here’s what you can expect from us:
- Designated Information Officer – We have appointed a designated information officer responsible for managing FOI requests and ensuring compliance with the Act. You can contact our Information Officer at [email protected]
- Proactive Publication – We will proactively publish public-interest information, making it readily accessible to anyone needing it.
- Prompt Responses – We will respond to FOI requests immediately and within the legal timeframe, providing information under the Act.
- Information Accessibility – We will ensure that information provided in response to FOI requests is easily understood and accessible.
Before you request information from St Thomas Medical Group, please check to see if the information you seek is already available.
The following document lists all the information that the Practice makes publicly available. It will be updated at regular intervals, and we will monitor its effectiveness.
Freedom of Information Publication
Contact Us
If you wish to make a FOI request, have any questions related to our FOI policy or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
Infection Control
Infection Control Annual Statement January 2024
Purpose
This annual statement will be generated each year in January in accordance with the requirements of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. Also, the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021.
It summarises:
- Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Event procedure)
- Details of any infection control audits undertaken, and actions undertaken
- Details of any risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Details of staff training
- Any review and update of policies, procedures, and guideline
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead
The St Thomas Medical Group Lead for Infection Prevention and Control is Dr Lorna Coleman.
The IPC Lead is supported by Heather Baker IPC Lead Nurse and Rachel Banks HCA.
Both the IPC lead GP and nurse have attended IPC training courses and regular updates and keep updated on infection prevention practice annually.
Infection transmission incidents (Significant Events)
Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are investigated in detail to see what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements. All significant events are reviewed in the quarterly Practice meetings and learning is cascaded to all relevant staff.
In the past year there have been no significant events raised that related to infection prevention and control.
Infection Prevention Audit and Actions
The infection prevention and control audits are carried out by the IPC Lead GP and the IPC Lead supporting team. In 2023 a substantial audit was completed at the Student Health Centre. Many of the clinical rooms were re-vamped and problems of storage of clinical equipment were resolved.
A general cleaning audit was conducted across all 3 sites, and this resulted in the Medical Group signing a new contract with a cleaning company called Archway Facilities. We are pleased to report this has resulted in a more rigorous and satisfactory level of cleanliness throughout.
We are currently setting up new audit processes in accordance with the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021 guidelines and plan to audit both the St Thomas and Exwick sites during 2024.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are carried out so that best practice can be established and then followed. In the last year the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed.
Immunisation: As a practice we ensure that all our new clinical staff are up to date with their Hepatitis B immunisations and offered any occupational health vaccinations applicable to their role.
In 2023 we encouraged all our staff to boost their Covid and Seasonal Flu vaccines. We take part in the National Immunisation campaigns for patients and offer vaccinations in house and via home visits to our patient population.
Cleaning specifications, frequencies, and cleanliness: Following publication of the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness and employing a new cleaning company, we are currently working to format new cleaning specifications and frequencies which our cleaners and staff can work to. Once these are formatted and instigated, we will be carrying out regular reviews and audits to ensure we comply with the new guidance.
Training
All our staff undertake annual IPC (Infection Prevention & Control) training through Bluestream Academy.
Policies
All Infection Prevention and Control related policies are reviewed and updated as required, on an annual basis.
Antimicrobial Stewardship
The Medical Group monitor antimicrobial prescribing closely and ensure prudent use of antimicrobials is adhered to as per national guidance.
Policies relating to Infection Prevention and Control are available to all staff, reviewed and updated annually and all are amended on an on-going basis as current advice, guidance, and legislation changes. Infection Control policies are available for all staff to access electronically on TeamNet.
Review date
January 2025
Responsibility for Review
The Infection Prevention and Control Lead GP and nurse are responsible for reviewing and producing the Annual Statement for and on behalf of St Thomas Medical Group.
Privacy Notice
STMG Children Privacy Notice v1
This practice is supporting vital health and care planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital. For more information about this see the GP Practice Privacy Notice for General Practice Data for Planning and Research.
Training and Education
Dr John Fox, Dr Alice Godwin, Dr Cath Sheppard, Dr Richard Wise, Dr Jess Fox and Dr Michelle Bailey are qualified General Practitioner Trainers. They regularly supervise GP Registrars / trainees working in the Practice.
The Practice also takes students on placement from Exeter and Peninsula Medical Schools.
Violent or Abusive Patients
St Thomas Medical Group – Zero Tolerance Statement
The Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way.
The Practice supports the government’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GP’s and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patient’s individual needs and circumstances. They would respectfully remind patients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations, all at the same time. Staff members understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint.
In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients the practice would like to ask all its patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:
- Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
- Any physical violence towards any member of staff at St Thomas Medical Group or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
- Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
- Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
- Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met where possible and explanations given when they cannot
- Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises, staff or patients
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
We ask you to treat your GP’s and their staff courteously at all times.
Removal from the practice list
A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of the practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.
Removing other members of the household
In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.