Practice Policies & Patient Information
Access to medical records
You can now see your test results and read notes from your appointments in your NHS account.
This will help you see your test results and read notes from your appointments.
What’s changed
You will now be able to see all the information within your health record automatically.
If you are over 16 and have an online NHS account, such as through the NHS App or NHS website, you can now see all your notes from your GP.
For most people, access will be automatic and you won’t need to do anything.
What health information you can see
You will be able to access:
- notes from GP appointments
- test results
- any letters saved on your records
This only applies to records from your GP, not from hospitals or other specialists.
Privacy advice
If you do not want to see your health record or if you have any concerns, please talk to your GP.
The NHS app and website are secure so no one is able to access your information except you.
If you do not have the NHS app or an online account
These changes only apply to people with the NHS app or an online NHS account.
If you do not want an online account, you can still access your health records by asking at reception.
Did not attend (DNA) policy
What a DNA is
A DNA appointment is when a patient does not turn up for appointments, and does not contact the surgery to cancel or change the appointment.
This creates a significant strain on the NHS.
We understand that there are situations that can make it impossible for you to cancel your appointment, for example being admitted to hospital.
Our DNA policy
- If you fail to attend 2 or more appointments in the the previous month, you will get a warning letter.
- If you’ve had a warning letter and you miss another appointment, you’ll get another letter. This will say that you can only book appointments on the day, and not in advance.
- If you do not attend same day appointments, we will invite you to discuss a contract and an appointment plan. This will include you calling to confirm an appointment, if not it will be cancelled.
Warning letters last 12 months.
Cancelling appointments
To avoid DNA appointments, you can use the NHS app or online services to cancel your appointments.
You can also get a text reminder of your appointment, and you can reply to this to cancel if necessary. Please make sure we have the right mobile number for you.
Expedite Letters
If you have been referred to a hospital you can check the latest average wait time for appointments and operations by visiting NHS My Planned Care website.
Once your referral has been accepted by the hospital, any queries about when you will be seen should be directed to them, not your GP.
Patients are sometimes requested by the hospital to obtain a letter from their GP so their appointment can be expedited. This is unnecessary and creates an additional administrative burden on GP services. For this reason, we are not able to provide expedite letters.
If you are experiencing worsening symptoms, we advise you to contact your specialist directly so they can assess your condition and make the necessary arrangements if an expedite of your appointment is appropriate. If you have difficulty in accessing your consultant, you should contact PALS for assistance.
Get a document signed by your GP
You can ask your GP to sign a document for you. This will prove that they are true and accurate.
This includes:
- private sick notes
- insurance certificates
- benefit claims
- reports for adoption and fostering
We do not provide:
- reports proving you are fit to exercise
- fitness for travel certificates
- bus pass forms
- driving medicals
In person
If you do not have a digital copy or a good quality photograph of the document, you can bring a physical copy in to the surgery.
By post
You can send us a copy of the document by post.
When you post the documents, please include:
- the forms or documents you need completing
- why you need them
- who they should be addressed to
- your contact details
We will contact you when the documents are ready or if we need more information. In some cases, we may ask you to request an appointment.
Fees
You may have to pay for some types of documents to be signed by a GP, as not all of them are covered by the NHS.
We will let you know if you need to pay in advance.
It’s up to each GP to decide how much they charge. Most GPs use the British Medical Association’s suggested fees.
How long it takes
It can sometimes take a several weeks to have a GP sign a document for you.
Not all documents need a signature by a GP, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign some documents free of charge.
To check if someone else can sign for you, read government advice on certifying document.
GP net earnings
All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (average pay) for GP’s working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working at Riverport Medical Practice in the financial year ended 31 March 2022 was £47,518 before tax and national insurance. This is for 1 full-time GP, 1 part-time GP, 5 salaried GPs and 7 Locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
It should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time Doctors spend working in the Practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with other Practices.
Make a formal complaint
Most issues can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they happen and with the person involved. This may be what you try first.
If you cannot resolve the issue this way, you can make a formal complaint.
Get advice before you start
Before you make your complaint, you can get free, confidential advice from your local Healthwatch team.
Who can make a complaint
If you’re a registered patient you can make a complaint about your own care.
You can complain on behalf of someone else if you have their written consent.
When to make a complaint
It’s best to make a formal complaint within a few days of the incident. This makes it easier to confirm what happened.
If that’s not possible, you should make the complaint within 12 months of the incident, or of you discovering the problem.
How to make a complaint
You can either:
- get a complaint form from the practice reception
- write your own letter
If you write your own letter, you need to include:
- your full name
- your date of birth
- the GP practice you’re registered with
- details of the incident, including dates, times and names of people involved, if you know them
Send your complaint to the surgery. You can send it by email or post.
What happens next
We’ll let you know we’ve received your complaint within 3 working days.
Within 30 working days we may:
- reply to you in writing
- invite you to meet with the people involved, if you want
If it’s likely to take longer than 30 working days we’ll let you know, and we’ll update you as things change.
What we look at
We look at:
- what happened and why
- how we can help you talk to the people involved, if you want
- what we can learn
If more than one organisation is involved
Other organisations might be involved, for example social services. If so, we’ll talk to them and you’ll receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do this.
If your complaint gets sent to the wrong organisation to begin with, we may ask for your consent to forward it to the right place.
Outcome
We’ll write to tell you the outcome of your complaint.
We’ll also explain how to escalate the issue if you’re not happy with the outcome.
If you’re unhappy with the outcome
If you’re unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman. They may be able to look further into your complaint.
Get advice if you’re unhappy with the outcome
Contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to get free, confidential advice. You can find your nearest PALS office on the NHS website.
Complain on behalf of someone else
To complain for someone else, you need their written consent. They need to confirm that they:
- are unhappy with their treatment
- allow the practice to deal with someone else about the issue
We cannot discuss the issue with you until the patient gives their written consent.
We may also still need to talk directly with the patient.
How to complain on behalf of someone else
Ask at the practice reception for the complaints form. The patient needs to sign this to give their consent.
If the patient cannot give consent
If the patient cannot give consent because of illness or an accident, it might still be possible to deal with the complaint for them. Please write a letter which gives precise details of why they cannot give consent.
Confidentiality
This process is in place because we keep to strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.
Named GP
Patients registered at the Surgery have a named, accountable doctor who is responsible for coordinating their care.
Your named doctor will be allocated to you by the practice.
You can still talk to or make appointments to see any of our doctors or nurses, not just your named GP.
If you have a preference and would like to request a particular doctor at the practice to be your named GP please talk to one of our receptionists.
Patient confidentiality
We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible care.
This information may be used for management and audit purposes. However, it is usually only available to, and used by, those involved in your care. You have the right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records please contact the Practice Manager.
Your confidentiality is important to us
You can be sure that anything you discuss with any member of this practice – family doctor, nurse, receptionist – will stay confidential.
Even if you are under 16 nothing will be said to anyone – including parents, other family members, carer workers or tutors – without your permission. The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission, would be to protect you or someone else from serious harm. We would always try to discuss this with you first.
If you are being treated elsewhere – for example at a hospital or Brook centre – it is best if you allow the doctor or nurse to inform the practice of any treatment you are receiving.
If you have any worries about confidentiality please feel free to ask a member of staff.
Privacy policy
General practice data for planning and research (GPDfPR)
NHS Digital has been collecting data from GPs through its trusted General Practice Extraction Service.
This system is now being replaced with their new General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) service, a broader general-purpose collection which will enable faster access to pseudonymised patient data for planners and researchers.
The NHS needs data about the patients it treats in order to plan and deliver its services and to ensure that care and treatment provided is safe and effective. The General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection will help the NHS to improve health and care services for everyone by collecting patient data that can be used to do this.
GP practices already share patient data for these purposes, but this new data collection will be more efficient and effective.
This means that GPs can get on with looking after their patients, and NHS Digital can provide controlled access to patient data to the NHS and other organisations who need to use it, to improve health and care for everyone.
Opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data (‘Type 1 opt-out’)
If you do not want your identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except for your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 opt-out.
Type 1 opt-outs were introduced in 2013 for data sharing from GP practices, but may be discontinued in the future as a new opt-out has since been introduced to cover the broader health and care system, called the National Data Opt-out. If this happens people who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.
NHS Digital will not collect any patient data for patients who have already registered a Type 1 opt-out in line with current policy. If this changes patients who have registered a Type 1 opt-out will be informed.
How to register a Type 1 opt-out
To register a Type 1 opt-out you need to do the following.
- Download the Type 1 opt-out form from the NHS website
- Complete the form and return it to your GP practice – you can do this by post or email, or leave it in person.
You can also contact us for a form to be sent out to you.
You can register a Type 1 opt-out at any time. You can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 opt-out. If you have already registered a Type 1 opt-out with your GP practice your data will not be shared with NHS Digital.
If you have previously registered a Type 1 opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this.
View your medical records
Medical records hold information about you. They are sometimes called health records.
Your GP medical record includes:
- past conditions
- allergies
- medication
- test results
- appointment notes and letters
You will have different records for other NHS services you’ve used, including hospitals, dentists and opticians. To access these records, you’ll need to contact the relevant service.
Using the NHS app or website
The NHS app is a quick way to access NHS services. Using the NHS app means you do not need to enter your personal details each time you contact the surgery. You can read more about the app on the NHS website.
You can view your GP medical record online using your NHS account.
You will need the NHS app or your NHS account login details.
You may need to ask the surgery for access to view your medical records in your NHS account. You’ll only need to do this once.
Find out more
For more information about how to request your medical records from other health services, such as hospitals and dentists, see NHS advice on medical records.
Violent and abusive behaviour
As an employer, the practice has a duty to care for the health and safety of its staff.
The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff.
All patients are expected to behave in an acceptable manner and violent or abusive behaviour towards staff or patients may result in removal from our practice list or even criminal proceedings. The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning zero tolerance.
The practice has a policy of zero tolerance of verbal and physical violence towards GPs, staff or other patients.
The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.
We report all physical abuse to the police as an assault.
We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Any alteration of prescriptions is illegal and will not be tolerated.
If you’re unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us.
On the very rare occasions when a patient repeatedly ignores their responsibilities to the Practice, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.
Unacceptable behaviour
Examples of unacceptable behaviour include:
- violence
- excessive noise eg recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting
- threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offence remarks
- derogatory racial or sexual remarks
- malicious allegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors
- offensive sexual gestures or behaviours
- abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises
- drug dealing on practice premises
- wilful damage to practice property
- threats or threatening behaviour
- theft
Zero tolerance
Our staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
They should be able to do their jobs without being physically or verbally abused.
Anyone found abusing the staff in person or on the telephone will be asked to leave the practice.
This behaviour will not be tolerated.
Removal from the patient list
In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a doctor and their patient.
If the breakdown is serious, for example physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, the doctors may feel that the relationship has been compromised.
We may take steps to remove the patient from the doctor’s list. Where possible, we prefer to discuss with the patient to try to find a solution.
We give reasons for removal in writing.