CONFIDENTIALITY
(click HERE for
important developments)
We feel it is time to tell our patients who has access
to medical notes. The paper notes are stored in the building unless a doctor
uses them for visits. The computer records can be used at any of the surgery
computers. There is an open external link used to maintain the computer by
our software suppliers. The suppliers do not open individual records.
The following staff have access to all notes: -
General Practitioners
General Practitioners in training
Practice Nurses
The following practice staff have access to notes to
perform tasks e.g. filing or for clinical consultations: -
Receptions Staff
Practice Manager
District Nurses
Health Visitors
Physiotherapists
Midwives
Dietitian
Psychiatric Nurse
The following do not have routine access to notes: -
Relatives
Employers
Lawyers
Police
In certain circumstance (usually the patients written
approval or consent or it is a legal requirement) information will be
released. It is understood that patients often have little choice about
signing permission slips but we have refused inappropriate access in
the past.
The practice is being asked to allow other non clinical
staff to have access to notes:-
Non-clinical Pharmacy staff (to check our prescribing).
Health Authority staff (to check our financial claims).
Doctors or other professional staff checking the quality
of our notes for training or NHS data standards.
There are also government plans to create open computer
access for:-
NHS direct.
Hospital staff.
"The NHS family".
Last year the government requested access to names and
addresses of patients seen recently for its Access survey.
Review of the notes for the NHS records service is due
in the next three months.
We will continue to allow access to practice staff unless
individual patients wish to change access to their own notes. We are keen
to hear patients' views about external access to notes or any other aspect
of confidentiality and will make changes for individuals if we can. We
will change arrangements for the whole practice if there is a consistent
view.
FEEDBACK.
