Confidentiality & Medical Records
Your computerised record is accessed in all consultations with the Doctor, Nurse or Healthcare Assistant and assists us in maintaining high standards of clinical care. Use of the computer helps us to keep a record of preventative care procedures (like vaccinations and cervical smears) and is used for all prescribing. Use of all data within the Practice is governed by the Data Protection Act 1998. We also comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please ask at reception for further details.
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.
In 2006 the Government introduced a central electronic system to store all patient records nationally. This is called NHS Summary Care Record. Patients can opt out of this by filling in a form to withhold their details. These forms are available from Reception.
Medical students and Nursing students attend the practice from time to time. We hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice. However, you will be informed of their presence in advance, and if you do not want them to be present at a consultation, your wishes will be respected. This will not affect your treatment in any way.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Cookie Policy
EU Cookie Law
From 26th May 2012, all UK websites will need to comply with the new EU E-Privacy Directive 2009/136/EC. Cookies are only a small part of this directive, and whilst you are still allowed to use cookies on a website, it must be made clear to visitors to your site that cookies are being used. A message or warning must be displayed so that the visitor is aware of them.
At the top of our website we have displayed a message to warn you that our website makes use of cookies and that one has already been set. By displaying this message we hope that we are providing you with the information you require about our use of cookies, and presenting you with the option to consent to their use. This message will be displayed until such time that you agree to our site using cookies by clicking on the continue button.
a. What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small amount of data, often including a unique identifier, sent to the browser of your computer or mobile phone (referred to here as a "device") from a website's computer. It is stored on your device's hard drive. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it. To protect your privacy, your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, and not the cookies sent to you by other websites. Many websites do this whenever a user visits them to track online traffic flows.
On the Cathedral Medical Centre website, our cookies record information about your online preferences so we can tailor the site to your interests. You can set your device’s preferences to accept all cookies, notify you when a cookie is issued, or not receive cookies at all. Selecting the last option means you will not receive certain personalised features, which may result in you being unable to take full advantage of all the website's features. Each browser is different, so please check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
During the course of any visit to our website, every page you see, along with a cookie, is downloaded to your device. Many websites do this because cookies enable website publishers to do useful things like find out whether your device (and probably you) has visited the website before. On a repeat visit this is done by the website’s computer checking to see, and finding, the cookie left there on the last visit.
b. How do we use cookies?
Information supplied by cookies can help us analyse the profile of our visitors, which helps us provide you with a better user experience. For example, if on a previous visit you went to our marketing pages, we might find this out from your cookie and highlight marketing information on subsequent visits.
c. Third party cookies on our pages
Please note that during your visits to our website you may notice some cookies which are unrelated to us. If you visit a page with content embedded from an external source, for example, YouTube or Flickr, you may be presented with cookies from these websites. We do not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the third party websites for more information about these.
d. Cookies used on our site
We only use cookies to help us continuously improve our website and maintain a nice browsing experience for our visitors. Here is a list of cookies used on this website;
Google Analytics - We use cookies to compile visitor statistics such as how many people have visited our website, what type of technology they are using (e.g. Mac or Windows which helps to identify when our site isn’t working as it should for particular technologies), how long they spend on the site, what page they look at etc.
Session cookie - This is a standard cookie just to remember user preferences (Like font size)
e. How to delete cookies or control them
This site will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, if you wish to restrict or block cookies set by this or any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. The Help function within your browser should tell you how.
Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org which contains comprehensive information on how to do this for a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to clear cookies from your computer as well as more general information about cookies. For information on how to do this on your mobile phone’s browser, you will need to refer to your handset manual.
Patient Views and Participation
We welcome suggestions about ways of improving the services we offer. These can be made to your Doctor, the receptionists or the Practice Manager. There is also a suggestions box in the waiting room into which you can post your comments. We offer an in-house procedure to deal with complaints about the service we provide. We also run a Patient Participation Group, which uses an online forum for discussion on how the practice is run, and works towards improving the service we offer our patients. Please ask at reception for details.
Complaints
Please read our full Complaints Policy here
The practice aim is to give the best possible service to all our patients and we welcome your comments both positive and negative. We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and directly with the person concerned.
You can telephone the Practice to arrange a telephone call with the Practice Operations Manager in order to discuss your concerns. The Practice Operations Manager will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure your concerns are dealt with promptly.
However, if your problem cannot be resolved in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible - ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do this, please let us have details of your complaint within 12 months of the incident that is the cause of the problem, or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. We adhere to the strict rules of patient medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to be assured that you have their permission to do so and would ask that the patient consent form is signed by the patient concerned and returned to us, unless there are exceptional circumstances i.e. illness, incapacity, etc.
Please write in with details of your complaint or concern and include as much detail as possible – dates, times, staff involved, details of telephone calls, etc. Complaints should be addressed to the Practice Operations Manager at the relevant site either via e-mail or by post:
Cathedral Medical Centre, POW Hospital, Lynn Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 1DN [email protected]
If you are not satisfied in the way the practice has dealt with your complaint you can contact NHS England directly. Contact details are as follows:
By post to: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT
By email to: [email protected] (Please state: ‘For the attention of the complaints manager’ in the subject line).
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, excluding English Bank Holidays)
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Chaperone Policy
A chaperone should routinely be offered, to both female and male patients before conducting an intimate examination. However, patients may request a chaperone for other examinations too.
If you would like to see a copy of our Chaperone Policy or have any questions or comments regarding this please contact the Practice Manager.