We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known.  Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably within writing, as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

The period for making a complaint is normally:

• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred or
• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice.

If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care.  You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority.  We are able to provide you with a separate complaints form to register your complaint and this includes a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else.  Please ask at reception for this.  You can provide this in your own format if you wish.

Please leave feedback online or send your written complaint to:

• Practice Management, Elthorne Park Surgery, 106 Elthorne Park Road, London, W7 2JJ

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.  If you wish to make a complaint but are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.  Please ask at reception for the complaints form which includes a statement of authority that the patient can sign.  Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident it may still be possible to deal with the complaint.  Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter. Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the above circumstances apply.

Confidentiality 

All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.

Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, the Practice Manager must inform the patient or person acting on his or her behalf if the investigation will involve disclosure of information contained in those records to a person other than the practice or an employee of the practice.

The practice must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from patients’ medical records.

The practice has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning issues or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.

The Surgery prides itself in maintaining professional standards. For certain examinations during consultations an impartial observer (a “Chaperone”) will be offered.

This impartial observer will be a practice Nurse or Health Care Assistant who is familiar with the procedure and be available to reassure and raise any concerns on your behalf. If a nurse in unavailable at the time of your consultation then your examination may be re-scheduled for another time.

You are free to decline any examination or chose an alternative examiner or chaperone. You may also request a chaperone for any examination or consultation if one is not offered to you. The GP may not undertake an examination if a chaperone is declined.

The role of a Chaperone:

• Maintains professional boundaries during intimate examinations.
• Acknowledges a patient’s vulnerability.
• Provides emotional comfort and reassurance.
• Assists in the examination.
• Assists with undressing patients, if required.

Child Safeguarding is the responsibility of all everybody and is highly regarded at the Surgery. We make every effort to recognise issues and address as they occur in the practice. By raising safeguarding children issues within the practice all staff will be aware of how they may access advice, understand their role in protection, and understand the importance of effective Inter-agency communication.

It is very important that all Practice staff understand the need for early identification, assessment and intervention when they have concerns about a child.  Case discussion and reflective practice is encouraged.  Child protection issues in general practice require a robust system of note-keeping and recording, message handling and communication of any concerns.

Key Factors to be aware of in safeguarding children

• The welfare of the child is paramount
• Be prepared to consult with colleagues
• Be prepared to take advice from local experts
• Keep comprehensive, clear, contemporaneous records
• Be aware of GMC guidance about sharing confidential information

Risk Factors and Identification – Child Sexual Exploitation

A child in need is defined as a child whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development without the provision of services (section 17, Children’s Act 1989). This includes disabled children. The Children’s Acts 1984 and 2004 define a child as someone who has not reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached their 16th birthday and may be living independently, working, or be members of the armed forces does not remove their childhood status under the Acts.

Local authority social services departments working with other local authority departments and health services have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need. If you are considering making a referral to Social Services as a child in need, it is essential to discuss the referral with the child’s parents or carers and to obtain consent for the sharing of information. Social Services will then follow local procedures to undertake an assessment of the child and their family.

Child Protection Plan

Children judged to be at continuing risk have a child protection plan in place, this list is maintained by children’s social care (CSC).CSC, police and health professionals have 24 hour access to this. A child on the register has a “key worker” to whom reference can be made.

Recognising Child Abuse

(for full details please ref to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013)

There are 4 main categories of child abuse:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Neglect/failure to thrive

These are not however exclusive, and a number of abuse types can often coexist.

Physical abuse may include:

Injuries in children under 1 years of age or non-mobile children should be treated with a high degree of care

• Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, or other forms of physical harm
• Where a parent or carer deliberately causes ill-health of a child
• Single traumatic events or repeated incidents
• FGM

Sexual abuse may include:

• Forcing or enticing a child under 18 to take part in sexual activities where the child is unaware of what is happening
• May include both physical contact acts and non—contact acts

Emotional abuse may include:

• Persistent ill-treatment which has an effect on emotional development
• Conveyance of a message of being un-loved, worthlessness or inadequacy
• May instill a feeling of danger, being afraid
• May involve child exploitation or corruption
• Living in families where domestic violence is taking place

Neglect may include:

• Failure to meet the child’s physical or psychological needs
• Failure to provide adequate food or shelter
• Failure to protect from physical harm
• Neglect of a child’s emotional needs

Common presentations and situations in which child abuse may be suspected include:

• Disclosure by a child or young person
• Physical signs and symptoms giving rise to suspicion of any category of abuse
• The history is inconsistent or changes
• A delay in seeking medical help
• Extreme or worrying behaviour of a child, taking account of the developmental age of the child
• Accumulation of minor incidents giving rise to a level of concern, including frequent A&E attendances

Some other situations which need careful consideration are:

• Disclosure by an adult of abusive activities
• Girls under 16 presenting with pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease, especially those with learning difficulties
• Very young girls requesting contraception, especially emergency contraception
• Situations where parental mental health problems may impact on children
• Parental/ carer alcohol, drug or substance misuse which may impact on children
• Parents with learning difficulties
• Violence or domestic abuse in the family (please see separate document in safeguarding folder on domestic violence)
• Acuminous separation of parents with alleged allegation

If you have any special needs please let our staff know so that we can help and ensure you get the same support in the future.

Wheelchair access

Wheelchair access is available at the front of the surgery and we have toilets for the disabled.

Disabled Parking – Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge scheme is for people with severe mobility problems. It allows Blue Badge holders to park close to where they need to go.

Blind/Partially Sighted

If you or family members are blind or partially sighted we can give you a CD or large print of our practice leaflet upon request. Please ask Reception for further information.

For more advice and support for blind people please see the following websites:

• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RIND)
• British Wireless for the Blind Fund
• British Blind Sport

Guide Dogs

Guide dogs are welcome at the surgery but we ask that you be aware of other patients and staff who may have an allergy or fear of dogs.

Further Information:

• Guide Dogs

Other Disability Websites

• BID Services
• Disability Go
• Disabled People, your Rights, Benefits, Carers and the Equality Act
• Disability Rights UK
• Living with a Disability NHS Choices
• Disability Action
• Mencap

The Fair Processing Notice is intended to inform you about the type of patient information that GP Practices hold, how that information might be used, with whom we may share that information, and how we ensure it is kept secure.

Fair Processing Notice

• Fair Processing notice – privacy-notice-05.21
• Fair Processing Notice – Whole Systems Integrated Care 

Further Information

• Whole Systems dashboard programme – healthiernorthwestlondon.nhs.uk
• Your Personal information Choices – content.digital.nhs.uk/yourinfo
• How information is used – content.digital.nhs.uk/article
• Review of health and care data security and consent – www.gov.uk
• Records management code of practice for health and social care – www.gov.uk
• Fair Processing NHS England – www.england.nhs.uk
• The information Governance Review – www.gov.uk
• NHS Choices – Your health and care records – www.nhs.uk

The Freedom of Information Act creates a right of access to recorded information and obliges a public authority to:

• Have a publication scheme in place
• Allow public access to information held by public authorities.

The Act covers any recorded organisational information such as reports, policies or strategies, that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, however it does not cover personal information such as patient records which are covered by the Data Protection Act.

Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces.

The Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner who regulates both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.

The Surgery publication scheme

A publication scheme requires an authority to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The scheme lists information under seven broad classes, which are:

• who we are and what we do
• what we spend and how we spend it
• what our priorities are and how we are doing it
• how we make decisions
• our policies and procedures
• lists and registers
• the services we offer

You can request our publication scheme leaflet at the surgery.

Who can request information?

Under the Act, any individual, anywhere in the world, is able to make a request to a practice for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing, by the practice, whether the practice holds information of the description specified in the request and if that is the case, have the information communicated to him. An individual can request information, regardless of whether he/she is the subject of the information or affected by its use. 

How should requests be made?

Requests must:

• be made in writing (this can be electronically e.g. email/fax)
• state the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence
• describe the information requested.

What cannot be requested?

Personal data about staff and patients covered under Data Protection Act.

For more information see these websites:

• Legislation GOV.UK
• Information Commissioners Office