Policies
We have clear policies on how our service is run and are happy to share this information with you.
Our Mission
To provide patient-centred care with compassion at the heart of every consultation .
Services
One to one consultations will be offered with an initial appointment time of 90 minutes. This is to allow a detailed and holistic history to be taken and to establish what the ideas, concerns and expectations of the client are.
Prior to the appointment forms will be sent to the client to fill in to gather required information. This will include verifying your identity using a virtual identity check via Stripe.
Once a clear history has been established a shared decision making approach will be undertaken to ensure a patient-centred experience. The risks and benefits of all treatment options with be discussed and further written information can be provided if the client wishes.
If further medical details are needed the client will be asked for consent for the clinician to contact their own GP or they can obtain a copy of their GP records under GDPR legislation and provide this to the service to be stored securely with their notes.
If necessary electronic prescriptions and referral letters to private secondary care will be arranged. If they are part of a consultation there will be no additional cost but if they are requested out with a booked appointment there will be a £15 administration charge.
Electronic prescriptions can be sent to your local pharmacy for collection via Signature Rx or can be delivered to you by post via Cloud Rx.
We do not offer controlled drug prescriptions.
Following consultation clients will receive a letter outlining the details of their consultation and the agreed treatment plan. Treatment plans will include any advice about medications, new prescriptions of medication, behavioural advice and follow up plans.
Clients will be encouraged to consent to a letter being sent to their GP with a summary of the consultation and treatment plan. If follow up with the client’s GP has been recommended it will be clear why this is needed.
If clients do not want to share information with their GP this will be discussed and a GP letter will be shared with them that they can hand in to their GP if they later so wish. There may be circumstances where not sharing information is a potential risk and this may affect the treatment plan.
Follow up consultations will be offered at a frequency negotiated individually with each client. Follow up appointment will be charged pro-rata based on an hourly rate and the length of appointment will be discussed depending on the needs of the client.
Clients have up to 48 hours prior to an appointment to cancel without incurring any cost. If an appointment is cancelled within 48 hours a 25% charge will be incurred and within 24 hours a 50% charge will be incurred.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy courses will also require forms to be completed prior to attendance. A short meeting will be held with each client to discuss their suitability for the course and ensure that they are aware of the commitments required of them. The course cost will be paid upfront and places can be cancelled up to 1 week before the start of the course with a full refund. In the event that a client is unable to complete the course this fee is non-refundable as places can not be offered to alternative clients once the course has started.
Please note we cannot offer a service for medical emergencies. If you think you have a medical emergency phone your NHS GP, dial 111 or 999.
There is NO need to de-register from your NHS GP!
Private GP Services are complimentary to that provided by your NHS practitioner. Many people use a private GP to reduce the time to see a specialist . Our private doctor can refer you to a private Specialist if required for further investigation or treatment under specialist advice. We often work with your current NHS GP and share information to help get a complete picture of your health and in the future there is no problem going back to the NHS.
Duty of Candour
Duty of candour means every healthcare worker must be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with their treatment or care. It is a legal obligation that care providers must inform the people affected by the incident, offer reasonable support, provide truthful information and a timely apology.
We have a policy and procedures in place to ensure that all patient safety events are documented and clients will be notified any event where they have been deemed to be at any risk to their health.
Complaints
It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service and to resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively and politely as possible. We take complaints very seriously, investigating them in a full and fair way and take great care to protect your confidentiality. We learn from complaints to improve our care and service. We will never discriminate against patients who have made a complaint and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this procedure.
If you are not entirely satisfied with any aspect of our care or service, please let us know as soon as possible to allow us to address your concerns promptly. We accept complaints made verbally as well as written complaints. If you do not feel you can raise a complaint about your care directly with us, you can address your complaint directly to:
Programme Manager
Independent Healthcare Services Team
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB
Tel: 0131 623 4342 (10am-2pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: his.ihcregulation@nhs.scot
Chaperones
We are 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 appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is 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 us.
Information Governance
How we use your personal information
Health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously. These records are used to help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.
Records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records we hold about you may include the following information;
• Details about you, such as your name, address, carers, legal representatives and emergency contact details
• Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, etc.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about your treatment and care
• Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.
How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:
• Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• Health and Social Care Act 2012
Every member of staff who works for this organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.
We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the new information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.” This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.
Who are our partner organisations?
We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;
• NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
• GP’s
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private Sector Providers
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Social Care Services
• Fire and Rescue Services
• Police & Judicial Services
You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for explicit consent for this happen when this is required.
Access to personal information
If you would like to make a ‘subject access request’, please contact us. We ask that you complete our standard subject access request form before we can start the process, and allow up to 28 days to process the request. There is no charge for a standard subject access request, however repeated requests and/or requests deemed excessive may be chargeable.
Objections / Complaints
Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, please contact us. If you are still unhappy following a review, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk).
If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact us.
Cookies
Cookies enable us to identify your device, or you when you have logged in. We use cookies that are strictly necessary to enable you to move around the site or to provide certain basic features. We use cookies to enhance the functionality of the website by storing your preferences, for example.
Change of Details
It is important that you tell the person treating you if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details such as date of birth is incorrect in order for this to be amended. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes so our records are accurate and up to date for you.
Notification
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.
This information is publicly available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk
The practice is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). registration number CSN4414393
Who is the Data Controller?
The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is:
Aileen Billsdon-McGrane