Confidentiality & GDPR

The new Data Protection rules General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) come into effect from 25th May 2018.  The GDPR is something all GP's are working towards and you may see a few changes to the information you are given.  In essence the GDPR ensures that Information Governance and Information Security are at the forefront of any decisions that we make, ensuring your data and information is secure at all times.  We want to reassure patients that that we have always taken Data Protection and Confidentiality extremely seriously and will continue to do so.  

Please see our Privacy Notice here Practice Privacy Notice

Please see our Privacy Notice for Covid-19: 

Supplementary Privacy Notice

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

GDPR Leaflet for Patients

Children's GDPR Privacy Leaflet

COPI NoticesNotice under Regulation 3(4) of the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulation 2002

Notice under Regulation 3(4) of the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulation 2002

Comments & Suggestions

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please in the first instance send in an email to swanlow.surgery@nhs.net and somebody will contact you within 3 days of receiving this email.  

If you don't want to complain directly to Swanlow Medical Centre you can direct your complaint to NHS Cheshire & Merseyside and they can be contacted on 0800 132 996 or email enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk or in writing to Patient Experience Team, No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington, WA1 1QY

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

• Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
• Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
• Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
• Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
• Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
• Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
• Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

Rights and Responsibilities

Patients at this practice are entitled to:

• Be provided with services in a courteous, civil and co-operative manner
• A clear explanation of and advice on the patient’s medical condition an any proposed treatment
• A referral for specialist medical opinion or other second opinion in appropriate circumstances
• Receive information via the practice notice board / web site / newsletter of any relevant health promotion exercise and preventative medicine initiatives
•  Absolute confidentiality of medical records maintained by the practice subject to any provisions for disclosure imposed or allowed by law
• Access their own personal health records in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Please write to your Doctor if you wish to view your records.
• Have any formal complaint against the practice investigated and dealt with fairly and according to the practice Complaints Procedure
• Request (either in writing or verbally) to be seen by a particular Doctor. We shall endeavour to comply with this request, but need not do so if the preferred Doctor is not able to or has reasonable grounds for refusing

Patient Online Services Practice Statement of Intent.docx

Our Mission Statement

To strive for excellence and work in partnership with our patients to ensure they are supported in their healthcare in a setting that meets their expectations.

 Our Goals

• To be caring professionals who are committed and dedicated to providing a first class patient care service.

• To ensure our patients’ are seen by the most appropriate professional as quickly as possible.

• To provide services in a primary care setting, to ensure services are local to our patient population.

• To understand and work in partnership with patients and other agencies and encourage patients to participate fully in the decision making process about their healthcare.

• To treat patients with the same dignity and respect we would want for ourselves.

• To empower patients to take control of their own healthcare.

• To provide a safe and clean environment for our patients to be seen and also for our staff to work in.

• To focus on the prevention of diseases by promoting health and wellbeing and offering appropriate care and advice to our patients.

• To be a learning organisation that continually improves what we are able to offer patients and pass this knowledge on to trainees.

• To continually improve the lines of communication to patients using the latest technology as appropriate.

• To ensure the equipment we use is safe for practice and regularly inspected.

• To protect our staff by adhering to the Zero Tolerance policy.

Fair Processing Notice

Swanlow have just been advised that we have kept our Good rating following a "virtual" assessment in June 2022 by the Care Quality Commission.

Swanlow Medical Centre was awarded Good in our CQC visit in 2018.

CQC Final Report November 2018