Freedom of Information Publication Scheme for Ballater Surgery

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PUBLICATION SCHEME FOR BALLATER SURGERY

This Publication Scheme provides a guide to the services and General Practitioners who practice together within Ballater Surgery as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The document is based on the model publication scheme for general practices produced by the NHS Freedom of Information (FOI) project board and the British Medical Association (BMA).

  1. Introduction

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Drs Tavabie. It is a description of the information about our General Practitioners (GPs) and Practice, which we make publicly available.  It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its effectiveness.

  1. How much does it cost?

The publications are all free unless otherwise indicated. Where there is a charge for providing information the cost will be calculated as set out in class 7.

  1. How is the information made available?

The information within each Class is available in hard copy from:

Practice Manager
Ballater Surgery
108 Chislehurst Road
Orpington
Kent
BR6 0DW

The information is also downloadable from the practice website.

Rights of Access to Information

At the present time, in addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about Ballater Surgery under the Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS 1995. Information is available on the Department of Health website www.doh.gov.uk.

Sometimes some or all of the information cannot be provided and we will explain the reasons why not when this happens.

  • The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost and how the decisions are made.
  • From the 1st January 2005 it will require all General Practices to respond to requests about information that they hold, and it will create a right of access to that information. Those rights are subject to some exemptions which have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information it can release.
  • The Environmental Information which came into force in 1993 set the standard for the release of information about the environment in which we live and work. These are likely to be strengthened within the next 18 months under a European Directive. Until the new regulations come into force, information relating to the environment can be requested using the existing regulation and Code of Practice on Openness.
  • Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you and you can contact the surgery to do this.
  1. Feedback

If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme or how we have dealt with your request for information from the Scheme please write to the Practice Manager.

Classes of information

All information at Ballater Surgery is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS or Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons relate to the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme.

The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following broad categories:

Class 1 Information:

 Who we are:

Ballater Surgery
108 Chislehurst Road
Orpington
Kent
BR6 0DP

Key Personnel:

 General Practitioners: Dr N.Jayasinghe, Dr Y. Baloch, Dr B. Tyszka

  • Practice Manager: J Morrison
  • Receptionists: Z. Littlemore, D. Brett, K. Scales, F. Ukueku, J. Bennett, S. Collins, D. Thompson, R. Vandervell
  • Phlebotomists: Ms. V. Greaves
  • Prescription Clerks: Mrs S Gunjal, Miss D Blackman
  • HCA: 
  • Practice Nurses: B. Breeds, O. Asare-Bediako
  • Diabetes Specialist Nurse Practitioner: D. Hankin
  • Administrators: Miss N. Beveridge, Mrs L. Draper, Mrs K. Phillips,

Please note that some information will be withheld including personal, confidential information about individuals that is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Class 2 Information: Our Services

The Range of services we provide under contract to the NHS are as follows:

Essential Services

  1. Management of patients who are ill or believe themselves to be ill, with conditions which recovery is generally expected, for the duration of that condition, including general health promotion advice and referral as appropriate, reflecting patient choice wherever practicable.
  2. General management of patients who are terminally ill
  • Management of chronic disease in the manner determined by the practice, in discussion with the patient.

Additional Services

  1. Cervical Screening
  2. Contraceptive services
  • Vaccination and Immunisation
  1. Child Health Surveillance
  2. Maternity Services

Enhanced Services

These are the NHS services not provided through Essential or Additional services.  They include more specialised service undertaken by GPs or Nurses with special interests and allied professionals and other services at the primary-secondary care interface.  They may also include services addressing specific local health needs or requirements, and innovative services that are being piloted and evaluated.

Further details of Enhanced Services are available at the practice.

Out of Hours Service

The emergency out of hours service is provided by EMDOC.

Quality Standards

The practice seeks to comply fully with the requirements of the PMS contract Quality and Outcomes Frameworks, National Institute for Clinical excellence, National Service Framework guidelines, NHS complaints procedure, Clinical Governance and other relevant quality standards.

Class 3 Information: Financial and funding information

The Ballater Surgery receives money from Bromley CCG according to its contract with them in exchange for services provided for patients.

For services outside the NHS contract, whether provided to NHS or private patients, a charge is made according to a notice displayed in Reception and on our website. Further information on chargeable services is available from the practice reception staff.

Class 4 Information: Regular publications and information for the public

Guidance and information leaflets on a variety of health issues are available at the surgery.  Please ask at reception.

Class 5 Information: Complaints

Ballater Surgery follows the NHS complaints procedure and follows a strict protocol when dealing with all complaints. A copy of the practice complaints procedures is available at reception.  Alternatively please write to the Practice Manager.

Class 6 Information: Our policies and procedures

General policies and procedures in use within the practice include, but are not restricted to: data protection, prescribing and prescriptions, management of violent patients and health and safety.

Class 7 information: This Publication Scheme

In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquiries regarding information management generally in the Practice. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

Cost of Information

For the most part, we will charge you only for hard copies or copying onto media (e.g. CD ROM).  Some information is available free, but for others there may be a charge.  The charges will vary according to how information is made available.

  1. Practice Website – Free of charge, although any charges for Internet Service provider and personal printing costs would have to be met by the individual.

For those without Internet access, a single print-out as on the website would be available by post from the Practice Manager by personal application at Ballater Surgery. However, requests for multiple printout, or for archived copies of documents which are no longer accessible or available on the web, may attract a charge for retrieval, photocopy, postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges that will be paid in advance. We will not provide printouts of other organisations websites.

  1. Leaflets and brochures – Free of charge for leaflets or booklets on, for example, services we offer to the public. A list is available from reception.
  2. “Glossy” or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD Rom, video or other mediums, are available for a charge as in out publication list available from the Practice Manager at Ballater Surgery.
  3. Email will be free of charge unless it says otherwise.

The charges will be reviewed regularly.

Useful Resources

Websites:

Practice Website

This is the website of the Information Commissioner

This is the website of the Lord Chancellor’s Department

Freedom of Information Act

Publications

 Copyright

Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to General Practice copyright unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided it is done so accurately in a manner which will not mislead. Where any items are republished or copied to others, you must identify the source and acknowledge copyright status.   This permit does not extend to third party material, accessed through the scheme.

For HMSO Guidance Notes see http://www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm