FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

PUBLICATION SCHEME

Welcome to Old Mill Surgery’s publication scheme. This scheme is produced in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 

INTRODUCTION

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by doctor Paul Hutchinson, at Old Mill Surgery.  It is a description of the information about our General Practitioner and the Practice, which we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its effectiveness.

How much does it cost?

The publications are free unless otherwise indicated within each class. Where information is provided at a cost the charges will be calculated as set out in Class 7 of this publication.

How is the information made available?

The information within each class is available … by downloading from our practice website at www.oldmillsurgery.co.uk or available in paper form from the leaflet racks in reception or by writing, contacting Lis Stackhouse the Practice Manager at the surgery.  Written requests for our publications will be responded to within 20 working days, please include a stamped self addressed envelope with written requests.

YOUR RIGHTS TO INFORMATION

• In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about our Practice under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
• The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognizes that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organized and run, how much they cost and how decisions are made.
• From 1^st January 2005 the Freedom of Information Act will oblige all General Practices to respond to requests about information that they hold and record in any format.  The Act will create a right to access to that information. These rights are subject to some exemptions which have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information can be released.
• Environmental information regulations introduced will enable similar access to environmental information as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you by our practice. You can request to see your own medical record by writing to the Practice Manager at the surgery.

Feedback:

We welcome suggestions about how this publication scheme and the presentation of the information itself might be improved.  If you have any comments, or if you have any difficulty accessing any information please contact the Practice Manager.

CLASSES OF INFORMATION

All information at Old Mill Surgery is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines.

Our commitment to publish or supply information excludes any information which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000 or any formation which has been destroyed or updated in accordance with NHS guidelines.

Where individual classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are for example 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 available under this scheme is grouped into the following broad categories:

Class 1      Who we are

This NHS practice is part of Torbay Care Trust and provides medical services for patients living within the boundaries of Torquay and Paignton.  A map of our practice area is available in our Practice Leaflet which is available from reception and on our Practice website.

A full list of the General Practices in this area and further details about how the Primary Care Trust fits into the NHS, a major part of the public sector, can be found … on the Primary Care Trust website www.torbay-pct.nhs.uk or by writing to them at Torbay Care Trust, Bay House, Riviera Park, Nicholson Road, TORQUAY, TQ2 7TD.

Our practice is contracted to provide Personal Medical Services for our registered patients under contract to the Torbay Care Trust in accordance with our Personal Medical Services contract.  Old Mill Surgery is one of 7 Practices forming Torquay South Zone, we share health and care services with these Practices for our patients.

Some information about our practice will be withheld, including personal, confidential information about individuals, which is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998.

The General Practitioner is:

The following key personnel work within the practice and are employed by the practice. A full up to date list is available free of charge in our practice leaflet from reception, on our Practice website and on our notice board where staff pictures are displayed.

The following people provide services to our patients but are employed by The Torbay Care Trust:

The following people use our facilities to provide services to our patients but are employed by other NHS Agencies.

Class 2 Our Services.

A full list of the services we provide can be found in our practice leaflet in which we include:

• details of our doctor’s clinical interests.
• Information about our Nurse Practitioner and Health Care Assistant
• a timetable of our opening hours
• our Patients’ Charter
• How to obtain Repeat Prescriptions
• Out of Hours Medical services

Copies of the practice leaflet and Patients’ Charter can be obtained free of charge from reception

We provide an Out of Hours service through Devon Doctors on Call.  Further information about this service can be obtained from Devon Doctors on Call, Unit 10, Manaton Court, Manaton Close, Matford Business Park, Exeter EX2 8PF. There is also a leaflet about this service available at reception or in our leaflet rack.

We share information with other service providers in accordance with the policies agreed with the Torbay Care Trust and by reference to the Data Protection Act.

Class 3  Financial and funding information.

We receive fees for providing medical services to our registered patients from the Torbay Care Trust through the mechanism of our Personal Medical Services contract.

Total Income received from the NHS before expenses in last financial year to end of June 2006 was £325K

From these fees the Practice has to meet the costs of running the Practice this includes the following main expenses:

·        Running costs and maintenance of the premises and equipment

·        Administrative costs including pay, training and locum cover

·        IT support and maintenance and training

·        Communications support, maintenance and running costs

·        Infrastructure investment such as clinical equipment

We receive a drug budget that is set by the Torbay Care Trust on a yearly basis to provide prescriptions for our registered patients.  Total sum spent on drugs prescribed by our Practice in last financial year 2005/6 was £296K.  The budgets received vary from year to year and can be obtained by writing to the Practice Manager.

We have a scale of fees for work that comes outside of our Personal Medical Services contract.  Details are displayed on notices in reception.  There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because it is:

·        confidential or

·        commercial information or

·        the appropriate officer designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the conduct of the practice’s affairs or

·        no longer available under NHS guidelines

Class 4  Regular Publications and information for the public

1)     We keep a range of leaflets on medical problems that can be accessed by: 

a)     Asking our practice nurses or the doctors

b)    Looking on the leaflet racks in the waiting rooms

c)     From regularly up dated websites which may be accessed for you by a clinician during a consultation

2)    We keep you informed of temporary alterations in our opening hours by:

a)     Prominent notices on the waiting room notice board

b)    Notices on the entrance doors

c)     Handouts available on leaflet racks

d)     Accessing our website

3)    We publish a newsletter for our patients from time to time.   It is available in the waiting room or from the leaflet racks.

4)    We publish a practice leaflet which is updated regularly. 

It is available from reception.  Once an update is produced, previous copies are destroyed and are no longer available for publication.

5)    We keep some leaflets and information produced by other organizations. These can be accessed from the leaflet racks

The leaflets available under Class 4 are free of charge.

Leaflets may from time to time become unavailable due to replacement by an alternative or because they are being updated.

Class 5  Complaints.

We have a practice complaints procedure which has been agreed with our Primary Care Trust for all practices and a copy may be obtained from the Practice Manager.  If you wish to make a complaint, please write or ask to speak to the Practice Manager. There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because it is confidential to a third party as regulated by the Data Protection Act 1998 or is no longer available under NHS guidelines.

Class 6  Our Policies and Procedures.

We keep policies in the following areas:

1)      Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

2)    Clinical Procedures.

3)    Administrative Procedures.

4)    Complaints

5)    Records Management, Information Sharing and Data Protection

6)    Drugs, Dispensing, Prescribing and Prescriptions

7)    Health and Safety

8)    Employment

9)    Risk Management

10) Audit and Controls Assurance

These policies are subject to regular review.  They are available by writing to the Practice Manager.  There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because it is:

·        confidential or

·        security based or

·        commercial information or

·        the appropriate officer designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the    conduct of the practice’s affairs or

·        no longer available under NHS guidelines

·        no longer current and has been replaced

There is a charge for producing a hard copy of this information as detailed in class 7 below.

Class 7  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 our Practice.  We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

Most information is available free, but there may be a charge to cover the costs of supplying information if assessed at over £450.

Charges.

1.       Website

a)     Free of charge - You may download any publication that we post on the web site using your own computer.  Charges for the Internet Service provider and personal printing costs would have to be met by you.

b) We are not able to provide printouts of other organisations’ websites.

     c) If you do not have access to the Internet:

i)       The Public Library have a service you can use.

ii)    Printouts are available from the practice by writing to the Practice Manager and enclosing a large stamped addressed envelope depending on whether you require:

(1)   A single print out from the website 

(2) Multiple printouts

(3) Or archived copies of documents that are no longer accessible or available on the website

(4) We can copy information onto electronic media from our own website.

(2) & (3) will attract a charge for clinical and administration time for retrieval, photocopy and postage if this is more than £450.  We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance.

2.     Leaflets and brochures about our practice are available at the reception desk free of charge for single copies.

3.     Glossy, laminated or other bound paper copies or in some cases a CD ROM, video or other media will be charged for.

4.     E mail will be free of charge.

You are requested to submit a large stamped self addressed envelope with any request for hardcopies to be sent by post.

The charges will be reviewed regularly.

Any enquiries regarding information management in this practice should be referred to the Practice Manager.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Websites:                                           www.oldmillsurgery.co.uk

National Health Service                      www.nhs.uk

Department of Health                          www.doh.gov.uk

Information Commissionner                  www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Ministry of Justice               http://www.justice.gov.uk

NHS Freedom of Information              www.foi.nhs.uk

Torbay Care Trust           www.torbay-pct.nhs.uk

Publications 

NHS Openness Code        http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4050490

FOI Act 2000                       http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000036_en_1

Statement of Fees & Allowances

payable for General Medical

Practitioners in England                       http://www.redbook.i12.com/rb/Docs/rb0.htm

NICE best practice guidelines             Available from www.nhs.uk  or www.doh.gov.uk searches

National Service Frameworks              Available from http://www.nhs.uk  or www.doh.gov.uk searches

COPYRIGHT

Material available through the publications scheme is subject to this Practice’s copy right 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 that will not mislead. Where 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 www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm