GDPR

Enhanced Patient Communication: Our Cloud Telephony System

Highfield Surgery has partnered with X-On Health Limited to introduce a new cloud-based telephone system designed to improve your experience when contacting the surgery. This advanced system offers several benefits:

No Engaged Tone & Smart Queuing: You’ll never hear an engaged tone. The system can manage many calls at once, and you’ll be informed of your position in the queue and estimated waiting time.
Convenient Call-back Option: If the waiting time in the queue exceeds 6 minutes, you’ll be offered the option to receive a call back. You won’t lose your place in the queue, and the system will call you back when you reach the front.
Efficient Call-Routing: Our system helps direct your call to the most appropriate person or team, ensuring you get the right support quickly.
Seamless Clinical System Integration: This feature allows our staff to swiftly identify you and access relevant information during your call. Your patient record automatically loads, reducing search time, and audio recordings of consultations can be saved directly to your clinical record.
Call Recording: For quality, training, and accuracy purposes, all incoming and outgoing calls are recorded.

Our goal is to ensure you understand how to access our services and clinical team without misunderstanding.

When you call the surgery during opening hours, please note that you should not have to wait excessively long. If the queue has a waiting time of more than 6 minutes, you are welcome to leave your phone number for a call-back, and your position in the queue will be maintained. All telephone calls are answered in the order they are received.

While we encourage you to use our telephone system, you can also contact us via email or letters. Medication requests can conveniently be made through the NHS app.

Please take a moment to consider the various options available when calling. For example, if you need advice about prescribed medication or test results, selecting the appropriate option will direct you to the correct service more efficiently.

Accessing Your Health Records

Highfield Surgery maintains computerised health records and operates under the “DATA PROTECTION ACT,” which implements the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK. This legislation grants you statutory rights regarding your personal data.

We believe in open information sharing with our patients. By law, you have the right to access your medical records, including both computerised and any hand-written records created after November 1, 1991.

How to Request Access: To request access to your records, you must apply in writing, clearly stating the reason for your request.

Who Can Apply: Applications can be made by:

The patient themselves.
A parent or guardian on behalf of a child.
A personal representative for a deceased patient.
A person appointed to manage the affairs of a patient who is unable to do so personally.

We aim to process applications promptly, though it may take up to 28 days.

For any questions about our health records access policy, please contact our Practice Manager, Miss Heather Wilson.

Confidentiality of Your Information

Everyone working within the NHS has a strict duty to keep your information confidential. We are committed to protecting the data you share with us.

When We Share Information:

For Your Direct Care: We will share appropriate information with other healthcare agencies involved in your care (e.g., hospital doctors, social services, therapists) when necessary for your treatment, unless you ask us not to.
For Service Improvement: We may also share relevant information with staff not directly involved in your care, such as pharmacists or record clerks, to monitor and improve our services. These staff are also bound by confidentiality rules, and you can ask us not to share your information in this way.
Medical Audit: We use health information for medical audits to enhance our quality of care, ensuring individual details remain anonymous.

Consent for Non-Health Organisations: We will not release any information or reports to solicitors, employers, non-health organisations, insurers, or researchers without your specific consent, unless legally required to do so.

If you have any questions about our record-keeping or confidentiality policy, please contact our Practice Manager, Miss Heather Wilson.

Freedom of Information: Your Right to Know

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives members of the public the right to understand how public services, including Highfield Surgery, are organised, funded, and how decisions are made.

Highfield Surgery operates a Publication Scheme as required by this Act. This scheme serves as a guide to the information routinely made available to the public about our practice and General Practitioners.

What Information is Available? Our Publication Scheme outlines:

Who We Are: Details about the practice, organisational structure, key personnel (including our GPs: Dr M H Martin, Dr D T Bennett, Dr N M Barr, Dr C H Petrie, Dr E Espada, Dr E Hodgson, Dr P Siddi, Dr M Shah), and how we fit into the NHS. This includes information on our contract with Blackpool Primary Care Trust and our adherence to NICE and NHS guidelines.
Our Services: A range of services provided under our NHS contract, such as baby clinics, immunisations, contraceptive services, and disease management clinics.
Financial Information: Details on how the surgery is funded.
Publications & Information: Leaflets and guidance sheets on clinical and health services.
Complaints: Policies, procedures, and contacts for making a complaint.
Policies & Procedures: General policies in use, including data protection, prescribing, zero tolerance, and health and safety.
This Publication Scheme: Information on any changes to the scheme and how to provide feedback.

Accessing Information: Most information is provided free of charge, especially if available online. For hard copies, leaflets, or specialised formats, there may be a charge for retrieval, photocopying, or postage. We will always inform you of any costs beforehand.

You can request hard copies of information by contacting:

Practice Manager Highfield Surgery South Shore Primary Care Centre Lytham Road Blackpool FY4 1TJ Tel: 01253 204672

Feedback: We welcome your comments on the Publication Scheme or how your information request was handled. Please write to the Practice Manager at the address above.

How Your Information Is Shared (National Data Opt-Out)

Information about you and your care is securely shared by healthcare staff within the NHS to support your treatment and care. This data is vital for planning and improving services for all patients. By linking information from various points of care (e.g., GP, hospital, community services), we can gain a comprehensive picture of care pathways and identify best practices.

Your Identity is Protected: Information such as your postcode and NHS number (but not your name) is used to link your records in a secure system. This protects your identity, allowing anonymised data to be used by researchers and health service planners to ensure the best possible care for everyone.

You Have a Choice:

No Action Needed: If you are comfortable with your information being used in this way, you do not need to do anything.
Opting Out: If you have concerns or wish to prevent this type of data sharing for planning and research, you can opt-out.
- Type 1 Opt-out: This prevents your GP practice from sharing your identifiable patient data with NHS Digital. You can register this at any time, and it will prevent further data sharing.
- National Data Opt-out: This prevents NHS Digital from sharing your identifiable patient data for planning and research purposes.
Your Care Will Not Be Affected: Opting out using either method will not impact the care you receive.
Safeguards: We have implemented strict safeguards, including removing direct personal identifiers before data is shared with NHS Digital. Robust governance processes ensure data access is controlled, safe, and secure.

Making data available for research helps lead to better NHS services, treatments, and medicines for all patients.

For more information and to register an opt-out, please speak to practice staff or use the forms available on our website:

Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)

For transparency, Highfield Surgery conducts and publishes Data Protection Impact Assessments for various software and systems we use, including Docman, IGPR, AccuRx (including PIFU and Accubook), Heidi Health, and Advanced Telephony (X-ON). These documents are available on our website to demonstrate how we mitigate privacy risks.

AccuRx PIFU DPIA

AccuRx DPIA

AccuRx DPIA Accubook

DPIA for the use of Docman software

Heidi Health DPIA

DPIA for the Use of IGPR Software for Redaction of Subject Access Requests and Other Reports

Joy – DPIA

Advanced Telephony – X ON DPIA with guidance – Highfield Surgery P81074

Our Practice Charter: A Partnership in Your Health

We are dedicated to providing the best possible service and hope you find that we achieve this aim. Your health is a partnership between you and our Primary Health Care Team, and its success relies on mutual understanding and cooperation.

Our Responsibility to You:

You will always be greeted courteously.
You have an absolute right to confidentiality regarding your health information.
You have the right to access your medical records, within the bounds of the law.
If your medical problem is urgent, you will be seen on the same day.
We will endeavour for you to see the doctor of your choice whenever possible.
Should there be a delay of more than 20 minutes for your appointment, you will be informed.
Your GP will refer you to a consultant when deemed medically necessary.
Test results will be provided upon request or at your next appointment.
Your repeat prescription will be ready for collection within 48 hours of your request.
We will sympathetically consider your suggestions and comments about our services, and any complaints will be handled according to our practice procedure.

Your Responsibility to Us:

Please treat all surgery staff with respect; we are all here to help.
For confidentiality reasons, please only request information about yourself.
Keep us informed of any changes to your name, phone number, or address so our records remain accurate.
Please only request an urgent appointment or home visit if genuinely appropriate due to illness.
If you cannot attend an appointment, please cancel it as soon as possible.
While we aim for punctuality, please be prepared to wait if your consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency.
Allow sufficient time for consultant letters or test results to reach us. We will advise you of the typical waiting period.
Wherever possible, use the internet or the tear-off slip from your prescription to request repeat medication.
If you are due for a medical review, please arrange an appointment before your next prescription is due.
Please attend your Chronic Disease reviews when an appointment is sent to you.

We welcome feedback, both positive and constructive, to help us improve. Please let us know if you feel we have not met our responsibilities, and we would also be pleased to hear when we have done well.