PUBLICATION SCHEME

Welcome to the Publication Scheme for Caldicot Medical Group.

This is a guide to the Publication Scheme for Caldicot Medical Group in which each of the following practice as a partnership: Dr J K Gedman, Dr G B Wilson, Dr E J Moore, Dr J P Rackham, Dr A R Gray, Dr N J P E Jones, Dr I Houghton, Dr G W Owen, Dr A L Ferguson, Dr B S Salt and Dr S L Reynolds.

Introduction

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by this Practice. It is a description of information about each of the General Practitioners and the Practice itself that 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 all free unless otherwise indicated within each Class.  See the attached Practice FOI Publication.

Practice FOI Publication

How is the information made available?
The information within each Class is downloadable from the practice website or from the Wales NHS website www.wales.nhs.uk or available in hard copy from the Practice Manager.

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 Caldicot Medical Group under the Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS issued by the Welsh Office in 1995. Hard copies of the Code of Practice are available free of charge from the NHS Wales Department of the Welsh Government. The information is also 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 when this happens.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that everyone has the right to know how public services, such as NHS Wales, are organised and run, how much they cost and how you can make complaints if you need to. You have the right to know which services are being provided, the targets that are being set, the standards of service that are expected, the results achieved and how decisions are made.

From January 1st 2005 the Freedom of Information Act required all General Practices to respond to requests about information they hold, and it created a right of access to that information. The rights to request and access this information are subject to some exemptions, which a General Practice have to take into consideration before deciding what information can be released. The Environmental Information Regulations, which came into force in 1993, set the standard for the release of information about the environment in which we live and work.

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 Practice Manager to do this.

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, Gray Hill Surgery, Woodstock Way, Caldicot, NP26 5AB

CLASSES OF INFORMATION

All information at Caldicot Medical Group is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS Wales guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information, which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the Welsh Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS or The 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:

1. Who we are
Detailed information about the practice, the practitioners, and the services we offer are available on our website, which is updated periodically. The practice website address is www.grayhillsurgery.co.uk

The NHS Wales structure and how General Practice fits into that structure is available on web pages at www.wales.nhs.uk .

2. Our Services
For the range of services we provide under contract to NHS Wales see the surgery website www.grayhillsurgery.co.uk

3. Financial and funding information
Funding for all NHS services is claimed from the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership. The GPs receive money from Monmouthshire Local Health Board according to its contract in exchange for services to patients, from which the expenses for running the practice are taken. Expenses include providing and maintaining the surgery premises, facilities management and substantial contribution towards the costs of employing staff. There may be circumstances where material cannot be released on request because it is confidential, or commercial information, or the appropriate offices designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the conduct of the Practice's affairs.

4. Regular publications and information for the public
Information is held on our website which informs or directs patients to useful web links and information. Hard copy of any guidance or information held at the surgery is either offered or available on request from health care professionals. This information is updated and changed as often as is deemed necessary.

5. Complaints
Hard copy of the procedures for complaints is available from reception on request or directly from our Practice Manager Mr Julian Crowe.

Practice Complaints Procedure

Our doctors and staff work within guidelines to give the best possible service to our patients. There may be times when you feel that this has not happened. This information explains what to do if you have a complaint about the services we provide for you. Complaints must be made within 6 months of the incident or 6 months of the date of discovery of a problem, provided the complaint is within 12 months of the incident.

The Practice Complaints procedure is not designed to apportion blame and is not able to deal with questions of liability or compensation. The complaints procedure can be used to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems that you have identified or mistakes that have been made.

If you wish to make a complaint, please phone or write to our Practice Manager, Mr Julian Crowe. He will take full details of your complaint either from the letter, phone call or through a meeting, and decide how best to undertake the investigation. We will try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed. We hope that at the end of that meeting you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly. However, if this is not possible and you wish to continue with your complaint, we will direct you to the appropriate authorities that will be able to help you.  This will use NHS Wales Putting Things Right procedures.

Please remember that we have a duty of confidentiality and a patient's consent will be necessary if the patient in person does not make a complaint.

What happens when I make a complaint?
You are encouraged to use the practice-based procedure. You will receive acknowledgement of your complaint within 2 working days and should be provided with a full response within 5 working days. Sometimes it is not possible for an investigation to be completed in this time and if this is the case you should be informed of the reason for delay.

What happens if I am dissatisfied with the response to my complaint?
Use of the practice-based procedure does not affect your right to complain to Monmouthshire Local Health Board [LHB] if you so wish. The LHB may be able to offer an independent conciliation service where the conciliator aims to achieve a satisfactory outcome to your complaint through discussion and meeting both parties [separately in necessary]. If you are not happy with the final response to your complaint you can ask for an independent review. Requests for independent review must be made within 28 days of the final letter you receive about your complaint.

The Health Service Ombudsman
The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and the public can approach the Ombudsman at any stage to ask him to investigate a complaint. The Ombudsman is not obliged to investigate every complaint put to him and will not usually consider a case unless it has been through practice based and reconciliation process first.

Contact Addresses

Monmouthshire
Local Health Board

Health Service Ombudsman
Singleton Court Business Park
Wonastow Road
Monmouth
Monmouthshire
NP25 5JA

Telephone:01600 710000 Website:
www.ombudsman.org.uk

Telephone:
0845 601 0987

E-mail:
WHSC.Enquiries@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk


6. Our policies and procedures
General policies and procedures in use within the NHS are adopted by the practice. These include, but are not restricted to, data protection, prescribing and prescription, management of violent patients and health and safety. Further information is available on our web site

7. This Publication Scheme
Charges will be made for non-NHS activities.

We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available and information regarding our policy in relation to charging for information on request.

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. Charges are as follows:

a) Via the General Practice/Local Health Board /Trust Web Site. 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 or by personal application to the Practice Manager at Caldicot Medical Group.

However, requests for multiple printouts, or for archived copies of documents which are no longer accessible or available on the web, may attract a charge for the retrieval, photocopy, postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance. We will not provide printouts of other organisation's websites.

b) Leaflets and brochures - free of charge on, for example, services we offer to the public as published in our practice leaflet and on our web site. Leaflets and Brochures held at the surgery will vary according to availability and so are not listed, However, where they are available, they will be given free of charge

c) Glossy or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD Rom, video or other mediums, when available, will attract a charge. We will let you know the cost in advance on enquiry to the Practice Manager.

d) E-mail will be free of charge unless it says otherwise.

The charges will be reviewed regularly and be in line with other NHS organisations.


Useful Resources
Web sites:

www.grayhillsurgery.co.uk
This is the web site of our practice

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
This is the web site of the Information Commissioner.

www.lcd.gov.uk
This is the web site of the Lord Chancellor's Department.

www.wales.nhs.uk/foi
This is the web site for NHS Wales Freedom of Information.

www.foi.nhs.uk
This is the web site for NHS Freedom of Information.

Publications

Welsh Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS www.wales.nhs.uk

Code of Practice under Section 45 FOI Act 2000 www.lcd.gov.uk

Code of Practice under Section 46 FOI Act 2000 www.lcd.gov.uk

Statement of Fees and Allowances payable for General Medical Practitioners in England and Wales.

Copyright

Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the General Practice's 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 items are re-published 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 or contact: HMSO Licensing Division, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR 3 1BQ. Tel: 01603 621000.

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