Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) 2000

Guide to information provided by GPs under the Model Publication Scheme.

Introduction

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires all public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme.

In 2008, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) introduced a single generic model publication scheme, for adoption by all public authorities that are subject to the FoIA.

The model publication scheme commits a public authority to “produce and publish the method by which the specific information will be available so that it can be easily identified and accessed by members of the public”. This is a very general scheme based on the principle that all public authorities need to recognise the public interest in the transparency of the services provided and paid for by the general public. It is a commitment to make information easily available to the public.

General Practitioners (GPs), providing primary medical services under most contracts with the NHS in England and Wales and with HSC Northern Ireland, are public authorities in respect of information relating to those services.

The Freedom of Information Act gives the public the right to ask for certain information held by public authorities, such as the NHS (and including GP practices), and allows members of the public to see information about how public services are developed and delivered.

The practice and The Freedom of Information Act

In line with the FoIA, and our status as a GP surgery, we operate a publication scheme providing information about the Practice and the services that we provide. Information covered by this scheme is only about the general medical services that we provide under contract to the National Health Service.

Charges for information requests and information

All documents and information we make available free of charge under this Scheme are identified in the table with “no cost”.

All documents available under this Scheme for which we may charge a fee are identified as “In accordance with FoIA request Fees & Regulations”.

Information/text taken from our Practice website is available free of charge, but remain the copyright of the Practice.

Third party leaflets may also be available for download from our website too, and they remain the property of their respective copyright holders.

There may be a charge for you to access our website (from your internet service provider), in addition to personal printing costs, which would have to be met by you.

If you do not have internet access, we would be able to provide printouts and send them via the post or make them available at a surgery to collect. There would be a cost for printing and postage, if applicable.

You may also be able to access the internet through your local community, from a library, friends, neighbours, etc., but any associated costs for such access or any printing/duplication must be met by you.

Be especially careful to secure your data if you use other parties’ internet access with online patient services, medical record retrieval, printing of your medical record or any other personal information.

For all printing/duplication carried out by the Practice, each single sheet printed on one side is charged at £0.25; each single sheet printed on both sides is charged at £0.35.

We will generally produce documents printed on both sides of the sheet to save money and paper. However, some documents not created by us, or originating in other systems, may be single sided (printed on one side only).

Copies of audits, reports, etc. attract a one-off administration fee of £25 (plus the per sheet printing/duplication charge, as outlined above).

A request for multiple printouts or copies of a single document or report, and for archived copies of documents which are no longer easily accessible or available, may attract an additional administration fee for their retrieval and/or duplication. We will let you know if this is the case and the charges that will have to be paid.

Any postage costs are charged at their prevailing (Royal Mail) face value, and we use their “Special Delivery” service for sending requested information. A signature is required for this delivery service to receive your information.

Royal Mail generally review their prices annually in March, so this in turn will affect our postage costs to you. Current Royal Mail charges will prevail at all times (at the point of sending information) irrespective of when the information request was made.

We will only send information to the address given on the verified originator’s information request, and, if you are a patient, the address must match that of your patient record.

You may also collect the information in person from one of our sites. You will be required to provide appropriate identification as the originator of the information request, if you collect the information in person. We will not release information to a third party without good reason or authority (lasting power of attorney for example).

Please note that we will not provide printouts of others’ copyrighted information, other organisations’ websites, or any other forms of their information or data.

Wherever a charge is applicable, it (including all administration, printing/duplication and postage costs) must be paid in advance of the release of information.

All our charges are reviewed annually, in line with this document, and the Freedom of Information Act request Fees & Regulations.

Class 1: Who we are and what we do

Cost of obtaining

No Cost

Partners

• Dr Richard Hems
• Dr Khalid Aziz
• Dr Ardyn Ross
• Dr Rachel Thomson

Salaried GPs

• Dr Temitayo Adegun
• Dr Claire Blake
• Dr Stuart Burgess
• Dr Wendy Clark
• Dr Kevin D’Mello
• Dr Gary Dalton
• Dr Thomas Flahive
• Dr Navin Ghosh
• Dr Ian Gibson
• Dr Jo Honney
• Dr Mary Howman
• Dr Mia Krywawych
• Dr Subhash Patel
• Dr Jasmine Thomas
• Dr Andrew Thompson
• Dr Hilary Burgess
• Dr Rachel Thomson
• Dr Temitayo Adegun
• Dr Subhash Patel

Key staff

• John Broughton (Finance Manager)
• Rebecca Hardinge (Operations Manager)
• Mary Weatherstone (Practice Pharmacist)
• Nic Woods (IT Manager)

Clinical staff

We also employ nurses, specialist nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, paramedics and health care assistants across all our sites.

Admin staff

We additionally employ receptionists, practice administrators, medical secretaries, finance administrators and dispensary staff.

Other staff

• Cleaners
• Buildings and maintenance
• Delivery driver

Indirect staff

• Health visitors
• Community staff (district nurses, midwives)
• Diabetic specialists
• Alcohol/drug specialists
• Locums

Site/Surgery details

Our practice booklet is available at any surgery.

Hemsby Medical Centre, 1 Kings Court, Hemsby, NR29 4EW

Tel: 01493 730 449

Ormesby Village Surgery
Pippin Close
Ormesby
NR29 3RW Tel: 01493 730 205

Martham Medical Centre
Hemsby Road
Martham
NR29 4QG

Tel: 01493 748 833

North Caister Surgery
Branford Road
Caister-On-Sea
NR30 5NE

Tel: 01493 720 618

Old Palace Surgery
148 Old Palace Road
Norwich
NR2 4JA

Tel: 01603 663 363

Beechcroft Surgery
23 Beechcroft
New Costessey
NR5 0RS

Tel: 01603 746 683

Windmill Surgery
London Road
Wymondham
NR18 0AF

Tel: 01953 607 607

Opening hours

08:00 to 13:00/13:30/17:30/18:00/18:30/19:00/20:00

Monday to Friday, depending on the site and day of the week.

Extended and Improved Access for late evening (weekdays) and early morning (weekends).

Class 2: What we spend and how we spend it

We receive payments in relation to our General Medical Services (GMS) and Personal Medical Services (PMS) contracts, which are held with the three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) our 8 surgeries fall under: Great Yarmouth and Waveney; Norwich and South Norfolk.

In addition, we also receive income from other sources such as Enhanced Services (ES) and also other non NHS work and fees.

Please note that some of this information may be commercially (or confidentially) sensitive and as such, may not be released within the public domain or within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) and this publication scheme. This is likely to include any work that we do outside of our GMS or PMS contracts.

How you can obtain this information

Requests can be made in writing, to our Business Manager.

Cost of obtaining

In accordance with FoIA request Fees & Regulations.

Class 3: What our priorities are and how we are doing

Our priority is to provide first class patient care, to the highest clinical standards for all our patients registered with the Practice. We do this by working together with other healthcare providers and support organisations and the CCGs.

We also work with the CCGs in their development of plans for new and future services and the 2020 Local Digital Roadmap. We involve the local Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) in the development of new ideas and services and feedback on how our services are delivered and review feedback from the “Friends and Family” scheme, direct patient contact, together with online feedback submissions from our website.

We are passionate about what we do, providing high quality NHS care and putting patients first. To underpin this, we have established a set of core values.

Patients first

Our first priority is to our patients, providing them with excellent, safe and timely care.

Quality

We work hard to improve the quality of our services, learning from our successes and mistakes, and avoiding blame.

Integrity

We are open, honest, empathetic and respectful, avoiding discrimination at all times.

Safe and efficient

We provide safe clinical care to every patient, in a timely fashion. We keep our administrative actions and processes simple.

Communicating and listening

We communicate clearly and listen well, whilst employing the highest standards of confidentiality.

Teamwork

We recognise the importance of good teamwork, within our own teams and across organisational boundaries.

How you can obtain this information

Through our website.

Cost of obtaining

No cost.

Information/Classes published

Continued developments in line with the NHS England five year plan and CCG and community healthcare priorities.

How you can obtain this information

Website: www.england.nhs.uk/five-year-forward-view

Cost of obtaining

No cost.

Information/Classes published

Plans for development and provision of NHS services are discussed at monthly Business Meetings, whilst strategic development meetings are used to review and plan for upcoming contract initiatives, new services and changes in NHS and CCG policy, which are in turn used to plan for future Practice development, resourcing and service delivery.

How you can obtain this information

Request in writing, to our Business Manager.

Cost of obtaining

In accordance with FoIA request Fees & Regulations.

Information/Classes published

Active participation in the Quality & Outcomes Framework (QOF), where our performance can be viewed.

How you can obtain this information

Website: qof.digital.nhs.uk/search

Cost of obtaining

No cost.

Information/Classes published

Results from our Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections are published on both our and the CQC websites.

How you can obtain this information

Please visit our CQC page.

Cost of obtaining

No cost.

Class 4: How we make decisions

We hold meetings at local (site/surgery) level, organisational unit (i.e. CCG) level, at whole Practice level and also at strategic Business (i.e. Partners’) level. Attendees are recorded, together with minutes of the meetings.

Meeting type

Business/Partners

Attendees (frequency):

• Partners and the senior management team (monthly)
• Partners (weekly).

Strategic team

Senior management team, Partner process lead, other administrative leads as required (e.g. quality lead) (monthly).

Site leads

The reception/site lead from each site, IT Manager (quarterly).

Site

All site (local) staff (monthly).

MDT

Doctors, nurses, community, MH teams (monthly, or as required by needs).

Nurse

All nurses and HCAs, IT Manager (monthly).

Education

Open to all staff (weekly).

Decisions affecting the Practice and its commercial operation are agreed by the Partners at the monthly Business meetings, with decisions evidenced in minutes. These decisions (including confidential or commercially sensitive information) may be shared with key personnel in the Practice, but will not be disclosed publicly and is outside of the scope of this publication Scheme. Other minutes, without confidential information, may be made available on application to the Business Manager.

How you can obtain this information

Request in writing, to our Business Manager.

Cost of obtaining

In accordance with FoIA request Fees & Regulations.

Class 5: Our policies and procedures

Customer Service

• Carers policy and carer tool kit Communication
• Complaints procedure Constitution for PPG
• Emergency telephone handling protocol
• Identifying patient needs and new registration protocol Patient dignity and respect

Internal instructions to staff relating to the delivery of services

• Advance directives protocol forms leaflet
• Call and recall
• Cervical smear defaulters Cervical smear procedure Chaperone
• Codes of conduct Complaints procedure Computer failure policy Consent for vaccination
• Consent for video recording for assessment purposes Consent policy including child consent
• Consultations protocol Continuity of care
• Declining national screening
• Disaster planning and business continuity Discharge from hospital
• End of life policy patient charter and advance care plan Equipment loan protocol
• Minor surgery policy
• New guidance protocol
• New patient flow chart Palliative care policy Practice development plan Practice policy for DNAs Preconceptual advice
• Protocol for maintenance of patient demographic information Patient isolation protocol
• Specimen handling
• Telephone consultation process Test results protocol
• Workforce planning

Recruitment and employment of staff

• Access to occupational health
• Age discrimination act Application form
• CRB and consent form Equal opportunities policy HR policy statement Induction policy
• Practice procedures and checks to prevent illegal working Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children policy
• Staff confidentiality Staff handbook

Equality and diversity

• Age discrimination
• Bulling and harassment policy Equal opportunities
• Equality act operational procedures policy Mental capacity act
• Sickness and capability

Health and safety

• Calibration and maintenance of equipment
• Cleaning disinfection of equipment surfaces and environment skin policy Clinical waster protocol
• Fire safety policy Hand hygiene policy
• Health and safety policy Hepatitis B policy Infection control policy Needle stick injury
• Risk assessment policy
• Safety alert protocol and procedure Staff uniform policy
• VDU risk assessment Waste management policy

Complaints procedure

• Complaints procedure and leaflet

Records management (records retention, destruction and archive)

• Backup of computer data protocol
• Caldecott protocol Clinical governance policy
• Computer and data security procedure Disposal of confidential waste Scanning protocol
• Summarising policy
• Third party confidentiality agreement

Data protection

• Backup of computer data protocol Caldecott protocol
• Computer and data security procedure Data Breach
• Electronic transfer of patient data Home access policy
• Information governance Information security Media handling
• Sharing, disclosure of patient information Smart card policy
• Staff confidentiality
• Third party confidentiality agreement

Handling requests for information

• Caldecott
• Communication
• FoIA publication scheme (this document) Data protection act & GDPR
• Information governance Media handling

Please note that the same policy may appear in more than one section, depending on its context.

How you can obtain this information

Request in writing, to our Business Manager.

Cost of obtaining

In accordance with FoIA request Fees & Regulations.

Class 6: Lists and registers

To successfully deliver patient care, administer long term conditions and to provide a first class service, we manage and maintain lists and registers of our patients.

These lists are strictly confidential and contain patient identifiable information. As such, they are not available for public inspection or scrutiny and are therefore outside of the scope of this publication scheme.

How you can obtain this information

Not applicable.

Cost of obtaining

Not applicable.

Class 7: The services we offer

Under our GMS or PMS contracts with the NHS, we offer (at no cost):

• Alcohol and drugs advice and support
• Asthma clinics and chronic obstructive disease clinics (COPD)
• Baby clinics
• Cervical cytology screening
• Child health surveillance
• Childhood vaccinations and immunisations
• Contraceptive services, IUD/IUS fitting/removal
• Diabetes clinics
• Ear syringing
• ECGs (electrical heart trace)
• Flu immunisation and routine adult immunisations
• GP consultations
• Home visits
• Maternity services (midwife)
• Medication review
• Minor surgery procedures
• NHS and new patient health checks
• Nurse consultations
• Nursing home visits
• Phlebotomy
• Smoking cessation advice and support
• Spirometry (lung/breathing) clinics
• Telephone triage
• Travel advice and immunisations
• Wound management / dressings / suture removal

How you can obtain this information

Through our practice websites.

Our practice booklet is available at any surgery.

Cost

No cost.

Class 7: The services we offer (continued)

We also provide non-NHS services, which are chargeable.

These services may be payable by the patient directly, by solicitors, by insurance companies or other third parties requesting this information for, about or on behalf of a patient.

There is a list charges for these services. These services include:

Patients

• Copies of medical records (unless where covered under a Data Subject Access Request)
• Fitness certificates
• Holiday cancellation claim forms
• Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient Non-NHS vaccinations
• Private medical insurance reports and medicals Private appointments and treatments
• Private sickness notes
• Sports, pre-employment, taxi and HGV medicals Vaccination certificates

Other (e.g. solicitors, insurance co.)

• Copies of medical records for medical insurance purposes (unless where covered under a Data Subject Access Request)
• Private medical insurance reports
• Some examinations for local authority employees

How you can obtain this information

Available from any surgery reception.

Cost

No cost for the list (but charges apply for the services).

Class 7: The services we offer (continued)

We also provide lots of free information, self-help, “what to do if” and leaflets on our website, through links to other websites (NHS, NHC Choices, etc.) and within our surgeries themselves.

When our surgeries are closed (e.g. out of hours, weekends, bank holidays, training days, etc.) a phone answering service is provided by the NHS 111 Service.

This can be accessed by dialling 111 from any landline or mobile phone, and is free to call.

In an emergency or life threatening situations (e.g. chest pain, difficulty breathing), patients should immediately dial 999 whether our surgeries are open or closed.

How you can obtain this information

Our practice booklet is available at any surgery.

Cost

No cost.