About PMG
Our modern, purpose built Healthcare Centre in Spiro Close includes a range of consulting rooms, treatment rooms, minor Surgery Suite, reception and waiting room which are situated on the first floor.
The Healthcare Centre also houses a range of additional primary care services such as; community nurses, health visitors/midwives, audiology, podiatry, physiotherapy, adult and child mental health, dermatology, social prescribers. This allows us to offer an enhanced neighbourhood integrated care package to our patients.
View our Patient Leaflet
Practice Policies
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records.
These requests will be processed under a Subject Access Request.
Granting and Withdrawing Access to Medical Records
We take patient confidentiality very seriously however we appreciate that, for some patients, it is useful for them to nominate a representative who has some access to your information. If you wish to grant access to your medical record, please download, read and sign as appropriate the following authorisation: Consent to Share Medical Record
If you wish to change or stop the access your representative has you must complete an ACCESS REMOVAL FORM – please remember it is your responsibility to stop or change access rites and the surgery will not remind you to review any access arrangements you have made: Withdrawal of Access to Medical Record
Data Choices
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?
No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public.
All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
GP Net Earnings
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Pulborough Medical Group in the last financial year was £83,246 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 11 part time GPs and 4 Locums who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Medical Students
On occasions, medical students are attached to the surgery as part of their training.
On arrival, you will be advised of the situation by reception and you will be given the opportunity to accept or refuse their presence during your consultation.
We thank you for your co-operation during these times.
Non Discrimination Policy
This practice has an equal opportunities policy for patients. The aim is to ensure that no patient receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin or disability.
The practice will do its utmost to ensure that all patients are treated fairly and the practice environment is free from discrimination and harassment.
We can access the following services o your behalf, although prior management may be necessary:
- full disabled access
- interpretation and translation service
- sign language and/or lip reading surgeries
Patient Privacy & Chaperone Policy
It is the policy of this practice to respect the privacy and dignity of our patients.
If you would like a chaperone to be present during a physical examination by a doctor or other health professional you may be consulting at the surgery or if you would prefer to be examined by a doctor or health professional of the same sex as yourself, please let us know and we will do our best to comply with your wishes.
Privacy Notice
Your Personal Information – what you need to know.
This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information will be used, how we keep it safe and confidential and what your rights are in relation to this.
Why we collect information about you
Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help us to protect your safety.
We collect and hold data for the purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and running our organisation which includes monitoring the quality of care that we provide. In carrying out this role we will collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We will keep your information in written form and/or in digital form.
Our Commitment to Data Privacy and Confidentiality Issues
As a GP practice, all of our GPs, staff and associated practitioners are committed to protecting your privacy and will only process data in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation. This includes the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/680) (LED) and any applicable national Laws implementing them as amended from time to time. The legislation requires us to process personal data only if there is a legitimate basis for doing so and that any processing must be fair and lawful.
In addition, consideration will also be given to all applicable Law concerning privacy, confidentiality, the processing and sharing of personal data including the Human Rights Act 1998, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as amended by the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015, the common law duty of confidentiality and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) regulations.
Data we collect about you
Records which this GP Practice will hold or share about you will include the following:
Personal Data – means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical,
physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Special Categories of Personal Data – this term describes personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely
identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s
sex life or sexual orientation
Confidential Patient Information – this term describes information or data relating to their health and other matters disclosed to another (e.g. patient to clinician) in circumstances where it is reasonable to expect that the information will be held in confidence. Including both information ‘given in confidence’ and ‘that which is owed a duty of confidence’. As described in the Confidentiality: NHS code of Practice: Department of Health guidance on confidentiality 2003.
Pseudonymised – The process of distinguishing individuals in a dataset by using a unique identifier which does not reveal their ‘real world’ identity.
Anonymised – Data in a form that does not identify individuals and where identification through its combination with other data is not likely to take place.
Aggregated – Statistical data about several individuals that has been combined to show general trends or values without identifying individuals within the data.
How we use your information
Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare organisations for the purpose of providing you, your family and your community with better care. For example it is possible for healthcare professionals in other services to access your record with your permission when the practice is closed. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing at Appendix A.
Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment. The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:
- improving the quality and standards of care provided
- research into the development of new treatments
- preventing illness and diseases
- monitoring safety
- planning services
This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care only used like this where allowed by law. Most of time anonymised data is used for research and planning so cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed.
How long do we hold information for?
All records held by the Practice will be kept for the duration specified by national guidance from NHS Digital, Health and Social Care Records Code of Practice. Once information that we hold has been identified for destruction it will be disposed of in the most appropriate way for the type of information it is. Personal confidential and commercially confidential will be disposed of by approved and secure confidential waste procedure. We keep a record retention schedules which our information asset registers, in line with the records management code of practice for health and social care 2016.
National data opt-out
The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.
By 2020 all health and care organizations are required to apply national data opt-outs where confidential patient information is used for research and planning purposes. NHS Digital has been applying national data opt-outs since 25 May 2018. Public Health England has been applying national data opt-outs since September 2018.
The national data opt-out replaces the previous ‘type 2’ opt-out, which required NHS Digital not to share a patient’s confidential patient information for purposes beyond their individual care. Any patient that had a type 2 opt-out recorded on or before 11 October 2018 has had it automatically converted to a national data opt-out. Those aged 13 or over were sent a letter giving them more information and a leaflet explaining the national data opt-out. For more information go to National data opt out programme: https://digital.nhs.uk/national-data-opt-out
On this web page you will:
- See what is meant by confidential patient information
- Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
- Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
- Understand more about who uses the data
- Find out how your data is protected
- Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
- Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
- See the situations where the opt-out will not apply
Right of Access to your information (Subject Access Request)
Under Data Protection Legislation everybody has the right have access to, or request a copy of, information we hold that can identify you, this includes your medical record, there are some safeguards regarding what you will have access and you may find information has seen redacted or removed for the following reasons;
- Does not cause harm to the patient
- That legal confidentiality obligations for the non-disclosure of third-party information are adhered to
You do not need to give a reason to see your data and requests can be made verbally or in writing. Although we may ask you to complete a form in order that we can ensure that you have the correct information you require.
Where multiple copies of the same information is requested the surgery may charge a reasonable fee for the extra copies.
You will need to provide proof of identity to receive this information.
The NHS Care Record Guarantee
The NHS Care Record Guarantee for England sets out the rules that govern how patient information is used in the NHS, what control the patient can have over this, the rights individuals have to request copies of their data and how data is protected under Data Protection Legislation.
The NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out the rights patients, the public and staff are entitled to. These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments and programs available to you, confidentiality, information and your right to complain if things go wrong : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england
The Practice will share your information with these organisations where there is a legal basis to do so (please see privacy notices).
Change of Details
It is important that you tell the surgery if any of your contact details such as your name or address have changed especially if any of your other contacts details are incorrect. It is important that we are made aware of any changes immediately in order that no information is shared in error.
Practice Privacy Notices
Privacy Notice for Direct Care
NHS Data Confidential Opt Out Information Sheet
Privacy Notice for Care Quality Commission
Privacy Notice for Emergencies
Privacy Notice for GP’s as Employers
Privacy Notice for National Screening Programmes
Privacy Notice for NHS Digital
Privacy Notices for Public Health
Privacy Notice for Risk Stratification
Privacy Notice for Safeguarding
Privacy Notice for Summary Care Record
Privacy Notice for Telephone Calls
Contact details for NHS Digital
As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and GDPR law 2018. This means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled in ways that are safe, transparent and what you would reasonably expect.
Legal Basis – All GP Practices in England are legally required to share data with NHS Digital for this purpose under section 259(1)(a) and (5) of the 2012 Act
Any objections to these data collections should be made directly to NHS Digital: enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk
Processor – NHS Digital
Legal Basis : The legal basis for this activity can be found at this link: General Practice Data for Planning and Research: NHS Digital Transparency Notice – NHS Digital
COVID -19 Privacy Notice
Covid-19 Amendment to Privacy Notice
As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and GDPR law 2018. This means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled in ways that are safe, transparent and what you would reasonably expect. Please find documents and links below.
The Practice Data Protection Officer is Trudy Slade based at NHS South, Central, and West Commissioning Support Unit.
Any queries in regard to Data Protection issues should be addressed to her at:
Email: trudy.slade@nhs.net
Postal: NHS South, Central and West CSU,
1 The Causeway,
Goring by Sea,
West Sussex,
BN12 6BT
Private Prescriptions Policy
Please view our private prescriptions policy.
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by asking your GP.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery.
Videotaping of Consultations
On occasions there will be videotaping of patient’s consultations.
Recordings will not be undertaken without the patient’s consent and intimate physical examinations will not be recorded.
The camera will be switched off on request.
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety.
In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.