Freedom of Information Act 2000 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 Doctors Rice-Oxley, Mogan, Rivett, Clarke
& Brace at Martins Oak Surgery. It is a description of the
information about our General Practitioners and 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.martinsoak.co.uk or by writing to 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
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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.
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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 1st January 2005, the Freedom of Information Act obliges all General Practices to respond to requests about information that
they hold and record in any format. The Act will create a right of 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.
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Environmental information
regulations were introduced in 2004. These enable similar access to
environmental information as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
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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 write to the Practice Manager.
Classes of information
All information at Martins Oak 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 information 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
Hastings & Rother Primary Care Trust and provides medical services for patients
living within the boundaries of Battle, Catsfield, Mountfield, Netherfield, Woods
Corner, Penhurst and Crowhurst.
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.hastingsandrotherpct.nhs.uk
or by writing to them at Hastings & Rother PCT, Bexhill
Hospital, Holliers
Hill, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN40 2DZ.
Our Practice is contracted
to provide General Medical Services for our registered patients under
contract to the Hastings & Rother
Primary Care Trust in accordance with the National Statement of Fees and
Allowances.
Some information about our practice will be
withheld, including personal, confidential information about individuals which
is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998.
The current Partners are:
Class 3: Financial and
funding information
We receive fees
for providing medical services to our registered patients from the Hastings & Rother Primary Care Trust through the
mechanism of the National Statement of Fees and Allowances. This
includes the following main
expenses:
-
Running costs and maintenance of the premises and equipment
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Administrative costs including pay
-
IT support and maintenance
-
Communications support, maintenance and running costs
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Infrastructure investment
such as clinical equipment
We receive a drug budget
that is set by the Hastings & Rother Primary Care Trust on a yearly basis to
provide prescriptions for our registered patients. The budgets
received
vary from year to year and can be
obtained by contacting the Practice Manager.
We have a scale of fees for work that comes
outside of the Statement of Fees and Allowances. Details are displayed on
notices in reception, and on our website.
Class 4: Regular publications and
information for the public
1) We keep a range of leaflets on medical problems that can be accessed by
asking our Practice Nurses or the Doctors.
2) We keep you informed of temporary alterations in our opening hours
by:
i) Prominent notices on the waiting room notice board
ii) Accessing our website
3) We publish a practice
leaflet which is available from reception.
Once an
update is produced, previous copies are destroyed and are no longer available
for publication.
4) We keep some leaflets and information produced by other organizations.
These can be accessed from:
i) Leaflet racks
ii) Website
iii) Nurses and Doctors
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 have been 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 or
our Practice Records Management Policy.
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
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
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security based or
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commercial information or
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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
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no longer available under NHS
guidelines or our Practice
Records Management Policy or
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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: The 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.
Some information is available free, but there may be a
nominal charge to cover costs if you require a hard copy of information.
These charges will vary according to how the information is
available.
Although individual copies of single items covering a single
page will be provided free, a charge will be made to cover the costs of
supplying information.
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) 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 stamped addressed envelope
(1) A single print out from the website will attract a charge of
39p per
sheet.
(2) Requests for multiple printouts or for archived copies of documents that
are no longer accessible or available on the website will attract a charge for
retrieval, photocopy and postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges
that will have to be paid in advance.
(3) We are not able to provide printouts of other organisations’ websites.
iii) Copying onto electronic media from our own website only will incur a
charge of £10.
2. Publications
1. Leaflets and brochures about our practice are available at the reception
desk or from the Reception Manager free of charge for single copies.
2. Glossy, laminated or other bound paper copies or in some cases a CD ROM,
video or other media will be charged for. We will let you know the cost and
charges that will have to be paid in advance.
3. E-mail will be free of charge unless otherwise specified in advance.
Any cost incurred for postage will be charged for and you
are requested to submit a stamped self addressed envelope with any request for
hard copies to be sent by post.
The charges will be reviewed regularly.
Any enquiries regarding information management in this
practice should be referred to Mrs Jackie Letchford the Practice Manager.
USEFUL RESOURCES:
Websites:
National Health
Service www.nhs.uk
Department of Health
www.doh.gov.uk
Information Commissioner www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Lord Chancellor’s Department
www.lcd.gov.uk
NHS Freedom of Information
www.foi.nhs.uk
Hastings & Rother PCT
www.hastingsandrotherpct.nhs.uk
Publications:
NHS Openness Code
www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/codemain.htm
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 & Allowances payable for General Medical Practioners in England
www.redbook.i12.com/rb/Docs/rb0.htm
NICE best practice guidelines
www.nhs.uk or
www.doh.gov.uk searches
National Service Frameworks
www.nhs.uk or
www.doh.gov.uk searches
COPYRIGHT
Material available through the publications scheme is
subject to this 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 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
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