We try to provide a friendly and quality service to our community. If you have any helpful comments or suggestions to make, please put them in writing to the practice manager. A comments and suggestions box is available in the waiting area and it is easily accessible for wheelchair users.

Complaints Policy

We endeavour to give you the best service possible at all times; but there may be occasions when you feel you wish to express your dissatisfaction. If you have any comments or suggestions please let us know. We offer an in-house procedure to deal with your concerns. This procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability or compensation, but we hope you will use it to give us an opportunity for looking into, and if necessary correcting, any problems that may have arisen or mistakes that have been made. Please note that we respect our duty of confidentiality to patients, and patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient directly.

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets nationally agreed criteria.

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise, with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

How to complain

If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  If you are unable to do this, your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. Complaints will be considered outside this time limit if the complainant has good reason for the delay and where it is still possible to investigate the complaint fairly.

Complaints should be addressed to Sharon Turner – Practice Manager, or to the doctor. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concerns.

You can also send your complaints to our email address: marketstreet.healthgroup@nhs.net

She will explain the complaints procedure to you and ensure that your concerns are dealt promptly. The Practice Manager will take full details of your complaint and inform the outcome of the complaint after the investigation. We hope to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be taken. We trust that you will feel satisfied the matter has been resolved.

Making a complaint will not adversely affect the care you receive from the practice.

Please send your written complaint to the Practice Manager at:

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so.  An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.

What we will do

We will usually acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have fully investigated within 28 days of the date it was received.  If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances and/or make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology where appropriate, and take steps to make sure any identified problem does not arise again.

You will receive a final response letter that will include details of the result of the investigation into your complaint and also your right to take matters further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.

If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complaint, you have the right to ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review your case. The Ombudsman is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide the service.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP

• Telephone: 0345 015 4033
• Visit the Health Service Ombudsman website

North East London Integrated Care Board

NHS North East London ICB
Unex Tower
5 Station Street
London, E15 1DA

• Telephone: 020 8221 5500
• Visit the North East London ICB website

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch B97 9PT

• Telephone: 0300 311 2233
• Visit the NHS England website

Independent Complaints Advocacy Service

Healthwatch Newham

• Telephone: 0203 598 6414
• Visit the Healthwatch Newham website

The Care Quality Commission (CQC)

• Visit the CQC website

Important information for patients

How we use your medical records

• This practice handles medical records in-line with laws on data protection and confidentiality.
• We share relevant data from your medical records with other services providing you with care and treatment. This also includes services that send out invitations for national screening programmes for example smear tests and also children immunisations.
• In some circumstances we will also share medical records for medical research, for example to find out more about why people get ill.
• We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example, to prevent infectious diseases from spreading or to check the care being provided to you is safe.

You do have the right

• to be given a copy of your medical record.
• to object to your medical records being shared with those who provide you with care or being used for medical research or for planning health services.
• to have any mistakes corrected and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please see the practice privacy notice on the website or speak to a member of staff for more information about your rights.
• For more information ask at reception for a leaflet.

By 31 March 2016 all GP practices are required to declare and publish the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice relating to the previous financial year (i.e. 2014/2015).

The average pay for GPs working at Market Street Health Group (before Tax and National Insurance deductions) for 5 full-time GPs and 2 part-time GPs was as follows:-

• 2014/15       £83,469
• 2015/16       £76,075
• 2016/17       £80,439
• 2017/18       £77,015

All patients allocated a GP on registration.

Important information for patients

How we use your medical records

• This practice handles medical records in-line with laws on data protection and confidentiality.
• We share relevant data from your medical records with other services providing you with care and treatment. This also includes services that send out invitations for national screening programmes for example smear tests and also children immunisations
• In some circumstances we will also share medical records for medical research, for example to find out more about why people get ill
• We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example, to prevent infectious diseases from spreading or to check the care being provided to you is safe.

You do have the right

• To be given a copy of your medical record.
• To object to your medical records being shared with those who provide you with care or being used for medical research or for planning health services.

• To have any mistakes corrected and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please see the practice privacy notice on the website or speak to a member of staff for more information about your rights
• For more information ask at reception for a leaflet.

This Practice takes part in a number of research projects. We believe that these projects bring benefits to our patients as well as increase our knowledge of how best to treat some medical conditions.

All research projects that we take part in have ethical approval from the Health Authority. Any information about patients is treated with utmost confidentiality by the researchers. You may be contacted to ask whether you would consider helping with a particular research project.

You are free to refuse for your information to be used in research without your medical care being affected. If you would like to know more about this, please make an appointment to see the practice manager.

Our Privacy Notice for you

What is a privacy notice and why does it apply to me?

A Privacy Notice tells people how organisations use information that they hold about them. A new law called the General Data Protection Regulation 2016, also known as GDPR, says that we need to provide you with this Privacy Notice and let you know:

• What information we hold about you
• How we keep this very important information safe and secure and where we keep it
• How we use your information
• Who we share your information with
• What your rights are
• When the law gives us permission to use your information

Why does the law give you permission to use my information?

The law gives us permission to use your information in situations where we need it to take care of you. Because information about your health is very personal, sensitive and private to you, the law is very strict about how we use it.

So, before we can use your information in the ways we have set out in this Privacy Notice, we have to have a good reason in law, which is called a ‘lawful basis’. Not only do we have to do that, but we also have to show that your information falls into a special group or category, because it is very sensitive. By doing this the law makes sure we only use your information to look after you and that we do not use it for any other reason.

If you would like more information about this please ask to speak to our Data Protection Officer (DPO) mentioned in this Privacy Notice who will explain this in more detail.

About us

We, at Market Street Health Group are responsible for collecting, storing and handling your information when you registered with us as a patient. Because we do this, the law says we are Data Controllers. Sometimes we may use your information for a particular purpose and when we do so, the law says we are Data Processors.

What information do you hold about me?

We hold information about you such as:

• Your name
• Address
• Mobile number
• Information about your parent(s) or person with parental responsibility
• All your health records
• Appointment records
• Visits to see your GP
• Treatments you have had
• Medicines prescribed for you and any other information to help us look after you

How do you keep it safe?

• The law says that we must do all we can to keep your information private, safe and secure.
• We use secure computer systems and we make sure that any written information held about you is under lock and key and kept in a safe place. This includes taking great care with any passwords we use which we change on a regular basis. We also train our staff to respect your privacy and deal with your information in a manner that makes sure it is always kept and dealt with in a safe way.

What do you do with my information?

• We only usually use your information to help us care for you. That means we might need to share your information with other people who are concerned and involved with looking after your health.
• We might need to share your information with the police, courts, social services, solicitors and other people who have a right to your information, but we always make sure that they have a legal right to see it (or have a copy of it) before we provide it to them.

Who else will see my information?

• Usually only doctors, nurses and other people who work with us are allowed to see your information.
• Sometimes though, if you need to go to the hospital or be seen by a special doctor, we will share your information with them but this only so that we can take care of you.
• Sometimes we might be asked to take part in medical research that might help you in the future. We will always ask you or your parent(s) or adult with parental responsibility if we can share your information if this happens.

What are my rights?

• You have a right to see your information if you wish to see it.
• You will usually need to put your request in writing and tell us what information you want us to give you.
• We usually need to answer you within one month. Your parent(s) or adult with parental responsibility can help you if you need help.
• Usually we will give this to you free of charge.
• If you think there are any errors in the information we hold about you then you can ask us to correct it but the law says we can’t remove any of the information we hold about you even if you ask us to. This is because we need this information to take care of you.
• You have a right to ask us not to share your information.
• If you would like to talk to us about not sharing your information, even if this means you don’t want us to share your information with your parent(s) or adult with parental responsibility, please let us know. We will be happy to help.

What if I have a question?

• A member of our staff/receptionist will be happy to talk to you about any questions you may have and we will do our best to help you.
• The Surgery has a person called a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who deals with all queries about patient information. Our receptionist may put you in touch with this person who will listen to your concerns and give you the advice you need.
• Our DPO is Hazel Trotter, Practice Manager and she can be contacted via Reception.

What if I have a serious complaint about how you look after my information?

• We will always do our best to look after your information and to answer your questions.
• If you are still not happy with something we have done with your information you can speak to our DPO.
• If our DPO has not been able to help you or if you prefer not to speak to our DPO then you have a right to pass your complaint to an organisation called the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who will look into what has gone wrong. For more information visit ico.org.uk

Updates to this privacy notice

• The law says we must keep all information we provide in this Privacy Notice up to date.
• This Privacy Notice was last updated July 2022.