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Care Quality Commission

We are delighted to have achieved high scores for all aspects of our recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission. More details are available on their website or can be accessed by clicking the link in the "Further Information" section the right hand side of the page.

Important news about SMS (text) messaging

In an attempt to reduce the large number of non-attenders each month and hopefully make more efficient use of appointments we are now reminding you of your booked appointments with most of the clinicians at Charnock Health by SMS (text) messaging.

Please let us know if you object to us doing this and we will be happy to turn off this facility on your records.

Likewise, for SMS (text) reminders to work efficiently, we need to have your current mobile phone number for our records. Please ask our reception team for a "pink slip" to update your mobile phone number if necessary.

 

Your Named GP

NHS England now requires all patients to have a named GP. Please ask one of the receptionists if you would like to know who your Named GP is. To find out more about this please click on the link in the list on the right of the page "Your Named GP"

Your computerised medical records

New options via PatientAccess 

As part of our plans to develop online services we have now introduced a new service for patients who want to access their records online.

If you are a patient who is currently signed up to PatientAccess to allow you to order your repeat prescription and make your doctors appointments online there is some exciting news. You can now view ALL your current medication items, any allergies or sensitivities and any immunisations that have been recorded on your computer record.

All you need to do to view these additional sections of your medical record is to ask us to activate that part of your computer record for you to see. We will ask you to sign and date a form and then access to these three sections will be available to you within five working days. Once you have signed up for access please let us know if you spot any errors or inaccuracies in your records.

If you do not currently have PatientAccess and want to be able to book appointments, order repeat medications and view sections of your computerised medical record, please request this access from reception.

Call 111 - Changes to out-of-hours medical care access

There is now a new number to call if you need medical help or advice when surgery is closed. If you have an urgent problem that cannot wait until morning then by calling 111 you will be put through to a call handler who will take your details and arrange for you to get some medical help if needed. They may pass your details to Sheffield GP Out-of -Hours Collaborative where you can talk to a doctor who will arrange for appropriate care. Sometimes they may direct you to casualty or give you other advice appropriate to your problem.

Because your call to them may be a little lengthy you are always asked to dial 111 yourself directly from your phone rather than being automatically transferred if you call surgery out of hours. This is because you would be charged for the call if it was transferred, wheras if dialled direct there is no charge for the call. More details are available in our newsletter.

Upload of summary care record 

Our computer records system is managed in line with very strict guidelines and we take our responsibilities with this information very seriously. We will never reveal any of your details to other people without your consent. As part of the NHS computerisation program our practice has been involved in uploading information to the NHS computer system operated by the Department of Health. This is called the Summary Care Record. 

 
On 2nd April 2012 we started to send information to this central computer system about the medicines you are being prescribed and any drug allergies or sensitivities you may have. The Department of Health have taken the unusual step of not first asking you to give your permission for this to be done. They have assumed that you are happy for this to happen unless you have specifically told your doctor in writing that you do not agree to this.

Over a period of time more information about your health problems and personal circumstances will be added to this record. It is also proposed that some parts of this record will be available to other people working to provide care for NHS patients such as pharmacists and dentists.

There are arguments both for and against this move. On one hand it seems sensible that in an emergency the out of hours team or casualty doctors can save time by seeing exactly what you are being prescribed and avoid prescribing things you might be allergic to. 
 
On the other hand you may feel that such information is too sensitive and that you might prefer not to give it to other people. You may feel uneasy about the past record of government departments as far as computer security is concerned or have have doubts with how safe this information is from computer hackers. 
 
The Government has also stated that it wishes to give this information to help medical research. They have given no assurance that it may not also be sold to drug firms or insurance companies.
 
More information about this subject is available by clicking on the SUMMARY CARE RECORD link in the "Further Information " box to the right of this window. This link will also lead to to an opt out form you can use to tell us if you want us to withhold future information from further proposed Summary Care Record uploads. 

We are happy to discuss these issues with you in more detail if this would help you decide what your wishes are.

Health News from the BBC and the NHS

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