Policies & Procedures

Accessibility Statement

This website is run by Silicon Practice. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

• Change colours, contrast levels and fonts
• Zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
• Navigate the website using just a keyboard
• Navigate the website using speech recognition software
• Listen to the website using a screen reader, including the latest versions of JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver
• Read most of the website on devices without a screen, like a braille computer

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand. The structure was created to simulate a real practice, which seeks improved usability for the patients.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

All of the pages within the website aim to conform to the Accessibility standards which are set out by the World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and other accessibility guidance. This website is tested against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and user friendly for everyone. We designed all pages of this website to be fully accessible with the standards and encompass all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including:

• auditory
• cognitive
• neurological
• physical
• speech
• visual

What to do if you cannot access parts of this website

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

• email info@siliconpractice.co.uk 
• call 01793 710500
• send us a message in our Contact Page

We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, message us on our Contact Page.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Silicon Practice is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This website is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AAA standard.

Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology

This website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies;

• NVDA with Internet Explorer
• NVDA with Google Chrome
• NVDA with Firefox
• NVDA with Edge
• NVDA with Safari
• JAWS with Internet Explorer
• JAWS with Google Chrome
• JAWS with Firefox
• JAWS with Edge
• JAWS with Safari

How our site looks and work is based on HTML5, and we test for and support the following browsers:

• Google Chrome (versions in support)
• Mozilla Firefox (versions in support)
• Internet Explorer (version 9 and above)
• Microsoft Edge (versions in support)
• Apple Safari (versions in support)

Technical specifications

This website relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

• HTML
• WAI-ARIA
• JavaScript

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

How we test this website

This website was last tested on 18/08/2020. The test was carried out by Silicon Practice.

We tested our main website platform, available at westongrove.com. You can read the full Evaluation Report.

A variety of tools have been used to ensure the site compliance level:

• Arc Toolkit (by The Paciello Group)
• axe – Web Accessibility Testing (by Deque Systems)
• Accessibility Insights for Web (by Accessibility Insights)
• Web Accessibility (by Level Access)
• Markup Validation Service (by World Wide Web Consortium)
• WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
• AChecker
• Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE)

This statement was prepared on 10/12/2019.
It was last updated on 18/08/2020.

Each year we will be writing an annual report to highlight what we have achieved as a practice, and would like to share this with our patients.

Annual Report 2016 –  2017

Please see the following information regarding CCTV at the practice:

• CCTV – Policy and Code of Practice
• CCTV – Bedgrove Surgery Code of Practice Leaflet
• CCTV – Aston Clinic Code of Practice Leaflet
• CCTV – Wendover Health Centre Code of Practice Leaflet

Our practice has decided to outsource our medical reporting to MediData, who will process your medical report using their system, eMR.

What is eMR/MediData?

MediData is a NHS Digital accredited company who have developed a digital system called
eMR, which enables GP practices to create digital, GDPR compliant medical reports.

eMR helps GP Surgeries with data security, speed, and efficiency.
eMR also helps you to easily see your medical data, stay in control of it and decide who you want to share it with.

MediData has worked hard to develop their NHS GP IT Futures accredited technology, eMR,
which interfaces with our GP practice’s system to extract your medical record. This means you can receive a full copy of that information

securely and share it with others as you wish, keeping your data safe.

If you wish to speak to a member of the MediData team regarding your medical report, or any
concerns you may have regarding your data, please contact MediData directly on:

Phone – 0333 3055 774
Email – connect@medi2data.com

Make a comment or complaint

Our ‘How to make a comment or complaint’ information sheet may be useful to you:

• Download our Make a Complaint form

NHS England

Further details regarding complaints and the NHS are available from NHS England.

South East Complaints Hub
NHS Frimley ICB
Aldershot Centre for Health
Hospital Hill
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1AY

Phone number: 0300 561 0290
Email address: frimleyicb.southeastcomplaints@nhs.net

More information on the BOB ICB website.

The NHS needs data about the patients it treats in order to plan and deliver its services and to ensure that care and treatment provided is safe and effective. The General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection will help the NHS to improve health and care services for everyone by collecting patient data that can be used to do this. For example, patient data can help the NHS to:

• monitor the long-term safety and effectiveness of care
• plan how to deliver better health and care services
• prevent the spread of infectious diseases
• identify new treatments and medicines through health research

GP practices already share patient data for these purposes, but this new data collection will be more efficient and effective.

This means that GPs can get on with looking after their patients, and NHS Digital can provide controlled access to patient data to the NHS and other organisations who need to use it, to improve health and care for everyone.

Opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data (Type 1 Opt-out)

If you do not want your identifiable patient data (personally identifiable data in the diagram above) to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except for your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out.

Type 1 Opt-outs were introduced in 2013 for data sharing from GP practices, but may be discontinued in the future as a new opt-out has since been introduced to cover the broader health and care system, called the National Data Opt-out. If this happens people who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed. More about National Data Opt-outs is in the section Who the NHS shares patient data with.

Here is a brief video to explain –

NHS Digital will not collect any patient data for patients who have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out in line with current policy. If this changes patients who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.

If you do not want your patient data shared with NHS Digital, you can register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice. You can register a Type 1 Opt-out at any time. You can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 Opt-out.

Data sharing with NHS Digital will start on 1st September 2021.

If you have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice your data will not be shared with NHS Digital.

To register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice before data sharing starts with NHS Digital, the quickest way is by opting out directly via the NHS Digital website. The link to this is – https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/

Alternatively, you complete our online Register your Type 1 Opt-Out Preference form by 23 June 2021 to allow time for processing it. If you have previously registered a Type 1 Opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this.

You can also download the Register Your Type 1 Opt-out Preference form and send the form by post or email to your GP practice or call 0300 3035678 for a form to be sent out to you.

If you do not want your confidential information from any organisation to be used by other health and care organisations for research and planning, this cannot be coded at the practice. You will need to register a ‘national Data Opt Out’. This can be done by visiting NHS: Your Data Matters.

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 who worked for six months or more in Westongrove in the last financial year was £64,426 before Tax and National Insurance.

This is for 4 full-time GP’s, 20 part-time GP’s and 2 locum GP’s.

We are a training practice approved for the postgraduate training of doctors in general practice, and we view education as an integral part of the Westongrove organisation.

GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors who have mainly hospital experience. They consult jointly with our GPs and on their own, regularly videoing the consultation element of their surgeries for training purposes.

What is the Herbert Protocol?

The Herbert Protocol initiative is named after George Herbert, a veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia.

It is a process to be used where there is a risk that a vulnerable person, particularly if they suffer from dementia, may go missing.

It consists of a form for recording key information which the police will require if the vulnerable person goes missing.

It’s for carers and relatives of vulnerable people, especially those with dementia, who are worried about them going missing.

They can complete the form in advance and then hand to the police when a loved one goes missing.

Carers, family members and friends should complete part one of the form in advance and obtain a recent photograph of the vulnerable person.

In the event of the vulnerable person going missing, part two should be completed, and the form, plus photograph, handed to the police.

The form can be used for any vulnerable person, not just those with dementia.

Who completes the form?

The vulnerable person and their family/carers, including care-home staff, should jointly complete part two. If appropriate, family/carers may do so on behalf of the vulnerable person.

The form should be completed as fully as possible and then kept regularly updated, so that all the information is accurate and current.

When should the form be given to the police?

The police only need the form at the point the person is reported missing and it will be used to assist with their enquiries to locate the missing person.

Where should the form be stored?

The form should be kept securely at the vulnerable person’s address, or may be held by a family member, a carer, a friend or a neighbour. It needs to be readily available when required.

The form can be downloaded below.

• Herbert Protocol form

It can be completed by hand or electronically. A paper copy, plus the photograph, will need to be handed to the police officer who attends to take the missing person’s report.

What action should be taken if the person goes missing?

A search of the address, grounds and outbuildings should be undertaken and then the police alerted as soon as practicable.

Tell the police call-taker that a Herbert Protocol form is available.

If Death Occurs At Home

1.    Telephone the surgery who may need to arrange for a GP to visit to confirm that death has taken place. The receptionist will ask you for the deceased’s name and DOB, date and place of death, Funeral Director (if known) , is the deceased for burial or cremation (if known), name and contact number of the relative informing
2.    The GP will then be able to complete a death certificate if the death was expected. This will be emailed by our Administration team to the Registrar Office. Please give us the information of the Registrar if the burial/cremation will take place outside of Buckinghamshire
3.    The next of kin will then need to contact the Registrars Office, (for the area in which the death took place. Alternatively you can register by declaration at any convenient Registrars Office but certificates will not be available as these will have to be posted to you a few days later.
4.    The Registrar will normally issue a Green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).

If the death is not expected the GP may need to liaise with the Coroner before a death certificate can be issued.

Note For Cremation

Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.

Westongrove Partnership follow the Aylesbury Vale CCG 28 Day Prescribing Policy. AVCCG recommends that the usual length of both acute and repeat prescriptions should be 28 days.

For more information please view the AVCCG Prescribing Interval Policy.

For more information on Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) please visit the NHS Business Services Authority website.

To view our full Privacy notice, click here

Information Sharing

Sharing of Clinical Data

As part of the NHS, the GP Surgery is obliged to share certain information with other organisations, both NHS & third Party. The sharing of data is strictly governed by the Data Protection & Caldicott guidelines. We share information for 3 main reasons:

• To help other healthcare profesionals provide the best care for you.
• To provide statistical information to help with disease management and best practice.
• For continued improvement in quality of services we provide for you.

As part of the contract between GPs and the NHS, we are required to undertake a number of patient surveys. Some surveys are conducted within the practice. National surveys require us to provide patient names and addresses to a third party company. This is so that forms can be posted to patients. The company acts under very strict contractual guidelines to keep your details safe.

In order to provide the best care, doctors and nurses in other NHS organisations need to know the best way to treat our patients. Limited clinical information is shared for a referral and also for the Common Health Record – a system for a number of organisations to submit their information to create a complete record for everyone. This is especially useful in emergencies.

The new Electronic Prescription Service will send limited information on your medication to the NHS Prescriptions Pricing Authority and your nominated pharmacy.

Further Information and leaflets can be obtained from reception.

• Information is shared to improve the way we care for you.
• The Common Healthcare Record is an amalgamation of information from a number of NHS organisations including GP Practices.
• The Common Healthcare Record helps other healthcare professionals to decide how best to treat you.
• The Electronic Prescriptions Service will send patient and therapy information to the pharmacy of your choice.
• Patient names are given to a third party company under strict conditions to conduct patient surveys.
• Anonymous statistical information is reported to assist with disease management.
• You may decide not to have your information shared. To stop your data being sent please see reception.

Useful information:

• Poster – How we use your information
• Leaflet – Keeping your records safe

Sharing your Patient Record

View information about sharing your patient record.

As you will need to submit Proof of Identity on Application, please visit your practice to complete the SARs Application Form.

To establish your identity and address, the application must be accompanied by an original document(s) bearing your FULL NAME, DATE of BIRTH, and ADDRESS (e.g Driving Licence).

At Westongrove Partnership we operate a free text messaging service. We will send texts to remind you about appointments, let you know when flu clinics are happening, share information from the surgery via our patient newsletter, send Friends and Family Test requests and other useful information from the surgery if we have your mobile phone number.

We will assume that you wish to use this service unless you tell us in writing that you would prefer not to be included by emailing westongrove.admin@nhs.net. We can then opt you out of this service meaning you will no longer receive text messages of any sort from us.

Please check with reception that we have your correct mobile number. If you share a mobile number or phone with someone else they may receive your messages, so let us know if anything needs updating.