The freedom of information act is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities
This is a guide to the General Practitioners Publication Scheme as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Introduction
This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Alwoodley Medical Centre. It is a description of the information about our Doctors and the 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 all free unless otherwise indicated within each Class. (Where information is provided at a cost the charges are as below).
How is the information made available?
The information within each Class is currently available via this website, in our information folder in reception and can be requested in hard copy from reception (There will be a small charge for photocopies of documents).
Your rights to information
In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about the practice and the partners under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost and how the decisions are made.
From January 1st 2005 General Practitioners have been obliged to respond to requests about information that they hold, that is recorded in any format. These rights are subject to some exemptions, which have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information can be released.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you and you can contact the practice secretary to do this.
Feedback
If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the Scheme, please write to:
Jayne Tait, Business Manager, Alwoodley Medical Centre, Saxon Mount, Leeds, LS17 5DT. Tel. 0113 393 0119
Classes Of Information
All information at this practice is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish 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. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are for 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 on this Scheme is grouped into the following broad categories:
Who We Are
Details of the practice, organisational structures and key personnel can be found in the practice profile in our patient information folder. The practice adheres to the National General Medical Services contract. The contract is with NHS England.
The practice aims to follow National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and National Health Service guidelines. Copies of these can be found on the NICE website or the Department of Health website.
The NHS is a very large part of the public sector. It is possible to find out information about practices, Primary Care Trusts and other NHS services in your area by using the NHS Choices Website. A full list of local General Practices can also be found there.
The full names of the GPs are listed in the introduction to this scheme, the practice leaflet and practice profile. As can be seen from the profile we employ a practice manager, practice nurses and a full range of administrative staff.
Our Services
The range of services we provide includes:
- Cervical cytology
- Child health surveillance
- Contraceptive services
- Immunisations
- Chronic disease management
- Minor Surgery
- ENT clinic
- Access to district nurse, midwife and health visitor
- Out of hours cover is currently provided by [Name of provider here].
Financial information
Funding details and charging policies:
- The practice receives money from NHS England according to its contract in exchange for providing services for patients.
- The practice also charges for certain services which are not provided within the NHS.
Regular publications and information for the public
Guidance and information leaflets
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint about any aspect of our service you should first contact: The Business Manager, Alwoodley Medical Centre, Saxon Mount, Leeds, LS17 5DT, Tel: 0113 393 0119. The complaints procedure can be found on this website, on the notice board in reception, and in the patient information folder.
Our policies and procedures
Policies and procedures for use within the practice include, but are not restricted to: data protection; prescribing and prescription; and health and safety.
This 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. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.
Cost of Information
We will charge you only for hard copies or the transfer of media onto external devices. Some information is available free, but for others, there may be a charge. The charges will vary according to how information is made available. Charges are as follows:
- Via the practice intranet - photocopying charges only.
- Leaflets - leaflets on services we offer to the public, health advice leaflets and information regarding complaints/suggestions and Access to data are available free of charge from reception and can be viewed in our patient information folders.
- "Glossy" or other bound paper copies, CD Rom, video or other mediums, are not currently available from the practice.
The charges will be reviewed regularly.
Useful Resources
External Websites
Information Commissioner website.
Publications
Freedom Of Information Act 2000.
GP Contract - NHS England Contracting.
Copyright
Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the copyright of this General Practice 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 which will not mislead. Where items are re-published 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. See HMSO Guidance Notes.