In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the Practice Manager. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

We take complaints very seriously. If you have any complaints/suggestions we would like to hear from you, preferably in writing.

Please send these to our Practice Manager, Mrs Katharine Wilson.

Duddon Valley Medical Practice, Askew Gate Brow, Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA17 7TE.

Call: 01229 889247

We have an approved Practice Complaints Procedure – copies available on request. Complaints or concerns raised will not affect the quality of care received.

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/

On the 25th May 2018, the Data Protection Act changed.  The new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) has been implemented.

Please read our Privacy Notice carefully, this explains how the practice stores and handles sensitive patient data and information.

Duddon Valley Medical Practice holds your medical records confidentially and shares them with appropriate staff who are involved in providing direct care for you as an individual.

Some information from your medical records may be used for purposes other than your direct care i.e.

“In order to comply with its legal obligations, this practice may send data to NHS Digital when directed by the Secretary of State for Heath under the Health and Social Care Act 2012”

“This practice contributes to national clinical audits and will send the data which are required by NHS Digital when the law allows. This may include demographic data, such as date of birth, and information about your health which is recorded in coded form, for example, the clinical code for diabetes or high blood pressure.”

“This practice contributes to medical research and may send relevant information to medical research databases such as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and QResearch or others – when the law allows.”

If you have any questions please ask your Doctor or Nurse.

Chaperone Policy

Duddon Valley Medical Practice Patient Privacy Notice

Duddon Valley Medical Practice 

Social Media Policy 

There are many social media platforms that are widely used by both staff and patients; these include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. 

Duddon Valley Medical Practice has a duty to maintain patient confidentiality and to safeguard vulnerable patients. You can help us achieve this by adhering to the code of conduct outlined in this policy. 

Patients at Duddon Valley Medical Practice are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct at all times 

1. The practice requires all users of portable devices to use them in a courteous and considerate manner, respecting their fellow patients. Portable devices are not to be used during consultations unless agreed by clinicians. 

1. Patients are not permitted to disclose any patient-identifiable information about other patients, unless they have the express consent of that patient. 

1. Patients must not post any material that is inaccurate, fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing, obscene, defamatory, or unlawful. Any such posts will be reported to the relevant authorities, with legal advice being taken when necessary. 

1. Patients are not permitted to take photographs in the waiting room or areas where other patients are present, nor are photographs of staff permitted. 

1. Patients must not post comments on social media that identify staff who work at the practice. 

1. Defamatory comments about our team are not to be shared on any social media platform. Legal advice will be sought, and the appropriate action taken against any patient who posts defamatory comments. 

1. The legal definition of defamation is: “any intentionally false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person’s reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person.” 

Ethical Social Networking 

The GMC’s guidance, Doctors’ use of social media states that social media sites should never be used to discuss individual patients or their care. If a GP is contacted by a patient through their private profile for medical advice the patient will be asked to direct their query to the surgery. 

Patient complaints on social media 

In the modern age of the internet, some people choose to air their concerns regarding services on social media. Our experience is that, for the most part, comments posted on social media tend to be of a negative nature and attract all manner of further negative responses – often becoming individualised comments rather than constructive feedback about an organisation. Such posts about our practice staff have been brought to our attention in the past. 

If any offensive social media posts are brought to our attention, we may contact the patient/s involved and invite them to have a face-to-face discussion about the issues that they have. 

However, depending on the content of the post, it may be viewed as a potential breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship and could result in you being removed from our practice list. 

We welcome all feedback – positive and negative – as it gives us the opportunity to review the services we provide and, where necessary, make changes or improvements. 

We have a separate complaints policy which patients are to use, should they wish to make a complaint. 

We will only respond to complaints made to the practice in accordance with the practice complaints policy. 

You would not expect to read derogatory comments about yourself online and neither do we. 

Duddon Valley Medical Practice Young Persons Privacy Information Leaflet