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Advice & Support

How do I Change My Details?

It is extremely important that you let us know if you have changed your name, your home address, or your phone number. This helps us to ensure that we can contact you if necessary and that correspondence is sent from the Practice to the correct address.

If you would like to inform us of a change of details in person, please advise the Receptionist. You can also email your new details to Enquiries.W97014@wales.nhs.uk. Please include your full name and date of birth as well as your old address. It would be a great help if you could also provide both a home telephone number and/or mobile phone number and your postcode.

Don’t forget to let us know if other members of your household who are also registered with the practice are changing their details too.

Requesting Records (SAR)

 

SAR

If you wish to see or have a copy of the information we hold about you, you can make a Subject Access Request or SAR. These requests can be made in writing, by email or by speaking to us.

Note: Please be aware when emailing information to the Practice that we cannot guarantee the security of this information whilst in transit, and that by using this facility you are accepting the risk. If you choose to email us, we recommend that you do not include sensitive information with the body of the email.

Your request should specify you are making a request to access your own information, by clearly marking your request ‘subject access request’. Providing us with sufficient information will enable us to locate your required information in a timely manner. Please date your request and provide:

  • Your full name, including any aliases, if relevant;
  • Your up-to-date contact details, date of birth and NHS number if available;
  • A comprehensive list of what personal information you want to access, based on what you need;
  • Details, such as relevant dates/time periods, episodes of treatment, etc.

Where necessary, we may require acceptable proof of identification and address consisting of one item from List A and one from List B:

  • A - Birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport or driving license;
  • B - Bank/Building Society statements, recent utility bill, tax certificate, letter from Department of Work and Pensions.

All requests will be recorded and normally responded to within 30 days. If your request is complex or considered excessive, we may require extra time to consider your request which may take up to an additional two months. However, we will inform you if this is the case.

In most circumstances we will not charge to fulfil your request however, a reasonable fee may be charged for the administration of the request in certain instances, for example, if we think your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive or where further copies of information are requested.

The Practice is the data controller for the health records of Patients registered with us. Where an individual is not currently registered with a GP or is deceased, then these records are held by NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership (NWSSP). Please visit the NWSSP website for further information.

If you require a more specific letter with regards to certain diagnosis and treatments, these requests come under the remit of our Private Services and are not covered by a simple SAR request; these services are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges.  These charges are required to be paid up front upon receipt of your request; our reception team will advise at the time your request is made.

 

Subject Access Requests (SARs) and children 

A child can exercise their own data protection rights so long as they are deemed competent to do so. Generally, children aged 13 and over, are considered competent to make a SAR unless there is information to suggest otherwise. If the child (of any age) does not have sufficient understanding to exercise their rights themselves, you may allow a person with parental responsibility to exercise the child’s right to make a SAR.

If a SAR is made on behalf of a child who is deemed to lack capacity to act on their own behalf, information may be sent to a person with parental responsibility. However, this is not a decision that should be made automatically. In all cases the best interests of the child should be considered. It is possible to restrict information going to a parent where it is not considered to be in the best interests of the child, for example, where there are “do not disclose” notes on the child's record.

 

Third party Subject Access Requests

Individuals can authorise third parties (for example, solicitors) to make a SAR on their behalf. Health and care providers releasing information to solicitors acting for their patients and service users should ensure they have the individual’s written consent.

It is important to draw a distinction between SARs (made by someone acting on the patient’s behalf) and requests made under the Access to Medical Reports Act (AMRA). Requests under the AMRA are made by a third party who is not necessarily acting on the patient’s behalf - for example, an insurance company. If the request from the solicitor is for a copy of the patient and service user’s health record (or extracts of the record) it is deemed to be a SAR. If the request is asking for a report to be written, or it is asking for an interpretation of information within the record, this request would go beyond a SAR. It is likely that such requests will fall under the AMRA framework for which fees can be charged.

 

Practice Policies

The practice policies include:-

Access to Medical Records Policy, Call Recording Policy, CCTV Acceptable Use Policy, CCTV Monitoring Policy, Communications Policy, Confidentiality and Data Protection Policy, Cookies Policy, Data Protection and Caldicott Procedures, Deaf Patient Access Policy, Dealing with Violent and Abusive Patients Policy, Freedom of Information Policy, GDPR Procedures, Information Governance Policy, Information and IT Security Policy, Internet and Social Media Acceptable Use Policy, ISMS E-mail Services Policy, Mobile Working Policy, Pandemic Management Policy, Portable Device Policy, Records Management Policy, Subject Access Request Procedures, Telephone Policy, Website Privacy Policy, Zero Tolerance Policy.

Copies of our policies and procedures are available on request by contacting the practice manager at Enquiries.W97014@wales.nhs.uk

 

Raising a Concern

Complaints in the NHS

Our aim is to provide the very best care and treatment we can and it is important that we hear about patient's comments and learn from people's experiences - good or bad. 

The Concerns Procedure is designed to ensure that when there is a problem, everything possible is done to resolve it speedily and effectively. 

What you should do if you have a concern

  • You can raise the matter with a member of staff who will try to resolve it immediately
  • If you prefer to deal with someone in the Practice not directly involved, please write to Sarah Carlsen, Practice Manager at our address or by email to the Practice Manager on Enquiries.W97014@wales.nhs.uk  Please note, if your concern is of a clinical nature or involves controlled medications, a Doctor not involved with the concern may be asked to lead the investigation

What the Practice will do

  • Acknowledge your written concern within two working days, if the matter cannot be satisfactorily resolved immediately 
  • Ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated and aim to provide you with a full response within 30 working days.  We will keep you informed of progress if for any reason this timescale cannot be met
  • Provide a response which includes an explanation, an apology, if appropriate, and tells you what action we are taking or have taken to help prevent any similar problems in the future.  We will also offer you the opportunity to meet with the doctor if requested

Patient Support Services

If you would rather not have the Practice look into your concern, you can contact a member of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board's Patient Concerns Team.  You can contact them: 

Telephone: 02920 744095

Write to: Concerns Manager at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, University Hospital of Wales (UHW), Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XW

Please contact the Concerns Team with full details of your concern.  However, please note, after reviewing your concern they may feel that it is best dealt with by the Practice.  If you need help telling them about your concern, please let them know, or contact your local Community Health Council (CHC).

Community Health Council (CHC)

The CHC provides a FREE and independent advocacy service which is able to help patients or the people acting for them to raise a concern.  The CHC officers can advise you, help you in putting your concern in writing and provide support during the procedure.

The contact details for the CHC are:

Telephone: 02920 750112

Address: South Glamorgan Community Health Council, Pro-Copy Business Centre (Rear), Parc Tŷ Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5DU

If you are still unhappy or dissatisfied

If after dealing with the Practice or the Concerns team you are still not satisfied with the response, you may refer your concern to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. 

Telephone: 0300 790 0203

Website:  https://www.ombudsman.wales/

Write to: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoid, CF35 5LJ

CONCLUSION

We want to know when things go wrong, so that we can quickly put them right and improve our services. 

Important Note

Should a patient raise a concern, the Practice may need to access the patient's medical records. 

If you do not want the Practice to access your medical records in the process of investigating your concern, please let the Practice Manager know of this in writing. 

If after raising your concern, the Practice Manager does not receive your written instructions not to access your medical records, this will be understood to mean you have no objections.