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Website Accessibility

Victoria Road Surgery strives to ensure that its services are accessible to people with disabilities. It has tried to ensure that its website is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, with the strong belief that every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. The UserWay Website Accessibility Widget can be enabled by clicking on the accessibility menu icon that appears on the corner of the page. After triggering the accessibility menu, please wait a moment for the accessibility menu to load in its entirety.
Despite our efforts to make all pages and content on victoriaroadworthing.nhs.uk fully accessible, some content may not have yet been fully adapted to the strictest accessibility standards. This may be a result of not having found or identified the most appropriate technological solution.
If you are experiencing difficulty with any content on victoriaroadworthing.nhs.uk or require assistance with any part of our site, please contact us during normal business hours as detailed below and we will be happy to assist.

Accessibilty Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability or sensory loss receive information that they can access and understand, for example in large print, braille or via email, and professional communication support if they need it, for example from a British Sign Language interpreter. More specifically, that information provided by Victoria Road Surgery is available in whatever method is required by our patients.

Further information can be obtained by reading the Accessible Information Standard Leaflet

Should you have any communication needs, or know of a patient who needs support, please let the practice know and we will look to assist, whether that is by providing information in large print or putting a patient in touch with British Sign Language (BSL), an interpreter, or sending information via email or braille.

Further information can be obtained on the NHS website www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo

Charities including Action on Hearing Loss, CHANGE, Sense and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) will also be able to provide further support.

Please do not hesitate to contact the practice if you have any questions.

What is required by the accessible information standard?

The Standard requires organisations that provide NHS or adult social care to:

• Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs;
• Record those needs clearly and in a set way;
• Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs;
• Share people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so;
• Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of health care and is central to the work of everyone working in general practice. All information about patients is confidential: from the most sensitive diagnosis to the fact of having visited the Surgery or being registered at the Practice.

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person.

All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their permission except in the most exceptional of circumstances, when somebody is at grave risk of serious harm.

Responsibilities of Practice Staff:

All health professionals must follow their professional codes of practice and the law. This means that they must make every effort to protect confidentiality. It also means that no identifiable information about a patient is passed to anyone or any agency without the express permission of that patient, except when this is essential for providing care or is necessary to protect somebody’s health, safety or well-being.

All health professionals are individually accountable for their own actions. They should also work together as a team to ensure that standards of confidentiality are upheld, and that improper disclosures are avoided.

Additionally, the GP as an employer:

Is responsible for ensuring that everybody employed by the Practice understands the need for, and maintains, confidentiality.

Has overall responsibility for ensuring that systems and mechanisms to protect confidentiality are in place.

Has vicarious liability for the actions of those working in the Practice – the health professionals and the non-clinical staff.

Standards of confidentiality apply to all health professionals, administrative and ancillary staff – including receptionists, secretaries, practice managers, cleaners and maintenance staff who are bound by contracts of employment to maintain confidentiality – and also to students or others observing practice. They must not reveal, to anybody outside the Practice, personal information they learn in the course of their work, or due to their presence in the surgery, without the patient’s consent. Nor will they discuss with colleagues any aspect of a patient’s attendance at the surgery in a way that might allow identification of the patient, unless to do so is necessary for that patient’s care.

If disclosure is necessary:

if a patient or another person is at grave risk of serious harm which disclosure to an appropriate person would prevent, the relevant health professional will counsel the patient about the benefits of disclosure. If the patient refuses to allow disclosure, the health professional can take advice from a professional, regulatory or defence body, in order to decide whether a disclosure without consent is justified to protect the patient or another person.

Patients that do not keep appointments and do not cancel them cost the NHS millions of pounds, they also waste the doctors time and deprive another patient of an appointment.

We all accept that people can forget appointments. However patients who DNA twice in fairly close proximity will receive a letter informing them that if they continue to DNA without contacting the Practice, then they may be removed from the Practice list. Should this occur, a discussion will take place with the patient’s usual GP. The decision whether to remove the patient will be taken on a case by case basis. If the decision results in removal:-

• The CCG will be informed of the request to remove the patient from our list.
• A letter will be sent informing the patient that he/she is being removed from our list and detailing the reason.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE TEMPLATE MARCH 2024

CQC Registration Document:

20230829_120925_1-199745325_Victoria Road Surgery_CRT

The Practice is committed to producing a high quality of care to our patients. The relationship between the patients and those working in the Surgery is an important issue and is a two-way process. Therefore, in order to protect both the staff and other patients, we have a zero tolerance policy and respectfully point out that the following inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated:-

• Rudeness
• Swearing
• Shouting
• Threatening or abusive behaviour
• Drunkenness
• Verbal/physical abuse

Such behaviour has a marked effect on staff and other patients and therefore, where such behaviour is observed, we reserve the right to withdraw from treating the patient and ensuring removal of those involved from the premises. A patient displaying such behaviour may be removed from our list.

We do not allow smoking or drinking on the premises and ask that mobile phones are switched off.

Please note that for health reasons appropriate dress should be worn e.g. no bare chests/feet in the summer please!

The Freedom of Information Act requires every public authority to adopt and maintain a publication scheme which has been approved by the Information Commissioner, and to publish information in accordance with the scheme.

Documents relating to this Act with specific reference to the Victoria Road Surgery can be found below:-

Freedom of Information Leaflet

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DOCUMENT January 2023

ANNUAL REPORT MARCH 2024

The Practice complies with the General Protection Data Regulations 25th May 2018.

Data Controller: Victoria Road Surgery Our Registration number for the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) is Z6785196

What is GDPR?

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulations and is a new piece of legislation that will supersede the Data Protection Act. It will not only apply to the UK and EU; it covers anywhere in the world in which data about EU citizens is processed.

The GDPR is similar to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 (which the practice already complies with), but strengthens many of the DPA’s principles.

For more information on GDPR and how we store and use your data and our practice privacy policy please open or download the 2 PDF documents below:

GDPR Information Poster

GDPR Information Poster

Who will we share your information with?

In order to deliver and coordinate your health and social care, we may share information with the following organisations:
Other GP Practices, NHS Trusts/Foundation Trusts & NHS Commissioning Support Units, Private sector providers, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Social Care Services, Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), Local Authorities, Education Services, Fire and Rescue Services, Community Health and Care Trust, 111 and Out of Hours Service, West Sussex Ambulance Service, West Sussex County Council & Chichester District Council (Adult Social Services and Community Care), Voluntary Support Organisations, Children’s Local Safeguarding Board, Police and Judicial Services, Other data processors which you will be informed of.

Your information will only be shared if it is appropriate for the provision of your care or required to satisfy our statutory function and legal obligations. You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for explicit consent when required.

We may also use external companies to process information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements to ensure information is kept confidential and secure. For a more detailed list of those we share information with see Privacy notices below:

PRIVACY NOTICES:

Template GP Privacy Notice Appendix A V7 October 2024

Template GP Privacy Notice V3.6 Final – Oct 2023

Template GP Privacy Notice Appendix A V7 January 2025

Template GP Privacy Notice Appendix A V8 November 2025

Template GP Privacy Notice Appendix A V9 December-2025

Template GP Privacy Notice Appendix A V9 February 2026

Important information regarding your data

Plans/Statement of intent:

Patient Data has now been uploaded to the Summary Care Record unless patients have specifically opted out of this scheme. Patients records are collected electronically via the GP2GP electronic system wherever possible when a patient registers with the Practice. Patients can already request prescriptions on line and make appointments on line. Please see Privacy Notices under the heading of Policies.

General Data Protection Regulations: Your Privacy Matters

Your data matters to the NHS. Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. In May 2018, the strict rules about how this data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.  Your health and care information is used to improve your individual care. It is also used to help us research new treatments, decide where to put GP clinics and plan for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.  Confidential patient information identifies you and says something about your health, care or treatment. You would expect this information to be kept private.  Your confidential patient information is sometimes used by the NHS, local authorities, university and hospital researchers, medical colleges and pharmaceutical companies researching new treatments. You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information for research and planning. There may still be times when your confidential patient information is used: for example, during an epidemic where there might be a risk to you or to other people’s health. You can also still consent to take part in a specific research project.  Choosing to opt out will not affect your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.  You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your confidential patient information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out via the National Data Opt-Out Programme (see below) and/or by adding a Type 1 Opt-Out to your GP record.

National Data Opt-Out Programme

You can choose whether your confidential patient information from other health providers is used for research and planning.

To find out more visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/

copy and paste:

https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-patient-data-safe/gdpr

Type 1 Opt Out Form

You may apply for on-line access to your electronic medical record.  You will need to complete some paperwork from the Practice and your identity will need to be established. On-line access to your medical records will permit you to view your medical record from October 2019 but any documents on your medical record will only be available from the day that you requested on-line access to your medical records.

Information on patients is collected in a variety of ways. Manual or electronic data is recorded from GP and Nurse consultations, from letters from the Hospital and from other sources such as Social Services, etc.

We ask you for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment.

We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed when we see you again.

We may use some of this information for other reasons, for example:-

• To help us protect the health of the public generally
• To see that the Practice runs efficiently
• To plan effectively for the future
• To train its staff
• To help educate tomorrow’s clinical staff
• To carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone
• Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information, for example, to notify a birth.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a General Practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information.

You have the right of access to your health records. To do so, please contact the Practice Manager who will inform you of the procedure and costs.

Everyone working for the Practice has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. All our staff have signed confidentiality agreements, which ensures that this is the case.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as from the Practice. So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you. We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interest. Whenever we can, we shall remove details which identify you.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

As a patient you have the right to:

• Be registered with a named doctor
• Change doctor if desired (but please remember that you may have to see any of the doctors if your need is urgent)
• Receive emergency care
• Receive appropriate drugs and medicines
• Be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and GP agrees
• See your medical records or a copy, subject to certain laws
• Know that by law, everyone working for the NHS must keep the contents of your medical records private

Additionally you have the right to:

• Be treated with respect and courtesy
• Receive clear understandable information about your care and treatment
• You have a right to refuse treatment

With these rights come responsibilities for the public. That means being:

• Courteous to staff at all times
• As prompt as possible for all appointments
• Responsible for cancelling appointments in adequate time