Our Policies
Confidentiality & Medical Records
All patients’ health records and computer files are kept confidential at all times. To protect them, laboratory and x-ray results will only be given to patients themselves or to the parents of minors, where appropriate. Requests for a Carer to also be able to receive results relating to the person they care caring for should be put in writing to the Practice Manager.
You have the right to see your health records, subject to the limitations of the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.
For more information on how we manage medical information, please visit our Data Protection and Privacy page:>>
We are registered under the Data Protection Act. Further details about what happens to any personal data that you give us, or any that we may collect from or about you can be found by downloading our Data Protection Privacy Notice for Patients. Data Protection and Privacy - Swanage Medical Practice
Voice Recording of Telephone Calls
Swanage Medical Practice frequently uses the surgery's telephone system to communicate with patients. For your safety and security, all calls to and from the Practice are securely recorded using computerised technology. Access to recordings is password protected. For any call to be accessed, the need for this has to be agreed by the Practice Manager.. It is envisaged that it would be extremely rare for there to be any need to listen retrospectively to any call and we wish to reassure all our patients that this will occur only when there is a specific need. A record of any access will be kept.
If any patient has any queries, please contact the Practice Manager Natasha Ritchie.
Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the Practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the Practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme is available from the Practice Manager.
NHS Constitution
The NHS belongs to the people.
It is there to improve our health and wellbeing, supporting us to keep mentally and physically well, to get better when we are ill and, when we cannot fully recover, to stay as well as we can to the end of our lives. It works at the limits of science – bringing the highest levels of human knowledge and skill to save lives and improve health. It touches our lives at times of basic human need, when care and compassion are what matter most.
The NHS is founded on a common set of principles and values that bind together the communities and people it serves – patients and public – and the staff who work for it.
View the full NHS Constitution
Zero Tolerance
We strongly support the NHS policy on Zero Tolerance. Anyone attending the Surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients, be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the Practice list. In extreme cases, we may summon the Police to remove offenders from the Practice premises.