Your Right To Privacy
You have a right to keep your personal health information confidential (private) between you and your doctor or nurse. The duty of confidentiality owed to young people (including those less than 16 years old) is the same as that owed to any other person. A young person under 16 years old can attend at least one appointment without parent/carer involvement. During this appointment the doctor or nurse will make a judgement as to whether the young person has enough maturity and understanding of the situation to make up their own mind.
We will actively encourage young people to discuss any health worries with a parent or carer, and often young people are happy for information to be shared in this way. However, if a young person is judged to be competent and wishes for this information to remain confidential, we will respect their wishes, unless there are safeguarding concerns.
Consent To Treatment
If you give your consent to something, it means you give your permission, you agree. Young people aged 16 years or over have the right to make their own decisions about their health. They are deemed to have enough maturity and understanding to consent to medical treatment.
There are instances where young people under 16 years old can give their own consent for medical treatment without parent or carer involvement. The doctor or nurse will make a judgement as to whether the young person has enough maturity and understanding of the situation to make up their own mind.
Who Else Sees My Records?
There is a balance between your privacy and safety, and we will normally share some information about you with others involved in your health care, unless you ask us not to. This could include doctors, nurses, therapists and technicians involved in the treatment or investigation of your medical problems.
This practice is involved in the teaching of medical students. If you see a medical student during a consultation, they may be given supervised access to your medical record.
Our practice nurses, district nurses, midwives and health visitors all have access to the medical records of their patients. It is our policy to try to have a single medical record for each patient. We firmly believe that this offers the best opportunity for delivering the highest quality of care from a modern primary care team.
Our practice staff has limited access to medical records. They deal with many of the routine tasks with in the practice and may need access to your notes to input information / scan documents or book an appointment.
All our doctors, nurses and staff have a legal, ethical and contractual duty to protect your privacy and confidentiality. If you would like someone from the practice to talk through this policy with you, please come and talk to a member of staff. We will listen and we will do everything we can to make sure you are safe.
For a full version of our Confidentiality and Consent Policy please ask at the surgery.
Young People Friendly Service
Confidentiality Policy
Everyone who works at the GP surgery and anywhere in the NHS is bound by a confidentiality policy. All information about patients is confidential from the most sensitive problems you want to discuss with a Doctor or Nurse, from letting anyone know you have visited the surgery or being registered at the surgery as a patient.
The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is the same as the duty owed to any other person. All patients can expect that their personal information will not be shared without their permission except in certain circumstances, when someone is at serious risk of harm.
We Offer a Confidential Service
We are here to listen not to tell.
We will not tell anyone about your visit, including teachers, your friends or family members whether you are 16 or over 16.
Any information taken at your visit will be kept securely and confidentially.
If you have any worries or questions about confidentiality please do not hesitate to ask us.
Fraser Competency
If you are under 16, the GP will be able to see and treat you provided the Doctor is:
- Confident that the young person understands the advice.
- The young person’s physical and mental health is likely to suffer unless he/she receives advice treatment.
GP Of Your Choice
You can request to see either a male or female GP, you can always ask for a chaperone to accompany you. You can also bring a friend if you prefer.
Privacy
If you would like to talk to a receptionist in private, please ask you will be able to talk to her away from the reception area.
