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Tower House Surgery
Map PointerTower House Surgery, 169 West Wycombe Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3AF
Appointments: 01494 526840
Out of Hours Service: 111

Surgery Opening Times

Monday7.15am - 6.30pm
Tuesday7.00am - 6.30pm
Wednesday8.00am - 8.00pm
Thursday7.00am - 6.30pm
Friday8.00am - 6.30pm

Practice

Our Service to You

Our aim is to provide a comprehensive range of medical services and preventative health care within the available resources. The practice will continue to improve its services by training and the use of advancing technology.

We do not discriminate on grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition. We are always pleased to receive comments from our patients about the service we provide. A comments form is available online or in reception. Please complete personal details if you would like a reply.

Please treat our staff with the same courtesy and respect that you would expect to receive from them. Patients who are violent, abusive or threatening towards staff or other patients will be removed from our lists immediately.

Your Local CCG

Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group

Second Floor
The Gateway
Gatehouse Road
Aylesbury
HP19 8FF


And at:

The Buckinghamshire CCG office
Amersham Trust Offices
Amersham Hospital
Whielden Street
Amersham
HP7 0JD


Email: bucksccgs@nhs.uk
Website: www.buckinghamshireccg.nhs.uk

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

Tel: 0800 3285640
Website: www.pals.nhs.uk
More information: www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.

They monitor, inspect and regulate health and social care services to make sure they are providing people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.

Further information about the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is available from CQC website.

The CQC can be contacted on 03000 616161 (National Customer Centre).

CQC Report

We have been rated as 'Good' in our latest CQC report. The results are available below:

Practice Charter

We aim to provide the best possible service to our patients within the resources we have at our disposal and hope you feel we achieve that aim.
The care of your health is a partnership between yourself and the Primary Healthcare Team. The success of that partnership depends on an understanding of each other’s needs and co-operation between us.

Our responsibility to you

  • You will be treated with respect and courtesy
  • You have the right to confidentiality, all data held is protected and governed by the Data Protection Act.
  • You have the right to see your medical records subject to the limitations of the law.
  • You will be seen on the same day if your problem is clinically urgent and we are made aware in good time.
  • You will be seen by your preferred doctor whenever possible.
  • You will be informed if there will be a significant delay to your appointment.
  • You will be referred to a consultant or other appropriate specialist if your GP thinks it medically necessary.
  • You will be given the result of any test or investigation on request.
  • Your repeat prescription will be ready within three working days of request, as long as you have attended any necessary reviews or blood tests.
  • Your suggestions and comments about our services will be considered sympathetically.
  • Any complaint raised will be dealt with quickly and fully, in line with our current complaints procedure.

But please also remember……… Your responsibility to us:

  • Please treat all surgery staff with respect – we work in a complex and demanding environment.
  • Abusive or violent patients will be removed from the practice list.
  • Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself or your child, unless they have provided us with written permission to do so
  • Tell us of any change to personal details so that your records are kept up to date.
  • Only request urgent appointments if appropriate.
  • Home visits should only be requested if you are too ill to attend the surgery. If you do not have your own transport, please consider arranging a lift or travelling by public transport or by taxi.
  • Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend.
  • Please be punctual but be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency.
  • Please attend for review of your condition when asked to do so, as overdue reviews will prevent repeat prescriptions being issued.
  • Do let us know if you feel we have not met our responsibility to you. It is always our intention to provide the best possible service within the resources available to us
  • We are delighted to hear when you feel praise is due to either the team or a particular individual.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) came into force on 1 January 2005 and allows public access to information held by public authorities.

The Act covers any recorded organizational information such as reports, policies or strategies, that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, however it does not cover personal information such as patient records which are covered by the Data Protection Act.

Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces. The Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner who regulates both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.

Under the FOI Tower House Surgery has produced a Publication Scheme leaflet which sets out the information which we have made available to the public. The leaflet can be obtained from the Surgery on request.

Who can Request Information?

Anyone can make a freedom of information request-they do not have to be UK citizens or resident in the UK. Anyone, anywhere in the world can make written requests for any recorded information.
Freedom of information request can also be made by organisations, for example a newspaper, a campaign group or a company.

Persons do not have to give a reason why they are requesting information.

Persons do not have to show identification – they could use a fictitious name, however we may decide to check their identity if it is clear they are using a pseudonym or if there are legitimate grounds for refusing their request e.g. if their request is vexatious or repeated.

People requiring information must put it in writing.

They must provide an address for correspondence; this can include a postal or email address.

What cannot be requested?

Personal data about staff and patients covered under Data Protection Act.

Complaints Procedure

We always try to give you the highest standard of care and service within the resources available to us. If, however, you feel we have failed you in any way, you have a right to initiate our complaints procedure.

We hope you will use our procedure to tell us what you feel has gone wrong and, and allow us the opportunity to put right any problems you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. However, we are not able to deal with the question of legal liability or compensation.

If you wish to make a complaint, please telephone, or write to our Practice Manager, Julie Sequeira  She will take full details of your complaint, and decide how best to undertake the investigation.
A copy of our Complaints procedure is available from reception.

We think it is important to deal with complaints swiftly.
Any complaint will be acknowledged by letter and an investigation will commence. We aim to report back to you within 10 working days. We hope you will understand that, occasionally, if we make more detailed enquiries, it may take a little longer, but we will keep you informed.

We try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation, and discuss any action that may be needed.
We hope that you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly.

Please note that we have a duty of confidentiality to patients - a patient's written consent is therefore required if a complaint is made on their behalf. If you are not satisfied with the way we, have dealt with your complaint you can ask the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman to look into it.

The Parliamentary Health Ombudsman is an independent body who will investigate complaints about unfair or improper action, or poor service, by UK Government departments, their agencies, and the NHS in England.

Complaints Helpline: 0345 015 4033
Fax: 0300 061 4000
Address:Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk 
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us you can contact:


NHS England

Telephone 0300 311 2233, lines open 8am -6pm excluding Bank Holidays
Email: England.contactus@nhs.net
Website: www.england.nhs.uk


Enquires or complaints about hospital or community services should be directed to the equivalent team for the organisations that provide them (locally this will be Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust)

Organisation which runs this function for the CCG:

South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

Telephone Number: 0800 328 5640

Email address: Scwcsu.palscomplaints@nhs.net

Postal address: Albert House, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1AG


Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)

If you need help to make a complaint you can contact the local Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS). This is an independent body set up to represent patients’ interests. ICAS also offers interpreting services to those who require them.

ICAS
Kingfisher Exchange
3rd Floor, Kingfisher House
Walton Street
Aylesbury
HP21 7AY

Tel: 01296468170
Email: aylesbury.icas@seap.org.uk

For complaints about other provider services such as local hospitals or the NHS 111 Service, please see this leaflet for contact details...

Medical Records

Your doctors, the staff at this practice and everyone else who works within the NHS have a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality about patient information.

Information about you, your medical treatment and family background may be recorded, either on paper or in computer files, as part of providing you with health services.

We need to keep this information in order to provide proper care for you and to allow others to check the treatment that you have received.

Sharing your Medical Information

It is important that health and social care professionals have access to basic information about patients and people they care for.
This means your medical information is sometimes shared by your GP with other authorised healthcare staff via fax or telephone.
Local and national programmes have been introduced to now share this information electronically and securely. Read more...

Subject Access Requests

The right of access, commonly referred to as subject access, gives individuals the right to obtain a copy of their personal data as well as other supplementary information. It helps individuals to understand how and why you are using their data, and check you are doing it lawfully. The request for medical records can be made verbally or in writing.  A form for written requests is produced at the end of this policy.

There is no charge for the information unless the request is excessive or repetitive.  In this case a reasonable fee based on the administrative cost can be charged.  Excessive/repetitive requests can also be refused but must be advised to the requester along with how they can complain. 

Requests for health records information should be recorded internally and fulfilled within 1 month of receipt.  An extension by up to 2 months is possible for complex/numerous requests. This must be advised within a month of receipt, to the requester explaining why an extension is necessary. 

There is no minimum age for children, to request subject access however the clinician should consider whether the child is mature enough to understand what it means to make a request for their information and how to interpret the information they receive as a result of doing so. 

To make a Subject Access Request please print the request form here and return to the practice. You will be contacted by the practice regarding consent to release the information requested. This information can then be collected from the practice within the 1 month timescale as stated under the GDPR. 

For more information regarding Subject Access Requests please see the ICO website via this link - www.ico.org.uk



Medical Education

This practice is actively involved in medical education. It is a training practice for General Practitioners who join us as GP Registrars for up to 18 months. In addition medical students or health professionals who are in training may join the practice for a period of time. You will be asked to complete a consent form if there is a student / trainee present, you do not have to agree and can ask for the student/ trainee to leave the room. If you do consent, you can change your mind at any time during your consultation.
GP Registrars are required to video their consultations as part of their training, your consent will be sought, you can refuse to take part. If you do agree you will be asked to sign a consent form and be assured of the purposes for which this video is used.

Change of Details

It is important to let us know of any change of name/address/telephone number. This will make it easier to contact you and to keep your records up to date. Forms to change these details are available online via our Online Services or at reception.

Statement of Intent (IT and Electronic)

Contractual requirements came into force from 1st April 2014 requiring that GP practices should make available a statement of intent in relation to the following IT developments:

  • Referral Management
  • Electronic Appointment Booking
  • Online Booking of Repeat Prescriptions
  • Summary Care Record
  • GP2GP Transfers
  • Patient Access to Records.
  • Enable Patient Feedback (FFT)

You can read more about how the practice plans to embrace these developments here...

Your Named GP at Tower House Surgery

From April 2015, the government requires all practices to allocate their patients with a named GP. The named GP will have overall responsibility for the care and support that you are provided with.

This does not prevent you from seeing the GP of your choice in the practice as you are currently able to do.

If you would like to know who your named GP is, please ask the receptionist on your next visit or use our Practice Query facility.

GP Net Earnings

Year Ending March 2018
All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS Services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs who worked for six months or more at this practice Tower House Surgery in the last financial year was; £47707 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time 6 part-time GP’s.

Year ending March 2017
All Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g average pay) for GP's working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GP's who worked for six months or more in the Tower House Surgery in the last financial year was £52,030 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for two (2) full time, Five (5) part time GP's.