Latest News

May 2008

1. 1.Extended Surgery Hours
   

2. As you will know the Government has recently obliged GPs in the UK to offer extended surgery hours for NHS patients. Unfortunately, details of the new regulations have yet to be finalised and negotiations between the BMA and the Department of Health are still ongoing. Despite this we have decided to ‘grasp the nettle’ and will be offering extended hours, based on our current understanding of the new regulations, from Monday 30th June onwards.
   

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5. Unfortunately, due to planning conditions enforced by the Local Authority, we will not be permitted to offer extended surgery hours at our Withymoor Surgery. All extended hours surgeries will therefore be provided at our Albion House premises.
   

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8. We will be running surgeries from 6.30 pm until 8.00 pm Monday - Friday and 9.00 am until 10.30 am on Saturdays. These will be routine surgeries, strictly by appointment only and it will not be possible for us to provide any other routine services at these times. Due to concerns about staff safety during these hours there will also be a much higher level of security than usual and only patients with pre-booked appointments will be permitted access into the building.
   

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11. Under these new arrangements out-of-hours cover for emergencies remains the responsibility of Dudley Primary Care Trust and will continue to be provided by Prime Care as at present. Patients who require urgent/emergency care during these hours should NOT attend the surgery but should instead contact the out-of-hours service via the main practice phone number as usual.
    

2. 2.Your medical records under threat
   

3. You may not be aware that the Government shortly intends to set up an NHS electronic care records system. This system is designed to be a national database of patient medical records and personal information (sometimes referred to as the NHS ’spine’). Patients’ records will be transferred automatically to this database from your GP’s computer system unless you choose to opt-out. Given the recent revelations about how government-held data is cared for, you will understand why we are concerned about the safety and security of this new system.
   

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6. Your Privacy?
   

7. The Partners are worried that your medical confidentiality may be at risk from this new database. A national campaign known as “The Big Opt Out” claims that:
   

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10. “over a million NHS employees and central government bureaucrats will have access to not only your medical records but also your demographic details - name, address, NHS Number, GP details, phone number and mobile number. There is no opt out for your demographic details. You can only have them hidden in special circumstances if the police or social services request it - if, for example, you are a celebrity or on a witness protection scheme. Many public and private sector workers will otherwise have access to your address and phone number, from social workers to pharmacists”.
    

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13. What can you do about this?
    

14. If you are happy for your confidential data to be transferred to the new National database then you need take no further action and your records will be automatically uploaded.
    

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17. If you wish to prevent the transfer of your data simply print out the letter below, add your name, address and date of birth and post it back to us as soon as possible. On receipt of this letter we will add a code to your computer records which will prevent the transfer of your data to the ‘NHS spine’. Please send one letter per person. For children under the age of 16 years the letter should by signed by a parent or guardian (please indicate which).
    

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20. Please note that the consequence of opting out is that your confidential data will only be available to your GP and will not be accessible by other doctors/nurses in an emergency. This is actually the case at the moment and is therefore not a change.
    

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23. If you would like to comment on this please email: angela.mallen@dudley.nhs.uk
    

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26. For more information on the details and consequences of this issue we suggest you visit:
    

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29. http://www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/
    

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33. http://www.nhsconfidentiality.org/
    

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36. The Partners
    

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39. Please click on the adjacent link for a copy of the opt out letter:     Opt Out Letter.rtf