General Principles

The UK General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (UKGDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) protects personal information held by organisations on computer and relevant filing systems. It enforces a set of standards for the processing of such information. In general terms it provides that all data shall be used for specific purposes only and not used or disclosed in any way incompatible with these purposes.

In the course of its activities the Practice will collect, store and process personal data, including the recording of all telephone calls, and it recognises that the correct and lawful treatment of this data will maintain confidence in the organisation and will provide for successful business operations.

The Practice is registered with the Information Commissioner for all necessary activities under the UK GDPR/DPA.

Purposes of call recording

The purpose of call recording is to provide an exact record of the call which can:

• Protect the interests of both parties;
• Help improve Practice performance and best practice;
• Help protect Practice staff from abusive or nuisance calls;
• Establish the facts in the event of a complaint either by a patient or a member of staff and so assist in resolving it;
• Establish the facts and assist in the resolution of any medico-legal claims made against the practice or it clinicians;
• A call recording may also be used as evidence in the event that an employee’s telephone conduct is deemed unacceptable. In this situation the recording will be made available to the employee’s manager, to be investigated as per the Practice Disciplinary Policy

The telephone call recording system in operation will record incoming and outgoing telephone calls and recordings may be used to investigate compliance with the Practice’s policies and procedures, to provide further training, to support the investigation of complaints, to ensure the Practice complies with regulatory procedures and to provide evidence for any regulatory investigation.

The Practice will record telephone conversations from its central telephone system. All call recordings are encrypted and stored on a secure server at the system provider’s headquarters.

Please call and speak to the surgery reception coordinator or practice manager to see if any issues can resolved quickly for you.

If you wish to put a complaint in please do so in writing, please allow up to three working days for an acknowledgement of your complaint, depending on the issue raised a response can take up to 8 weeks due to internal investigations and responses.

These can either be brought into the surgery by hand or posted (using a secure, tracked postage service).

Please note any appointment requests or other requests to this email will not be actioned.

[email protected]

Our Practice Privacy Notices explain what information we collect about you, how we store this information, how long we retain it and with whom and for which legal purpose we may share it, the documents can be downloaded here:

• Practice Privacy Notice

Quinton practice have Data sharing agreements with other health care professionals to support us and you in you on going care. Referrals made to hospitals are done with your knowledge and sent under the same confidential rules and security through NHS approved software.

Mentally impaired

These are an important part of care at Quinton practice and a further referral regarding your care may need to be made:

Whilst there is a legitimate legal basis for the processing of data, individuals will need to be made aware that under the DPA18 they have 8 rights, which are applicable at all times throughout the processing, as detailed below:

• The right to be informed
• The right of access
• The right of rectification
• The right to erasure
• The right to restrict processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object
• Rights of automated decision making and profiling

The data we release

You name, Date of birth, NHS number, Mental health problem and official diagnosis.

Your information is dealt with in the strictest confidence.

Your responsibilities to us:

• Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
• Please keep your appointment and be punctual Let us know if you cannot keep an appointment so we can offer it to another patient.
• Ask for home visits only when the person is too ill to bring to the surgery.
• Keep phone calls brief and avoid telephoning for non urgent matters at peak morning time.
• Please treat doctors and staff with the courtesy and respect that you expect from them.
• Please do not bring all your family to see the doctor on one appointment. You would not like to be the next patient waiting and it is not fair to the doctor.

We are a medical research practice 

Permission will be sought before any patient engages in this process.

GP Research

National Institute for Health Research

In 2006, the Department of Health set up The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to improve the health and wealth of the nation through Research. The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) was introduced to provide the infrastructure to the NHS to allow high quality research to be set up and delivered efficiently and effectively.

Mulberry House and St Denys Surgeries are part of a network of local practices participating in research activities under the banner of CRN Wessex. To find out more about the work of the NIHR Clinical Research Network go to their website

What is Primary Care Research?

The CRN Primary Care speciality works in collaboration with researchers and primary care practitioners such as GPs’, practice nurses, pharmacists and dentists to promote the successful delivery of research studies in the NHS. A wide range of research studies are supported which look at:

• Promoting a healthier lifestyle
• Disease diagnosis and prevention
• Management of long-term illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension
• Prevention of future ill-health
• Treating common conditions such as tonsillitis or influenza

What are the Benefits of GP practices taking part in research?

• It offers patients access to new treatments
• It brings new dimension to practice and added skills to those involved
• It provides national gold standard training for research
• It offers mentorship and support to those involved in research within practice

How can you help and take part?

There are various ways a patient can become involved in studies at Mulberry House and St Denys Surgeries.

• A doctor or nurse may talk to you about a particular study and ask whether you would be interested in participating
• You may be sent information through the post if we feel you may be a suitable participant
• You may read information about a current study in the patient waiting room or on the surgery website and wish to take part by contacting your GP or the Research Nurse

All clinical research carried out at our surgeries is thoroughly checked and approved by ethical committees thus ensuring it is appropriate and safe to perform. Your participation is entirely voluntary and can be withdrawn by yourself at any time without any explanation required.

You are under no obligation to participate in any research project

Your care and your relationship with your doctor will not be affected in any way if you decided not to take part in a research study

You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details about a study. 

If you do agree to take part in a study, you will be asked to sign a consent form. This will clearly state which parts of your notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research study. Nobody from outside this practice will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent.

Research Training – Good Clinical Practice for Research in Primary Care

A key requirement for anyone involved in the conduct of Clinical Research is Good Clinical Practice for Research (GCP) training.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is the international guideline and standard to which all NHS research is conducted.

Why do you need Research Training?

Everyone involved in the conduct of clinical research must have the necessary training and education in order to ensure they are competent to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

This is a requirement of the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care 2005. This policy covers all research within the NHS in England, and in law, for those people working on clinical trials.

The Principles of GCP states that: “Each individual involved in conducting a trial should be qualified by education, training and experience to perform his or her respective task(s)” (2.8, E6 Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice)

Quinton Practice has decided NOT to prescribe prescript sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and will be adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for this can be found below:

1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.

2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.

3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and in aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.

4) According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF) Benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed)  in flying phobia. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. You should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.

5) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.

6) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.

We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a number of these below.

Easy Jet www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com Tel 0203 8131644

We aim to provide the best possible service by:

• Attention: Courteous and polite
• Accessibility: Urgent appointments seen on the same day
• Punctuality: Patients should be seen with 30 minutes of their appointment
• Promotion: Of the health of all our patients with advice on smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise
• Confidentiality: Maintained absolutely under all circumstances
• Complaints: Dealt with seriously and swiftly
• Expertise: We pride ourselves on our medical professionalism
• Equality: Decisions on treatment are made only with the informed consent of the patient

All practices, in line with government guidelines, have a ‘Zero Tolerance to Violence’ policy. This means that any violent or abusive behaviour or perceived threatening behaviour, whether verbal or otherwise to staff or members of the public on practice premises will not be tolerated.

We can refuse to provide a service, report the incident to the Police and request that the patient and their family be removed from their Practice list.