All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS  services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in Alexandra and Crestview Surgeries in the last financial year was £42,722 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 4 full time GPs, 1 part time GPs and 6 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

However, it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

The practice is committed to putting patients at ease wherever possible.

If you wish for a chaperone to be present during an examination, please do not hesitate to ask a clinician or one of our receptionists.

It may not be possible for such a person to be provided immediately and you may have to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.

Trust is important in the relationship between clinician and patient and we would at all times, wish you to feel able to ask for a chaperone. It is the policy of the practice to respect the privacy, dignity, cultural and religious beliefs of our patients.

The NHS is the UK’s state health service which provides treatment for UK residents. Some services are free, others have to be paid for. The regulations that govern who can and can’t receive treatment are complex and may change.

A person who is regarded as ordinarily resident in the UK is eligible for free treatment by a GP. A person is ‘ordinarily resident’ for this purpose if lawfully living in the UK for a settled purpose as part of the regular order of his or her life for the time being. Anyone coming to live in this country would qualify as ordinarily resident. Overseas visitors to the UK are not regarded as ordinarily resident if they do not meet this description.

The following NHS treatment is available to anyone:

• Treatment in an emergency (but not follow up treatment)
• Treatment of certain communicable diseases
• Compulsory psychiatric treatment

To qualify for other NHS treatments you must meet certain conditions, which are outlined below:

EU Nationals

Foreign nations from EU member states have reciprocal arrangements for both dental and medical health care so they can access the full range of NHS services.

Non EU Nationals

Foreign nationals from non-EU countries have no automatic right to NHS healthcare (other than those outlined above). Students and visitors who are going to stay in the UK for less than six months would have to be seen as private patients and would have to pay for their treatment. It is therefore essential that you have medical insurance to pay for any private treatment.

If you are not a student registered at a UK university and you’re not going to stay in the UK for between six months and a year, it may be unlikely that you will be able to receive free NHS Treatment.

If you are unsure of entitlement to NHS treatment, or require further information, please ask the reception staff when you register, and they will advise you accordingly.

Be aware that a valid six month visa does not automatically confer the right to free NHS treatment.

Please note that registering with a GP does not give you automatic entitlement to access free NHS hospital treatment. It is therefore essential that you take out medical insurance for the duration of your visit prior to arrival in the UK.

If you are a student registered at a UK university (and you have documentary proof of this) and are going to stay in the UK for more than six months, you will qualify for NHS treatment from the beginning of your stay and you (and your dependants) will be entitled to NHS treatment and you may register with a GP.

Medical Emergencies

If you need immediate medical assistance (e.g. because of an accident) telephone 999 – the call is free. An operator will ask you which emergency service you require (fire, police or ambulance). You will need to tell the emergency services what has happened and where you are. If someone is injured and needs to go to hospital, an ambulance will arrive and take them to the nearest hospital with an emergency department

If you need urgent treatment but are well enough to travel, please make your own way to the nearest A&E department.

Each patient has a ‘named accountable GP’ on their clinical record. If you do not already know who your named GP is, please ask reception. We aim for you to see your named GP but this may not always be possible and you may be offered an appointment with a different clinician.

There is a central NHS computer system called the summary care record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had. Over time it will build to include information about other health issues considered important to your wellbeing.

Why Do I Need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who Can See It?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your summary care record.

How Do I Know If I Have One?

Over half of the population of England now have a summary care record. You can find out whether summary care records have come to your area by asking the surgery directly.

Enhanced Summary Care Record

If you wanted to ‘enhance’ your record it would include the following information:

• Significant medical history (past and present)
• Reason for medication
• Anticipatory care information (important in the management of long term conditions)
• Communication preferences
• End of life care information
• Immunisations

Children Under The Age Of 16

Patients under 16 years will have an enhanced summary care record created for them unless their GP surgery is advised otherwise. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 then you should make this information available to them if they are old enough to decide for themselves if they want a summary care record.

Whatever you decide, you can change your mind at any time.

If you are a family member or carer of a person and you have concerns that they may not have the mental capability to make this decision, please contact the practice.

Do I Have To Have One?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, please contact the practice.

More Information

For further information please visit the HSCIC Website.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have a right to know who holds personal information about you. This person or organisation is called the data controller. In the NHS, the data controller is usually your local NHS Trust and your GP surgery. The NHS must keep your personal health information confidential; it is your right.

Please be aware that our staff are bound to the NHS code of confidentiality. Our staff are therefore not permitted to discuss any of our patient’s medical history, including their registration status, without their written consent to do so.

Once we have received their written consent and verified this with the patient, we can then we can provide you with this information. This includes complaining on behalf of a patient, but excludes patients who are unable to act on their own behalf and already have a designated person or carer responsible for their medical care.

We therefore respectfully ask parents and guardians not to request information regarding their relatives, or to complain on their behalf, unless we have their written consent to do so.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities.

For more information, please review the Information Commissioner’s Office guide on the Freedom of Information Act.

Infection Control Lead – Roxanne Adams – Advanced Clinical Practitioner

We aim to keep our surgery clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients and staff. We are proud of our practice and endeavour to keep it clean and well maintained at all times.

Our GPs and nursing staff follow our infection control policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment we use is safe.

We take additional measures to ensure we maintain the highest standards:

• Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report any incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control. We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems.
• Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection control procedures are working.
• Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection control.
• Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance.
• Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard within the available. financial resources and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risk.
• Use washable or disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc., and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise risk of infection.
• Make alcohol hand rub gel available throughout the building.

Infection Control Audit Certificate

As a patient at this surgery you may be asked, possibly when phoning for an appointment or when seeing the GP, if you would like to take part in research. If this is the case you will be given a full explanation about the study/trial and what is involved.

Why do we do research?

• It helps us to identify and provide the best possible care for you and your family
• It looks at ways to prevent illness and helps us to improve treatments and services
• It helps us to increase our knowledge about illnesses.

How can you, our patients, help us?

• By filling in questionnaires
• By letting the researcher look at your medical notes
• Trying a new treatment or drug.

Please remember that taking part in research is voluntary – you do not have to take part and you can change your mind at anytime. If you decide that you no longer wish to take part this will not affect your care.

All studies run at the practice have been looked at in-depth by various committees to ensure it is ethical, of value to our patients and to the NHS and that it respects the rights, safety and well being of those taking part.

We are a training practice for GP registrars and UEA students who are fully qualified doctors undertaking further training and gaining experience in general practice. They receive support and training from members of the practice, and would be happy to see all patients attending the surgery.

Medical students will also be attached to the practice and the doctors are involved in their teaching. If a student is due to be present at your consultation we will always ask your permission and only want you to agree if you are completely happy. Saying no will not prejudice your care at the surgery in any way.