Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning.

You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13.

What is confidential patient information

Confidential patient information is when 2 types of information from your health records are joined together.

The 2 types of information are:

• something that can identify you
• something about your health care or treatment

For example, your name joined with what medicine you take.

Identifiable information on its own is used by health and care services to contact patients and this is not confidential patient information.

How it can be used for Research and Planning

Confidential patient information might also be used to:

• plan and improve health and care services
• research and develop cures for serious illnesses

If you’re happy with your confidential patient information being used for research and planning you do not need to do anything. But if you would like to opt out then please download and fill the Data Opt-out form and post it to the address provided in the form or give it to one of the receptionist.

 “How the NHS and care services use your information’’

Grove Road Surgery is one of many organisations working in the National Health and care System (NHS) to improve care for patients and the public. 

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in the patient’s record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

•   Improving the quality and standards of care provided

•  Research into the development of new treatments

• preventing illness and diseases

• Monitoring safety

•  Planning services

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. 

On this web page you will:

• See what is meant by confidential patient information
• Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• Understand more about who uses the data
• Find out how your data is protected
• Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
• See the situations where the opt-out will not apply

You can also find out more about how patient information is used at:

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research); and

https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-know (which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made)

You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement.

Health and care organisations have until 2020 to put systems and processes in place so they can be compliant with the national data opt-out and apply your choice to any confidential patient information they use or share for purposes beyond your individual care. Our organisation ‘is / is not currently’ compliant with the national data opt-out policy.^[1] “

The NHS website repeat prescription ordering service

What is a Repeat Prescription?

Repeat medication is a medication that you are required to take continually. The GP will advise you in your consultation if your medication is on “repeat”.

We will issue this medication either monthly or weekly depending on your requirements and this will be specified to you by the GP. Patients are responsible for ordering their medication as and when required and we can only request one month or week at a time. If you need to order more medication than usual due to a holiday etc, you should request a telephone consultation to discuss this with the GP.

Ordering a Repeat Prescription

Ordering your prescription can be done in a variety of ways, either face to face, via email, through your pharmacy or online via the link at the top of this page. First time users to the online system will need a unique user name and password which can be given by reception or emailed to you on request.

Please note, only medication that is prescribed by the GP or clinician as repeat medication is available to order. If you require something that is not available please contact us via email ([email protected]).

We will try to have your prescription ready ASAP however you should expect to be able to collect your prescription 48 hours after you have ordered it. If for any reason you need this earlier you should specify this at the time of request and whilst we will do our best to accommodate you. We are not an unscheduled care service so we may not have a clinician on hand to sign your prescription then and there.

Electronic Prescribing Service

Grove Road Surgery are one of the practices who can offer the EPS to our patients.

The Electronic Prescription service allows your GP to send an Electronic prescription through a secure link to your nominated pharmacy, along with our online repeat ordering prescription you can now order your prescription and have the medication delivered to your door without even leaving home!

How to Register for EPS?

Next time you are in your local chemist enquire with your pharmacy about nominating them for EPS. Once completed your pharmacy will request your prescriptions when your medication is due or if preferred you can order it yourself (why not try our new online ordering service) Your medication will be prescribed by the GP and instead of a traditional FP10 (green prescription) this will be sent back to your pharmacy electronically. The pharmacy can then dispense your medication for collection or you can arrange for them to deliver to your home.

This process completely eliminates the need to collect your prescription from reception, which saves you time! It’s also environmentally friendly as it saves paper!

If you have further queries about EPS please contact reception or visit Electronic Prescriptions on the NHS Website

Medication Reviews

When your repeat medication is first issued the GP will authorise this medication for a certain length of time. Once you have exceeded the amount of issues that the GP has authorised you will be asked to book a consultation for a medication review; this could involve a series of questions (so can be done over the phone) or it could involve a more medical examination (i.e. blood pressure checks, blood tests etc).

It is vitally important that you have continual medication reviews when necessary with the GP/nurse. This will ensure your health and well being whilst you are taking the medicine and it will allow the GP to monitor your symptoms to ensure you are on the best care plan.  Whilst Blackfriars will do everything we can to ensure your medication review goes ahead, in extreme cases you could have your medication refused if you do not attend your medication review.

Out of Hours service

Please call 111 for all medical advice or 999 for emergencies.
Need to see a clinician when we are closed?

There is a direct telephone number (0330 053 9499) that patients can use to contact the Federated4health hub which allows all patients registered to a GP practice in Haringey to use.

If you need more information Please visit The Hub Service.

Do you know that you can request to have a chaperone present while seeing Doctors, Nurses or HCAs? If you need a Chaperone present during a consultation ask at the Reception desk.