What is a Patient Participation Group (PPG)?

It is a group of volunteer patients and practice staff who engage and discuss the topics for discussion the patients would like them to be.

Patient participation is:

• Patients working with practices to improve services;
• Varied to suit local needs
• Based on cooperation

Patient participation is not:

• A forum for complaints; although the group may discuss complaint themes to identify areas for improvement
• A doctors’ fan club
• A time-consuming activity for patients and practice staff

If you know all about PPGs already and simply wish to register to join our Primary Care Network PPG, please send an email to your surgery at nhsnwl.shcadmin@nhs.net mentioning PPG member application in the subject header.

What is the aim of a PPG?

The aims of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) are as follows:

• To encourage a positive relationship between the patients and all of the surgery staff
• Represent a voice for the patient in the practice
• To be realistic about what you can achieve and to look for small changes that can make a real difference
• To work together constructively and positively to help identify solutions and to work in partnership with the practice and other local organisations
• Carry out research to find out what matters to patients and discussing the findings with the practice
• To encourage patients to engage in their own healthcare and future needs

The practice(s) will work with the PPG to develop an action plan for implementing changes.

How does having a PPG benefit the patients and the practice?

Good for patients

• Patients will take more responsibility for their own health
• Patients will have a clearer understanding and knowledge of the practice and staff
• Patients will benefit from improved communications with staff
• Patients will have a forum to suggest positive ideas and voice their concerns

Good for practice staff

• Staff will be able to plan services jointly with patients and this should make services more effective.
• Staff will be able to help patients with non-medical and social care issues
• Staff will be able to get help from patients in meeting targets and objectives
• Staff will have a forum to voice concerns, ideas and suggestions to patients
• Staff will build stronger links with their community

For the surgery to be able to develop a PPG :  WE NEED YOU!

How much of your time will being part of the PPG take?

It’s up to you!

We are keen to ensure that our PPG is representative of all of our patients so it is important that we explore different ways of engaging with you.

We would like to develop at least 2 ways of working with our patients:

• A PPG that meets regularly as defined by the PPG once it is in place (subject to Covid Secure Guidelines)
• A virtual PPG that allows those who cannot attend meetings to still be fully involved using email where available

We are always keen to hear from patients who would be willing to devote a little time to helping the PPG – either as a committee member, or with the organisation and running of events, or have ideas for information sessions and events. If you are interested please complete the PPG form on line or ask reception for one to complete and hand in.

Details of events organised by the PPG will be displayed on the practice notice board in the waiting room of the surgery, or ask at Reception for more details.

If you are interested in taking part in our group, or would like more information about anything we do please contact us on 02037943119 or ask at reception

If you want to register your interest, please send an email to your surgery at nhsnwl.shcadmin@nhs.net mentioning PPG member application in the subject header.

We are very excited to be work with our patients to develop the patient experience at Shakespeare Health Centre so we look forward to hearing from you.

For more information, please visit the National Association for Patient Participation website – www.napp.org.uk

Privacy Policy

We understand how important it is to keep your personal information safe and secure and we take this very seriously. We have taken steps to make sure your personal information is looked after in the best possible way, and we review this regularly.

Please read this privacy notice (‘Privacy Notice’) carefully, as it contains important information about how we use the personal and healthcare information we collect on your behalf

WHY WE ARE PROVIDING THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

We are required to provide you with this Privacy Notice by Law. It explains how we use the personal and healthcare information we collect, store and hold about you. If you are unclear about how we process or use your personal and healthcare information, or you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or any other issue regarding your personal and healthcare information, then please do contact our Data Protection Officer (details below).

The Law says:

We must let you know why we collect personal and healthcare information about you;
We must let you know how we use any personal and/or healthcare information we hold on you;
We need to inform you in respect of what we do with it;
We need to tell you about who we share it with or pass it on to and why; and
We need to let you know how long we can keep it for.

THE DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

Please send an email to Data Protection Officer at

HILLCCG.SHCAdmin@nhs.net

If you have any questions about how your information is being held;
If you require access to your information or if you wish to make a change to your information;
If you wish to make a complaint about anything to do with the personal and healthcare information we hold about you;
Or any other query relating to this Policy and your rights as a patient.

ABOUT US

We, at Shakespeare health centre are a Data Controller of your information.

This means we are responsible for collecting, storing and handling your personal and healthcare information, when you register with us as a patient at one of our practices.

There may be times where we also process your information. That means we use it for a particular purpose and, therefore, on those occasions we may also be Data Processors. The purposes for which we use your information are set out in this Privacy Notice.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT FROM YOU

The information we collect from you will include:

Your contact details (such as your name and email address, including place of work and work contact details);
Details and contact numbers of your next of kin and/or people you designate as carers;
Your age range, gender, ethnicity, main language;
Details in relation to your medical history;
Appointment details (such as date, time and reason for your visit to the Surgery);
Medical notes and details of diagnosis and consultations with our GPs and other health professionals within the Surgery involved in your direct healthcare;
Details of telephone encounters (such as telephone recordings, date, time and phone number of calls) for training and quality purposes;
CCTV recordings of onsite encounters within public spaces for safety and security of all patients.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOU FROM OTHERS
We also collect personal information about you when it is sent to us from the following:
1. a hospital, a consultant or any other medical or healthcare professional, or any other person involved with your general healthcare;
2. Other government agencies (such as DVLA, Home office, firearms applications, court orders etc) involved with your general healthcare.

YOUR SUMMARY CARE RECORD
Your summary care record is an electronic record of your healthcare history (and other relevant personal information) held on a national healthcare records database provided and facilitated by NHS England.
This record may be shared with other healthcare professionals and additions to this record may also be made by relevant healthcare professionals and organisations involved in your direct healthcare.
You may have the right to demand that this record is not shared with anyone who is not involved in the provision of your direct healthcare. If you wish to enquire further as to your rights, in respect of not sharing information on this record ,then please contact our Data Protection Officer.

WHO WE MAY PROVIDE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO, AND WHY
We may pass your personal information on to the following people or organisations, because these organisations may require your information to assist them in the provision of your direct healthcare needs. It therefore, may be important for them to be able to access your information in order to ensure they may properly deliver their services to you:
1. Hospital professionals (such as doctors, consultants, nurses, etc);
2. Out of hours professionals (such as doctors, nurses, etc);
3. Community professionals (such as Pharmacists, Dentists, Opticians, Nurses);
4. NHS Services commissioned by NHS Clinical Commissioning groups or NHS England (such as Extended Access Hub, Community Paediatric Services, Diabetic retinal screening, Child immunisations, Cervical Screening, etc)
5. Any other person that is involved in providing services related to your general healthcare, including mental health professionals.

OTHER PEOPLE WHO WE PROVIDE YOUR INFORMATION TO
1. NHS Commissioners (such as Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England);
2. Service providers (such as Hillingdon Primary Care Confederation);
3. Local authorities (such as London Borough of Hillingdon);
4. Community health services (such as Central North West London NHS Trust);
5. For the purposes of complying with the law e.g. Police, Solicitors, Insurance Companies;
Anyone you have given your consent to, to view or receive your record, or part of your record. Please note, if you give another person or organisation consent to access your record we will need to contact you to verify your consent before we release that record. It is important that you are clear, and understand how much and what aspects of your record you give consent to be disclosed.

ANONYMISED INFORMATION
Sometimes we may provide information about you in an anonymised form. If we do so, then none of the information we provide to any other party , will identify you as an individual and cannot be traced back to you.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A PATIENT
The Law gives you certain rights to your personal and healthcare information that we hold, as set out below:
A. Access and Subject Access Requests
You have the right to see what information we hold about you and to request a copy of this information.
If you would like a copy of the information we hold about you, please email our Data Protection Officer. We will provide this information free of charge, however, we may in some limited and exceptional circumstances have to make an administrative charge for any extra copies if the information requested is excessive, complex or repetitive.
We have one month to reply to you and give you the information that you require. We would ask, therefore, that any requests you make are in writing and it is made clear to us what and how much information you require.

1. Online Access via The NHS App
   You may access your health care data by downloading NHS App on your apple or android devices. NHS App provides a secure platform to your health records and other online services. It is easier to get online access to your records, book appointments and order repeat prescriptions via NHS App and you do not need your access PIN from the practice. Alternatively, you can request for your online access PIN number from your practice. However, there will be certain protocols that we have to follow in order to give you online access, including written consent and the production of documents that prove your identity.
   Please note that when we give you online access, the responsibility is yours to make sure that you keep your information safe and secure if you do not wish any third party to gain access.
2. Correction
   We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct any information you think is inaccurate. It is very important that you make sure you tell us if your contact details including your mobile phone number has changed.
3. Removal
   You have the right to ask for your information to be removed. However, if we require this information to assist us in providing you with appropriate medical services and diagnosis for your healthcare, then removal may not be possible.
4. Objection
   We cannot share your information with anyone else for a purpose that is not directly related to your health, e.g. medical research, educational purposes, etc. We would ask you for your consent in order to do this. However, you have the right to request that your personal and healthcare information is not shared by the Surgery in this way. Please note the Anonymised Information section in this Privacy Notice.
5. Transfer
   You have the right to request that your personal and/or healthcare information is transferred, in an electronic form (or other form), to another organisation, but we will require your clear consent to be able to do this.

THIRD PARTIES MENTIONED ON YOUR MEDICAL RECORD
Sometimes we record information about third parties mentioned by you to us during any consultation. We are under an obligation to make sure we also protect that third party’s rights as an individual and to ensure that references to them which may breach their rights to confidentiality, are removed before we send any information to any other party including yourself. Third parties can include: spouses, partners, and other family members.

HOW WE USE THE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
We use your personal and healthcare information in the following ways:
A. when we need to speak to, or contact other doctors, consultants, nurses or any other medical/healthcare professional or organisation during the course of your diagnosis or treatment or on going healthcare;
B. when we are required by law to hand over your information to any other organisation, such as the police, by court order, solicitors, or immigration enforcement.
We will never pass on your personal information to anyone else who does not need it, or has no right to it, unless you give us clear consent to do so.

LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR COLLECTING AND USING YOUR INFORMATION
The law says we need a legal basis to handle your personal and healthcare information.
CONTRACT: We have a contract with NHS England to deliver healthcare services to you. This contract provides that we are under a legal obligation to ensure that we deliver medical and healthcare services to the public.
CONSENT: Sometimes we also rely on the fact that you give us consent to use your personal and healthcare information so that we can take care of your healthcare needs.
Please note that you have the right to withdraw consent at any time, if you no longer wish to receive services from us.
NECESSARY CARE: Providing you with the appropriate healthcare, where necessary. The law refers to this as ‘protecting your vital interests’ where you may be in a position not to be able to consent.
LAW: Sometimes the Law obliges us to provide your information to an organisation (see above).

SPECIAL CATEGORIES
The law states that personal information about your health falls into a special category of information because it is very sensitive. Reasons that may entitle us to use and process your information may be as follows:
PUBLIC INTEREST: Where we may need to handle your personal information when it is considered to be in the public interest. For example, when there is an outbreak of a specific disease and we need to contact you for treatment, or we need to pass your information to relevant organisations to ensure you receive advice and/or treatment;
CONSENT: When you have given us consent;
VITAL INTEREST: If you are incapable of giving consent, and we have to use your information to
protect your vital interests (e.g. if you have had an accident and you need emergency treatment);
DEFENDING A CLAIM: If we need your information to defend a legal claim against us by you, or by another party;
PROVIDING YOU WITH MEDICAL CARE: Where we need your information to provide you with medical and healthcare services

HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We carefully consider any personal information that we store about you, and we will not keep your information for longer than is necessary for the purposes as set out in this Privacy Notice.

UNDER 16s
There is a separate privacy notice for patients under the age of 16, a copy of which may be obtained on request.

IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE
If English is not your first language you can request a translation of this Privacy Notice. Please contact our Data Protection Officer.

COMPLAINTS
If you have a concern about the way we handle your personal data or you have a complaint about what we are doing, or how we have used or handled your personal and/or healthcare information, then please contact our Data Protection Officer.
However, you have a right to raise any concern or complaint with the UK information regulator, at the Information Commissioner’s Office:

www.ico.org.uk

OUR WEBSITE
The only website this Privacy Notice applies to is the Surgery’s website. If you use a link to any other website from the Surgery’s website then you will need to read their respective privacy notice. We take no responsibility (legal or otherwise) for the content of other websites.

COOKIES
The Surgery’s website uses cookies. For more information on which cookies we use and how we use them, please see our Cookies Policy.

SECURITY
We take the security of your information very seriously and we do everything we can to ensure that your information is always protected and secure. We regularly update our processes and systems and we also ensure that our staff are properly trained. We also carry out assessments and audits of the information that we hold about you and make sure that if we provide any other services, we carry out proper assessments and security reviews.

TEXT MESSAGING AND CONTACTING YOU
Because we are obliged to protect any confidential information we hold about you and we take this very seriously, it is imperative that you let us know immediately if you change any of your contact details.
We may contact you using SMS texting to your mobile phone ,in the event that we need to notify you about appointments and other services that we provide to you involving your direct care. Therefore, you must ensure that we have your up to date details. This is to ensure we are sure that we are actually contacting you and not another person.

WHERE TO FIND OUR PRIVACY NOTICE
You may find a copy of this Privacy Notice in the Surgery’s reception, on our website, or a copy may be provided on request.

CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY NOTICE
We regularly review and update our Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice was last updated on 04.10.2021