In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.

How to make a complaint or give a complement

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

The practice is currently working with NHSBSA to help identify patients that are suitable for electronic repeat dispensing.

Fair Processing Notice

Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

Lanchester Medical Centre

Practice Privacy Notice

How we use your medical records

This practice handles medical records according to the laws on data protection and confidentiality.

• We share medical records with health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is on a need to know basis and event by event.

• Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record

• We do share some of your data with local out of hours / urgent or emergency care services

• Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as Flu, Cervical cytology and Diabetes prevention.

• Data about you, usually de-identified, is used to manage the NHS and make payments.
• We share information when the law requires us to do, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people.

• Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.

• We may also share medical records for medical research

For more information read the specific privacy notices below.

What to do if you have any questions

Should you have any questions about our privacy policy or the information we hold about you, you can:

Contact the practice’s data controller Joanne Marshman via email address Data Controller.

GP practices are data controllers for the data they hold about their patients. Write to the data controller at:

• Lanchester Medical Centre, Durham Road, Lanchester, County Durham, DH7 0LS

Ask to speak to the Practice Manager Joanne Marshman Practice Manager

The Data Protection Officer (DPO) for Lanchester Medical Centre is Andrew Dowson [email protected] 

Practice Privacy Notice –

Practice Privacy Notice for Direct Care –

Practice Privacy Notice Emergencies –

Practice Privacy Notice for CQC –

Practice Privacy Notice National Screening Programme –

Practice Privacy Notice for Payments –

Practice Privacy Notice for Summary Care Records –

Practice Privacy Notice NHS Digital –

Practice Privacy Notice Public Health –

Practice Privacy Notice Research –

Practice Privacy Notice Risk Stratification –

Practice Privacy Safeguarding Notice –

Practice Poster – GDRP  GDPR – Practice Poster –

Practice Poster – GDPR Practice Poster GDPR for Children –