Practice Policies & Patient Information
Abuse of practice staff on social media
There have been incidents of abuse levelled, primarily, towards reception staff and the doctors on certain social media platforms.
Please click here to view our Patient Social Media Policy and understand the guidance therein. Patients who abuse our staff on social media will not be tolerated. Legal action may be sought and appropriate actions taken.
Accessible Information Standard
The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a mandatory standard that all NHS and publicly funded adult social care services must follow. It means we record specific communication needs you may have, record them in your medical records and provide alternative forms of communication when requested.
For more information about your rights, please see this easy read guide or visit: www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/accessibleinfo/
Bank Holidays
The surgery and branch site are closed for the following bank holidays in 2024.
| Easter | Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April |
| May Day | Monday 6th May |
| Spring | Monday 27th May |
| Summer | Monday 26th August |
| Christmas | Wednesday 25th December and Tuesday 26th December |
| New Year | Wednesday 1st January |
Care Quality Commission [CQC]
The purpose of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is to check whether hospitals, care homes, GPs, dentists and services in your home are meeting national standards.
This is done by inspecting services and publishing findings, and helping people to make choices about the care they receive.
In October 2014, the CQC adopted a new approach for GPs and out-of-hours service providers, including putting people who use the services are at the centre of their work – listening, involving and responding to people’s experiences of care.
Read our CQC Report
For more information visit the Care Quality Commission website.
Complaints
How to make a complaint
At Billesdon Surgery we take complaints very seriously and try to ensure that you are pleased with your experience of our service. Complaints are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. This procedure is based on these objectives.
Our aim is to react to complaints in the way in which we would want out complaint about a service to be handled. We learn from every mistake that we make and respond to your complaints in a caring and sensitive way.
To make a complaint please click here to open the Patient Complaint Form. You can also access our patient leaflet which provides further information about how we handle your complaint by clicking here.
The persons responsible for dealing with all complaints is Dr Henrietta Burton or the Practice Manager. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing normally within three working days. We will seek to investigate the complaint within ten working days of receipt to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. If you do not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to you on the telephone. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within ten working days we will notify you, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation. Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received. If you are not satisfied with the result of our procedures then a complaint may be made to:
Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester
M2 3HQ
Tel: 0345 0154033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service( PALS)
Email: PALS@leicspart.nhs.uk
Tel: 0116 295 0830
NHS Leicester
Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board
Room G30
Pen Lloyd Building
County Hall
Glenfield
Leicester
LE3 8TB
Tel: 0116 295 7572
Email: llricb-llr.enquiries@nhs.net
Data Protection
Please click here to see our expanded and full Privacy Policy.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) no longer provide certificates. On the national register Billesdon Surgery is renewed annually.
ICO registration number: Z5190543
Date registered: 21 November 2006.
Data Protection Officer (DPO):
Mr Umah Sabat
IG Health Limited
71-75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ
Umar.Sabat@ig-health.co.uk
07894 826 037
IG Health Ltd and Billesdon Surgery completes an annual Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT). You can view our certificate here.
GP Statement of Earnings
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.
How you can help us
- Please keep the appointment or cancel it well in advance to allow other people to see us.
- Please book urgent appointments for emergencies only.
- If you feel you need a longer appointment for your problem, please tell reception at the time of booking the appointment.
- If you change your name, address or telephone number please inform us as soon as possible.
- Only call the Doctor out of hours if you can’t wait.
- For minor ailments and injuries try one of the Urgent Care Centres in East Leicestershire and Rutland.
- Be polite to the staff as they are just doing their job.
- The practice operates a zero tolerance policy any patient that is violent or abusive to any member of staff may risk being removed from the practice list.
Mission Statement – Our Vision & Values
For our Patients
- To provide effective, efficient and safe healthcare services for our patients.
- To treat our patients fairly and equally; with dignity and respect.
- To listen, communicate, consult and collaborate with our patients.
- To provide an environment that is welcoming, caring and accessible for all our patients.
For our Practice and Locality
- To work with others to improve the health of our patients and the local population.
- To deliver healthcare in modern and fully equipped premises.
- To utilize our computer system fully and consistently, and embrace new technologies.
- To be mindful of cost efficiency and effectiveness, and to minimize waste.
For our Practice Team
- To maintain a supportive, fulfilling and rewarding working environment for all.
- To encourage personal development through effective appraisal and training.
- To listen to all team members and value comments, suggestions and contributions.
- To project a positive and professional image of ourselves both within and outside the Practice.
- To work hard and have fun!
Privacy Policies
We collect the personal data that you may volunteer while using our services. We do not collect information about our visitors from other sources, such as public records or bodies, or private organisations. We do not collect or use personal data for any purpose other than that indicated below:
- To send you confirmation of requests that you have made to us.
- To send you information when you request it.
We intend to protect the quality and integrity of your personally identifiable information and we have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to do so. We ensure that your personal data will not be disclosed to State institutions and authorities except if required by law or other regulation.
The website does not store or capture personal information. There is a log of users IP addresses that is automatically recognised by the web server.
This site uses Cookies. Some of the cookies we use are essential for parts of the site to operate and have already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site but parts of the site will not work without them.
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should be aware that we don’t have any control over the other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting these sites.
Privacy Policies
- Click here to view our Privacy Policy, it explains your rights in relation to consent to use your information, the right to control who can see your data and how to seek advice and support if you feel that your information has not been used appropriately.
- Click here to view our easy read Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Privacy Policy designed for children.
- Click here to view our eDSM SystmOne Data Sharing Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Telephone Recording Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Text Messaging Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Patient Social Media Policy.
- Click here to view our Care Quality Commission (CQC) Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Emergencies Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Direct Care and Referrals Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our NHS Digital Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Public Health Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Risk Stratification Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Safeguarding Privacy Policy.
- Click here to view our Accurx Triage Privacy Policy.
SMS Text Messaging Policy
These may be used to notify you of for example:
- Changes to your booked appointment.
- National issues such as Flu pandemics.
- Practice being closed due to unforeseen circumstances.
- Cancelled clinics including GP, Nurse and Health care assistant.
- Questionnaires about your health and wellbeing.
- Invitations to book an annual review.
- Invitations to book a vaccination.
- Other notifications the practice deem necessary to your health and wellbeing.
- Invitations to provide feedback about our services and GP’s.
If you would like the GP practice to contact you this way please make sure we have your up to date mobile number.
It is important that you let the practice know if you wish to OPT OUT of this service otherwise you will be automatically sent text messages. Patients can opt in and out of this service at any time. Please be aware that by opting out of receiving text messages you will not receive appointment confirmations and appointment reminders.
If you agree to the GP practice contacting you via your mobile phone number, the GP practice agrees to adhere to the following:
- The mobile phone number will only be used by the GP practice and will not be passed to any third parties.
- If at any time you would like to opt out of the service, please make a personal request to the GP practice and you will be opted out of the service within 48 hours. You may also like to include your reason for opting out, to help us review and improve the service in the future.
- Your mobile phone number will solely be used by the GP practice in relation to the healthcare services offered by the GP practice. You will not be contacted in relation to any other types of products or services.
- Whilst the GP practice will regularly check your telephone numbers with you, please be aware that the onus of keeping your contact details current with the practice rests with you.
We use three sub-contractors to send text messages, they are:
- TPP SystmOne, this is the clinical system that we use here.
- AccuRx, this is a third-party system that supports Florey texts (a type of text that sends you a one-time link to complete an online questionnaire.
- FourteenFish, this a third party system that allows patients to leave feedback about our doctors.
What constitutes text messaging?
- “Text messaging” covers a variety of systems and apps, including SMS.
- All of these are covered by the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and overseen by the Information Commissioner.
Legal basis
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) defines a data controller as “a person who (either alone or jointly or in common with other persons) determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any personal data are, or are to be processed.”
Billesdon Surgery is the data controller, we are responsible for ensuring that patients personal information is used appropriately. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) says we must have a lawful basis to use personal information to send messages via text. Contacting patients by texting their mobile number in order to provide direct care can be permitted under data protection law.
Your medical records
Text messages are considered professional communications and are noted in your medical record, as well as any responses received, such as answers provided to a health questionnaire.
Privacy notices
- View TPP’s privacy notice here: https://tpp-uk.com/privacy-policy/
- View AccuRx’s privacy notice here: https://www.accurx.com/privacy-policy
- View FourteenFish’s privacy notice here: https://www.fourteenfish.com/privacypolicy
Training Afternoons
Billesdon Surgery participates in the East Leicestershire & Rutland Integrated Care Board (ELR ICB) “Protected Learning Time” (PLT) afternoons.
The surgery & dispensary will be closed for training on the following afternoons during 2024:
- 21st March 2024
- 18th April 2024
- 9th May 2024
- 12th June 2024
- 4th July 2024
- 12th September 2024
- 9th October 2024
- 14th November 2024
- 8th January 2025
- 13th February 2025
- 12th March 2025
Training days can be cancelled without prior notification.
In the case of a medical emergency on that day phone 0300 323 0671 between 1pm and 6.30pm. After 6.30pm phone 111.
Your Personal Health Information
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
You can find more information on our Medical Record Information page.