Practice Policies

• Chaperone policy 
• Code of behaviour
• Confidentiality
• Sharing records
• Safeguarding

Chaperone Policy

We have clinical staff who have been trained to act as chaperones.  The role of a chaperone is to provide reassurance and emotional support for a patient whilst undergoing a procedure they may find embarrassing or uncomfortable.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required.

A friend or family member may be present for an examination if the patient chooses but as they are not independent, a chaperone can be made available too. If you do wish a friend or family member to be present please note they must be aged 16 or over.

Patients have the right to decline the offer of a chaperone. However the clinician may feel that it would be wise to have a chaperone present for their mutual protection. If the patient continues to decline the doctor will need to decide whether or not they are happy to proceed in the absence of a chaperone. This will be a decision based on both clinical need and the requirement for protection against any potential allegations of improper conduct.

If you would like a chaperone to be present for an examination, please ask the doctor or nurse. They will be very pleased to arrange one for you.

If you know in advance that you would like a chaperone to be present, please tell the receptionist at the time of booking. This way arrangements can be made and the appointment won’t be delayed.

If you would like to see our chaperone policy please Click Here: Chaperone Policy.

Code of Behaviour/Patient charter:

We undertake to:

• Treat you with respect and courtesy at all times
• Provide you with advice and treatment in a timely manner
• Help you make decisions about your health
• Discuss available treatments and refer you on to other experts where necessary
• Act as your advocate and guide through health care services
• Maintain confidentiality in what we discuss and the records we keep on your behalf
• Keep up to date with developments in health care by continuing to learn

In return we ask you to:

• Keep your appointment and/or let us know as soon as possible if you can’t attend
• Only use urgent out-of-hours services for urgent conditions which can’t wait until the next day or over the weekend.
• Be courteous to staff and other patients
• Respect the confidentiality and privacy of other patients.
• Let us know if you have any suggestions or cause for complaint as soon as possible
• Let us know when we have done well

NHS Zero Tolerance Policy:

We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards:

• Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, or offensive language.
• Threatening, intimidating, or aggressive behaviour.
• Physical violence or damage to property.
• Harassment, discrimination, or bullying of any kind.
• Abusive, threatening, or defamatory comments directed at staff, either in person or online.

Any behaviour that causes distress or puts staff, patients, or visitors at risk may result in action being taken, including involvement of the police and, in exceptional circumstances, removal from the Practice list in accordance with NHS regulations.

Confidentiality/Privacy

All our patients’ records are held under strict rules of confidentiality on our computer and/or in written form. You have a personal right of access to your records and, with your agreement, relatives, friends and carers can be kept up to date with the progress of your treatment.

We are sometimes involved in research projects which have been approved by the Local Research Ethics Committee. If anything to do with the research would involve you personally, you would be contacted to see if you were willing to participate.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality, please speak to your doctor or to the Practice Manager.

Sharing your records: your personal information

Information about you is used in a number of ways by the NHS and social care services to support your personal care and to improve health and social care services for everyone.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) is the national NHS organisation with a legal responsibility to collect data as people make use of NHS and social care services. The data is used both at a local level and nationally to help with planning, managing your care, supporting research into new treatments, identifying trends and issues and so forth, and is used to try to make services better for all.

You can, however, choose not to have information about you shared or used for any purpose beyond providing your own treatment or care.

Your right to opt out

You can choose not to have anything that could identify you shared beyond your GP practice. You can also choose for the HSCIC not to share information it collects from all health providers any further.

If you have previously told your GP practice that you don’t want the HSCIC to share your personal confidential information for purposes other than your own care and treatment, your opt-out will have been implemented by the HSCIC from April 29 2016. It will remain in place unless you change it.

Simply contact your GP either to register an opt-out or end an opt-out you have already registered and they will update your medical record. Your GP practice will also be able to confirm whether or not you have registered an opt-out in the past.

You can find more information about how the HSCIC handles your information and choices and how it manages your opt-out on the HSCIC website www.hscic.gov.uk/yourinfo

GP Net Earning

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

The average pay for GPs working in Sonning Common Health Centre in the last financial year was £70,155 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 12 part time GPs and 1 long term locum GP who worked in the practice for six months or more.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised by 31 March 2026 at the latest.  However, it should be noted that the prescribed method of 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 for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparisons with other practices.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland to denote measures to protect the health, well-being and human rights of individuals, which allow people — especially children, young people and vulnerable adults — to live free from abuse, harm and neglect.

Safeguarding children

Any child can be hurt, put at risk of harm or abused, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or religion. The UK government has enacted legislation and published guidance to protect children from maltreatment, prevent the impairment of children’s health or development, ensure children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, and enable children and young people to have the best outcomes. Responsibility for these aims is deemed to lie with everyone who comes into contact with children and families.

Safeguarding adults

“Adult Safeguarding” is working with adults with care and support needs to keep them safe from abuse or neglect.  It is an important part of what many public services do, and a key responsibility of local authorities.

It is important if you or someone you know is being abused, that you tell someone so that they can help.

To report a concern, please go to https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/social-and-health-care/keeping-safe/raising-safeguarding-concern

Our Policies

We have child and adult safeguarding policies in place.

Further information on child safeguarding is available at www.oscb.org.uk, and information on adult safeguarding can be found at www.osab.co.uk.

If you are a child or young person and you are being abused or neglected, or if you are concerned about a child who may be experiencing abuse, please contact Oxfordshire County Council on one of the following numbers:

• Office hours (8.30am – 5pm, Monday to Thursday, 8.30am – 4pm, Friday): Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub: 0345 050 766
• Outside office hours: Emergency Duty Team: 0800 833 408

Useful telephone numbers

In an emergency, ring 999

• Berkshire West Local Authority—01635 42400
• Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Helpline—0800 731 0055
• Childline—0800 1111
• Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board —01865 815843
• Oxfordshire Mental Health Information—0845 050 7666
• Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre—0800 783 6294
• Police Non-emergency Number—101
• Victim Support Line—0808 168 9274
• NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or get help via email on help@nspcc.org.uk.