Protecting your confidentiality
There are occasions when a patient may wish to grant access to all or part of their medical record/ information to another person – usually a relative, carer, or close friend – to help them manage their health. They may also wish to give that person access to speak or act on their behalf.
It is important that we understand what access is being requested and what the reason for the access is; this helps us to ensure that the patient is sharing their information willingly and that only appropriate and necessary information is shared.
Please note that a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Health and Welfare will only apply if the patient lacks capacity to make decisions for themselves. We cannot accept an LPA as consent to share information where the patient has capacity.
We have a duty to protect patient confidentiality and any deviation from this must have legitimate reason and appropriate consent.
Level of access
You can request for another person to have access to one or more of the following:
- To manage appointments on your behalf (including booking, changing, and cancelling).
- To request/order medication on your behalf.
- To speak to us about your medical conditions and any care or treatment you are receiving.
- To request copies of medical letters or reports on my behalf.
- To view your online medical record (via SystmConnect, AirMid, or NHSApp)
Reason for access
We will only give another person access if there is a legitimate reason for them to have this. It is therefore important that you inform us of the reason(s) why you would like to give them access to your medical information and/or to speak/act on your behalf. Without this, we may not be able to give access.
Access duration
You must tell us how long you want the person to have access to your medical information and/or to speak/act on your behalf. If you do not tell us this, we will only grant access for 12 months. After this, the access may be removed, and you will need to provide new consent for it to be reinstated.
If your circumstances change and you no longer wish for access to be in place, you must inform us immediately and we will withdraw the access.
How to request access
A paper form must be collected from the Practice reception desk. This form must be completed with details of both the patient and the third-party person.
When returning the completed form, both the patient and the third-party person must present photographic identification (ID). If both parties are unable to attend together, they can attend separately. If the patient is unable to attend in person (for example, on grounds of ill health), this must be clearly stated on the consent form. We will call the patient to check their consent verbally over the phone.
Our receptionist will conduct a brief check of the ID provided and process the request for review by our management team.
Our priority is keeping you safe and keeping your medical information confidential. That’s why we have robust procedures and checks in place when someone requests access to another person’s medical information.
We will only give this access when:
- You have given your consent for us to do so.
- We have checked the person’s identification.
- We are satisfied that the access they are asking for is appropriate.
- We are satisfied that granting the access will not cause any harm to you.
Confirmation of access
Once access has been approved and enabled, we will inform you via text, email or telephone call. Please allow up to 4 weeks for this process to be completed.
If you require access more urgently, please ensure this is noted on the consent form and we will do our best to prioritise it.
Exceptions
Children under the age of 14
If you are a parent/guardian requesting access to the online record of a child under the age of 14, you do not to complete a consent form. You will need to come into the Practice and ask the receptionist to put a request through for you. As part of this request, you will need to provide a legitimate reason for having access to the child’s online record (e.g., managing medication) and you may need to provide photographic identification.
The request will be reviewed by our Managing Partner and, if approved, access will be granted up to the child’s 14th birthday. At this point, the access will be automatically removed and consent from the child will be required (unless they lack capacity to make this decision).
Lack of capacity
If the patient lacks capacity to give consent, this will need to be reviewed by the Practice outside of this process.
If there is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Health and Welfare in place, and the patient is determined to lack capacity, we will be able to discuss and share information with the named attorney(s).
Please notify us if you are seeking access to a patient’s record or to speak on their behalf due to a lack of capacity.
Requests for legal, insurance, employment, or financial support purposes
Requests for access to medical records from solicitors, insurance companies, employers, or any other professional must be raised as a Subject Access Request.
This requires the organisation or person requesting the information to do so in writing.