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.

The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are given information they can easily read or understand.

Please inform practice staff if you have any communication or support needs.

Help us to make sure we get things right for you by recording your accessibility requirements and information needs, together with other details, for example:

• Do you need large print
• Access to a hearing loop
• Wheelchair access
• British Sign Language via Action for Hearing Loss interpreter
• E-mail communication
• Text message communication
• Information in any other format

Please note that sign language and a hearing loss interpreter are available for both face to face and over the telephone/video calls.

For more information on the accessible information Standard go to www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo

Inspects GP practices and other primary medical services in England to check that they are meeting the national standards of quality and safety.

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. The Practice Manager may ask you to put this in writing so we can further investigate your complaint.

What happens if I prefer to complain directly to the commissioning organisation? 

If your complaint is about primary care services such as GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services, you should contact Greater Manchester ICB.

Details of how to do this can be found at the following website, under the ‘Local area feedback and complaints’ section:

https://gmintegratedcare.org.uk/have-your-say/contact-us/

• From 1 July 2023 the way members of the public make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing. Rather than contacting NHS England, complaints will be made to directly to the local integrated care board (ICB).
• NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre will still deal with general enquiries from patients, such as ‘how do I get a GP or Dentist’. For such general enquiries, patients can still call 0300 311 22 33.

• Members of the public will still be able to make a complaint to the provider. This is NOT changing.

• Members of the public with ongoing complaints received on/after 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that the ICB is now handling their complaint with confirmation of their case handler.

• Members of the public with any ongoing complaints received before 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that their complaint is being retained by NHS England with confirmation of their case handler.
• Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service

Local area feedback and complaints

For all other advice or complaints, please contact your local area feedback and complaints team:

Bolton

Governance and Safety,
Bolton – NHS GM,
Lever Chambers
27 Ashburner Street
Bolton, BL1 1SQ

Email:                                                            Call:     01204 462 022
[email protected]                                    01204 462 023

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.

Please click here to read the latest care quality commission report

Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How your data is used

Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital.  It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.

Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

You have a choice

Your Data Matters to the NHS

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?

No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What do you need to do?

If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.

To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit the NHS Website here

Alternatively click here to Download a copy of the patient leaflet

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.

WYRESDALE SURGERY PUBLICATION OF EARNINGS 2022/23

NHS England require that the net earnings of GPs engaged in the practice is publicised and the required disclosure is shown below. However, it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time GPs spend working in the practice and it should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

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

The average pay for GPs working in Drs James-Authe & Karim in the last financial year was £77,537 before tax and national insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Under the new NHS contract, all GPs are required to provide all registered patients with a named accountable GP.

Therefore, as a patient at this surgery you have been allocated a Named Accountable GP.  To find out who your Named Accountable GP is please ask at reception.

This does NOT mean that you can only see this GP, you can see any GP of your choice providing there are available appointments.

The Practice is pleased to announce that we have been given a Gold ‘Pride in Practice’ award.

Pride in Practice is a quality assurance support service that strengthens and develops Primary Care Services relationship with their lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) patients within the local community.

LGBT people have told us that it is important to them to be open and honest about their sexual orientation, gender identity, trans status and lives with their GPs. Our service users want to feel confident that as GPs we understand and can respond to their specific needs.

Endorsed by The Royal College of GP’s, Pride in Practice is a support package that enables us effectively and confidently meet the needs of our LGBT patients.It supports us in meeting the requirements of our Clinical Commissioning Group, the Care Quality Commission and other bodies we work with.

Pride in Practice evidences our commitment and compliance with the General Medical Council Good Practice Guidelines and the Equality Act 2010.

It has been designed to make life easier for clinicians, practice managers and staff. The service works in partnership with us to meet the increasing demands placed on us from policy makers, patients and staff, and to improve patients’ experiences of our service.

The Pride in Practice award demonstrates our practice’s commitment and dedication to ensuring a fully inclusive patient-centred service and we are proud to have achieved ‘Gold’ standard.

The plaque is displayed in the reception area of both our surgeries.

NHS Digital will collect data to support a wide variety of research and analysis to help run health and care services. In addition, the service will also help to support the planning and commissioning and health and care services, the development of health and care policy, public health monitoring and interventions and enable many different areas of research.

If you are happy for your information to be used in this way, you do not need to do anything.  If you wish to opt-out of this service, you will need to fill a form in and submit this online, or print this off, fill in the details and bring this to the Surgery. Children under 13 cannot opt-out online, and therefore will need to fill in a paper form.

• Download our opt-out form here
• Click here to find out How we use your information
• Click here to view our Privacy Notice

Safeguarding is all about protecting the health, wellbeing, and human rights of individuals as well as enabling them to live safely and free from harm, abuse, and neglect.  It’s fundamental to high quality health services.

Safeguarding children and promoting their welfare includes:

• Protecting them from harm or things that are bad for their health or development.
• Making sure they grow up in surroundings that allow for safe and effective care.

Safeguarding adults includes:

• Protecting their rights to live in safety and free from abuse and neglect.
• People and organisations working together to reduce the risk of abuse or neglect and prevent it from happening.
• Making sure the wellbeing of local people is promoted, whilst taking their views, wishes, feelings, and beliefs into account.

Greater Manchester Integrated Care is required to demonstrate that we have appropriate systems in place for carrying out our duties set down in law in terms of safeguarding.  We are committed to working with others to ensure that provision is in place to respond when children or vulnerable adults are at risk or have been harmed.  More broadly, the ICB seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our community.

Home | Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (gmintegratedcare.org.uk)

For further information on safeguarding in Bolton, visit the website for:

Bolton Safeguarding Adult Board

Bolton Safeguarding Children Board

Do you know someone who could be at risk?

If you believe that a child or adult is suffering harm, or is likely to do so, you have a responsibility to notify the correct authority.

If you are concerned about an adult who may be at risk call Adult Social Care (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)

Adult Social Care on 01204 337 000

Adult Social Care – Emergency Number on 01204 337777

If you are worried or have concerns that a child may be being abused or neglected then please take action. You can contact Bolton’s Integrated Front Door on 01204 331500 (during office hours only: 9.00am – 5.00pm)

If you need advice or guidance about Childrens Safeguarding in Bolton contact 01204 463390 [Answer Phone]

Summary Care Record

This practice fully supports the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy

Please click here to read the Zero Tolerance Policy