As a Practice we are keen to enable the treatment of disabled people and make reasonable adjustments where necessary, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way we provide our services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

This includes adjustments to physical features of premises to overcome physical barriers to access for people with disabilities and facilitating such visitors to use services.

The nature of general practice is such that assistance dog (eg guide dog / hearing dog) access is common and desirable.

The purpose of this policy is to set out a few simple principles for dogs on the premises.

It is not intended to cover the use of assistance dogs in relation to employees of the practice, which would encompass a wider range of disability employment law considerations.

General Considerations

• The practice welcomes assistance dogs. This includes dogs in training where a “walker” is in control of the dog rather than a disabled owner.
• The practice will manage the presence of assistance dogs without recourse to the owner and will pay particular attention to infection control and housekeeping whilst dogs are on the premises.
• Physical contact with a dog by clinical staff will be resisted during consultations or examinations, and whilst a general surgery is in progress.
• Hand washing or alcohol hand gel will be used by staff after any physical contact with a dog, whether during a consultation or not.
• Care will be taken by clinical staff to identify other patients in the surgery list for that session who have been identified as potentially being adverse clinically to the presence of dogs.
• Consideration will be given to allow patients and their assistance dogs to wait, or be seen, in an alternative consulting room.
• Cleaning staff will be advised to pay particular attention to a room known to have accommodated a dog that day.
• In the event of an incident involving a dog, a significant event record will be created where necessary.
• Owners of assistance dogs will be given the opportunity to “tour” the practice and the grounds with their assistance dog. This will enable the dog to become familiar with routes throughout the building, including those routes seldom used. This will include routes to and from:
  • Public / disabled toilets
  • Through fire exits and on to assembly areas
  • To usual GP and nurse rooms
  • Accessing and exiting the building by normal routes

As part of the high level of training an assistance dog receives, there are unlikely to be any incidents giving rise to special concern, and the following aspects of these dogs on the premises are likely to be standard behaviour for these animals:

• Dog will remain on a lead and in close contact with the owner.
• The dog will usually lie quietly with the owner when waiting to see a clinician and is trained to behave well in public places.
• Dog is unlikely to foul any area not within its usual habit and is trained to go to toilet on command and will be well-groomed (minimal loose hair).
• The dog will be in good health, physically fit, with vaccinations and care programme up to date.
• The dog will usually wear a special identifying harness and collar tag.

Pet dogs and Emotional Support Animals are NOT allowed in the Practice at any time.

If a patient feels that they require their Emotional Support Animal to accompany them to Pershore Medical Practice, please contact the Assistant Practice Manager. Information will be required to support your request and staff have been trained to help you with this.

We recognise your need to have access to your GP and our process is for our SEN Lead and Management to discuss the best options to support your appointments.

We recognise that this process may take some time to complete.

This will not affect your access to a clinician.

Resources

Equality and Human rights Commission – Making reasonable adjustments.

We make every effort to make the surgery accessible for disabled patients. There are plenty of Blue Badge parking spaces which are free of charge and step free access through the main door.

We have a wheelchair available for use in surgery.

Hearing Difficulties

If you are experiencing hearing difficulties when being called in to see the doctor or nurse, please do let us know so we can set up an alert on your medical records and personally collect you from the waiting room.

Alternatively, we do have the facility of a portable induction loop. If you would like to use this, please ask at reception for assistance.

In order to provide the right level of care, we are required to hold personal information about you on our computer systems and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping.

Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.

Confidentiality and Personal Information

Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time-to-time information may be shared with others involved in your care if it is necessary.

Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.

All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.

In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstance you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.

To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not, leave messages with others.

You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details about our patient information leaflet. An appointment may be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.

You can be assured that anything you discuss with any member of the surgery staff, whether doctor, nurse or receptionist, will remain confidential. Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone, including parents, other family members, care workers or teachers, without your permission.

The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.

If you have any worries or queries about confidentiality, please ask a member of staff.

If you would like to discuss matters of a confidential nature, either with our receptionists or a member of the dispensary team, we have a side room available for this purpose.

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement, and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

Please click the link below.

View your GP health record

All GP practices are required to declare the mean net earnings (eg average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.  This is required in the interests of the greater public accountability recognising GP pay is ultimately funded from tax paid for by the public.

The average pay for GPs working in Pershore Medical Practice in the last financial year (23/24) was £66591 before tax and national insurance. This is for 0 full time GPs, 9 part time GPs and 0 locum GPs who worked in the Practice for more than 6 months.

However, it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earning 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 judgment about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.