Updated 05/08/2007

The Information Commissioner has made available pre-approved model publication schemes for GPs who are classed as public authorities under the 2000 Act. As a public authority, we are required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme. Ours will be based on the model scheme, which has been approved for 4 years.

NHS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PROJECT BOARD/BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION MODEL PUBLICATION SCHEME FOR GENERAL PRACTICES

Welcome to The Minster Practice Publication Scheme. This is a guide to the practice’s Publication Scheme as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The publication scheme is in three parts as follows:

Part One    Introduction

Part Two    Classes of Information held

Part Three  Index to the Publication Scheme and useful Resources

This Publication Scheme is a guide to the information routinely made available to the public by The Minster Practice. It is a description of the information about our General Practitioners and Practice, which we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its effectiveness.

 The publications are all free unless otherwise indicated.

Information within each Class is downloadable from this website.   

 Your rights to information

 ·        In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about The Minster Practice under the NHS Openness Code 1995.

·        The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost and how the decisions are made.

·        From January 1^st 2005 it will oblige the General Practice to respond to requests about information that it holds, and is recorded in any format and it will create a right of access to that information. These rights are subject to some exemptions that have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information it can release.

·        New environmental information regulations may be introduced as early as 2003. These will enable similar access to environmental information as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.   

·        Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you and you can contact Dr Michael Causer at The Minster Practice, Greenhill Health Centre, Church Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6JL to do this.

 Feedback

 If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the Scheme, please write to Dr Causer at the practice (Greenhill Health Centre, Church Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6JL) or email to mike.causer@nhs.net  

CLASSES OF INFORMATION

 All information at The Minster Practice is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information that can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are e.g. the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme. The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following broad categories: 

1            Who we are. 

The NHS Plan explains how the NHS is changing and sets out how all the different parts function and work together.  A copy is available on The Department of Health web site.  http://www.dh.gov.uk/Home/fs/en

The practice aims to follow NICE and National Service Framework guidelines that can also be found on The Department of Health web site.

The NHS is a very large part of the public sector.  A full list of local General Practices can be found on Burntwood Lichfield & Tamworth Primary Care Trust web site.  www.bltpct.nhs.uk

The Minster Practice provides general medical services for the patients living in Lichfield and surrounding area.

A full list of the services of The Minster Practice is set out in Class 2 below.

Dr Michael Causer is the fulltime senior partner. Dr Judith King works on a part time basis. Other doctors provide service during holidays etc.
Sr Sally Crowton, Nurse Practitioner, also assists the doctors.
Further details of the practice organisational structure and key personnel are outlined in the practice leaflet available free of charge from The Minster Practice Reception. 

The practice leaflet also contains information about staff employed by Burntwood Lichfield & Tamworth Primary Care Trust and attached to the practice.

This practice has a local Personal Medical Services contract with Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust and provides primary care services for patients registered with the practice.

Some information will be withheld, including personal, confidential information about individuals that is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998.          

2         Our Services

Our services are outlined in the practice leaflet, which is available from The Minster Practice Reception.  This outlines the range of services we provide ourselves or together with other agencies.

Some services may involve information sharing (e.g. child protection conferences) with other agencies and our policy on data protection and agreements with other agencies about information sharing arrangements as set out in leaflet Patient Confidentiality, Patient Information Guide.

The Minster Practice operates from Greenhill Health Centre, Church Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6JL Opening hours are set out in the practice leaflet which also outlines arrangements for out of hours cover.

The doctors consult in English.  Interpreters can be arranged and need to be booked in advance through Reception.

3          Financial and funding information

The Minster Practice receives funds from Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust according to its contract in Class 1 above, in exchange for services provided for patients registered with the practice.

The budget for the sum spent on drugs is dealt with separately to other expenses.

There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because it is confidential or commercial information or the appropriate officer designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the conduct of the Practice’s affairs.

4          Regular publications and information for the public

Up-to-date Information relating to our clinical services and health information is available from The Minster Practice's main web site (this one) and other websites maintained by the practice.

 5                   Complaints

A copy of the complaints policy for The Minster Practice is available from Reception.  In the first instance complaints should be addressed to Dr Michael Causer or the Practice Manager.

6              Our policies and procedures

Various protocols and procedures are available on The Minster Practice web site.

7         This Publication Scheme

In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquires regarding information management generally in the practice.  We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

 Cost of Information

For the most part, we will charge you only for hard copies or copying onto media (e.g. CD ROM). Some information is available free, but for others there may be a charge. The charges will vary according to how information is made available. Charges are as follows:

 [a) Via the General Practice/Primary Care Trust Web Site –Free of charge, although any charges for telephone, Internet Service provider and personal printing costs would have to be met by the individual.

 For those without Internet access, a single printout as on the website would be available by post from Dr Michael Causer or by personal application at The Minster Practice.

However, requests for multiple printouts, or for archived copies of documents that are no longer accessible or available on the web, may attract a charge for the retrieval, photocopy, postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance. We will not provide printouts of other organisation’s websites.

 b) Leaflets and brochures-free of charge for leaflets or booklets on, for example, services we offer to the public.

 c) “Glossy” or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD Rom, video or other mediums, are for charge as in our publication lists available from Dr Causer.

 d) E-mail will be free of charge unless it says otherwise

 The charges will be reviewed regularly.

Index to the publication scheme

Contents

Useful Resources

 Web sites:

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

This is the web site of the Information Commissioner

http://www.justice.gov.uk/

This is the web site of the Ministry Of Justice

www.foi.nhs.uk

This is the NHS Freedom of Information web site

www.bltpct.nhs.uk

Primary Care Trust web site 

Publications

 ·        NHS Openness Code- www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/codemain.htm

 ·        Code of Practice under Section 45 FOI Act 2000 http://www.justice.gov.uk/

 ·        Code of Practice under Section 46 FOI Act 2000 http://www.justice.gov.uk/

  Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the General Practice’s copyright unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided it is done so accurately in a manner that will not mislead. Where items are re-published or copied to others, you must identify the source and acknowledge copyright status. This permit does not extend to third party material, accessed through the scheme. For HMSO Guidance Notes search the HMSO website:  http://www.opsi.gov.uk