At the Village Practice, we are keen to monitor our services to improve patient experience. We use call recordings to monitor the quality  and also training needs of our Team.

Please find attached our CCTV and Call Recording Code of Practice

Below is our Policy on access and the form to complete to request access. Aysian Parris the Practice Manager is responsible for this process

At The Village Practice, we are committed to providing high-quality care and services. We always welcome your feedback, whether it be highlighting a positive encounter or letting us know when we have not met desired standards. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience, we encourage you to let us know so we can address your concerns and improve our services.

How to Make a Complaint

We encourage any comments both positive and negative and we have several ways that you can let us know.

• Informal Resolution:If you have a concern, please speak to a member of our staff as soon as possible. Many issues can be resolved quickly and informally.

• Friends and Family Test: This is available on our website under ‘Have your say’ or in the waiting room.
• NHS Reviews: Search on the web for the Village Practice and you can leave a review.
• Formal Complaint: If your concern is not resolved informally, you can make a formal complaint. You can send your complaint via email to nclicb.complaints.thevillagepractice@nhs.net or discuss further by phoning 020 7700 6464 and ask to speak to the complaints manager.

Complaints must be received within 12 months of the incident or from the date you first became aware of it, to ensure we can investigate thoroughly.

What happens Next

• Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days.
• Investigation: Your complaint will be thoroughly investigated by our complaints manager. If you wish for your details to be kept anonymous from other members of staff, please let us know when you contact us. This will not adversely affect your care.
• Response: We aim to provide a full response within 28 days. If more time is needed, we will keep you informed of the progress.

Help With Making Your Complaint

• The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service at: nhscomplaints@voiceability.orgor telephone 0300 330 5454.
• Rethink Advocacy helps with making a complaint about an NHS-funded service provider. See website: Rethink Advocacy | NHS complaints

If you feel you cannot contact the practice directly:

You can send details of your complaint to NHS England:
PO Box 16738,
Redditch B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 22 33
Email:  England.contactus@nhs.net

NHS Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:

If you are not satisfied with the handling or response to your complaint, you have the right to ask the Health Service Ombudsman to investigate the complaint on your behalf:

Website: Making a complaint | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

Customer Helpline: Tel: 0345 015 4033 / Textphone (minicom) 0300 061 4298

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we observe the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must receive their permission to continue. A letter signed by the person concerned will be needed may be needed and in some circumstances, some form of identification. This is purely to preserve and protect the individual’s rights and information.

Please note we are registered with the Information Commissioners Office – click below for registration details.

Information Commissioners – Data protection register – entry details (ico.org.uk)

Confidentiality of your medical records is important to us. Your records will only be seen and shared by professionals who are involved in your care. We do not share your personal information with third parties without your explicit consent; this also includes relatives (and parents).

Confidentiality will be breached only in exceptional circumstances such as concerns about an individual’s welfare or risk to others.

Display energy certificate (DEC) – Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK

The Village Practice is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all its activities to promote inclusive processes, practices and culture.

• We will strive to work to eliminate any unlawful or unfair discrimination including direct or indirect discrimination, discrimination by association, discrimination linked to a perceived characteristic, harassment and victimisation.
• We will remain proactive in taking steps to ensure inclusion and engagement for all the people who work for and with us.
• We will continue to strive towards a culture that is diverse and inclusive that recognises and develops the potential of all staff and service users.

This includes promoting equality and diversity for all irrespective of:

• age *
• disability *
• ethnicity (including race, colour and nationality) *
• gender *
• gender reassignment *
• religion or belief *
• sexual orientation *
• marriage and civil partnership *
• pregnancy and maternity *
• refugees and asylum seekers,
• people with diverse communication needs
• ex-offenders.

All staff undergo Equality and Diversity training annually and we review our policy and procedures annually

-*Under the Equality Act (2010) these are known as “protected characteristics”.

How we use your information

This privacy notice explains why we as a Practice collect information about our patients and how we use that information.

The Village Practice manages patient information in accordance with existing laws and with guidance from organisations that govern the provision of healthcare in Wales such as the Department of Health and the General Medical Council.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

• Data Protection Act 1998
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• Health and Social Care Act 2012
• UK Data Protection Act 2018
• NHS Codes of Confidentiality and Information Security

As data controllers, GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998. In practice, this means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled clearly and transparently, and in a reasonably expected way.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 changed the way that personal confidential data is processed, therefore it is important that our patients are aware of and understand these changes, and that you have an opportunity to object and know how to do so.

The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any NHS treatment or care you have received (e.g. NHS Hospital Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

NHS health records may be processed electronically, on paper or a mixture of both; a combination of working practices and technology are used to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure.

Records held by this GP practice may include the following information:

• Details about you, such as address and next of kin
• Any contact the practice has had with you, including appointments (emergency or scheduled), clinic visits, etc.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about treatment and care received
• Results of investigations, such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

The practice collects and holds data for the sole purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and we will ensure that the information is kept confidential.

However, we can disclose personal information if:

1. It is required by law
2. You provide consent – either implicitly or for the sake of their own care, or explicitly for other purposes
3. It is justified to be in the public interest
   Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we hold data centrally, we take strict and secure measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.Information may be used for clinical audit purposes to monitor the quality of service provided, and may be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this we ensure that patient records cannot be identified.Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for clinical research purposes – the practice will always endeavour to gain your consent before releasing the information.Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare providers with the objective of providing you with better care.Patients can choose to withdraw their consent to their data being used in this way. When the practice is about to participate in any new data-sharing scheme we will make patients aware by displaying prominent notices in the surgery and on our website at least four weeks before the scheme is due to start. We will also explain clearly what you have to do to ‘opt-out’ of each new scheme.A patient can object to their personal information being shared with other health care providers but if this limits the treatment that you can receive then the doctor will explain this to you at the time.

Mobile Telephone

If you provide us with your mobile phone number we may use this to send you reminders about any appointments or other health screening information being carried out.

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Guide to freedom of information | ICO

• Practice Privacy Notice
• Privacy Notice – Children V1.2
• .Privacy Notice – Applicants for job
• GDPR Poster
• Practice Simple Privacy Notice
• London Shared Care Record

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

The average pay for GPs working in The Village Practice in the last financial year was £51,879 before tax and national insurance. This is for 6 part-time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

The Practice holds a contract with an Infection Control company called Infection Prevention Solutions who undertake an annual audit in conjunction with the Practice lead nurse Cassie Kane.

The company organises annual training for staff as well as more robust training for the lead staff, our new practice nurse Sandra Ashitey will complete her 2 day training in February 2024. The cleaning company who hold a contract with the practice for undertaking cleaning also conduct daily, weekly and monthly audits. The practice cleaning company Green Machine has held a contract with the practice since September 2023 https://greenmachinesw.co.uk/contract-cleaning/green-machine-sw-practices-what-it-stands-for/

If you have any queries or concerns please contact Anastasia Remos at nclicb.thevillagepractice@nhs.net or call the practice directly.

For help and advice on maintaining infection control standards at home please see below

Patient information

Together we can fight infection

Any infection can be caught or spread were there are ill people together, this can be in a hospital, a care home a GP surgery or in a public place. The information below explains how you can help the staff to reduce infection and provide a clean and safe environment in which you receive treatment and/ or care. By following the points in this advice, you can help us to prevent vulnerable individuals picking up an infection and prevent the spread of infections. If people pick up an infection, it can cause discomfort, pain and anxiety.

How does infection spread?

You need a germ. The germ lives in or on its host, another person, an animal, or a contaminated surface (door handle, worktop, equipment).

The germ is passed on by either direct or indirect contact, this can be coughing, sneezing, hand contact with someone who carries the germ on their hand, or by touching a contaminated surface.

If the germ then enters your system and you are not immune to it you can catch the infection. Generally healthy people are less likely to catch infections, as their immune system should protect them well. But if for any reason your immune system is weaker than normal, you will be more vulnerable and therefore need to protect yourself even more against any infection.

What you can do:

Hand Hygiene:

• Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet
• Wash your hands before eating / taking medication
• Where supplied use alcohol hand gel to clean your hands ( hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes, other care settings)
• Avoid touching your wounds or any indwelling devices you may have (tubes, drains or needles for example.) If you must touch clean your hands before and afterwards.
• If you are examined or have to have a procedure, do not be afraid to ask the staff if they have washed their hands or used alcohol hand gel first.

Personal Hygiene

• Please shower or bath, wear clean clothes and check your footwear is not muddy before going to your GP surgery or any other clinical setting.
• The area where you are receiving treatment/ care should be clean. However if you are concerned about the cleaning standards, please report it immediately.
• Children should be discouraged from crawling on the floor and must be supervised at all times.
• If you receive any treatment or care at home, please provide hand washing facilities where possible, for the person attending to you.

What is a Health Care Associated Infection (HCAI)?

This is an infection that may affect people when they are receiving healthcare. People may catch these infections in hospitals, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, health centres and even at home if they are being cared for there.

Why do some people get an HCAI when receiving healthcare?

There are lots of reasons why someone can develop an HCAI. Being ill or receiving treatment can make your natural defence system (immune system) weaker than usual. Most people won’t pick up an HCAI while they are being treated but it is impossible to completely remove all the risk during healthcare. This is because every disease, condition or procedure and sometimes medication can reduce your natural defences against infection.

What are the most common types of HCAI in hospital?

The most common types of HCAI in hospitals are urine infections, wound infections, skin infections, chest infections & sickness and diarrhoea.

What type of germs cause HCAI?

Some are caused by germs that live normally on our bodies and usually do us no harm such as Staphylococcus aureus, which many people can carry harmlessly in their nose. The most well known are ‘MRSA’, ‘C-diff’ and ‘Norovirus’ MRSA is short for Meticillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This bacteria can cause an infection if it gets into a wound, the bloodstream, bladder or lungs. C-diff is short for Clostridium difficile a bacteria that some people have living naturally in their bowel. For some people unfortunately, this can develop into diarrhoea and fever (usually after certain kinds of antibiotics). Norovirus causes sickness and diarrhoea. This may last for a couple of days and usually has no lasting effects. This virus is often reported as causing outbreaks of infection in hospitals and care homes. You can find more information on the NHS website.

What do we do to prevent HCAI spreading?

Preventing and controlling HCAI is a national priority and all care settings are working hard to prevent the spread of infection in the NHS and care homes.

This includes:

• Educating staff, patient and visitors on how to prevent and control infections, for example, washing hands regularly; getting support and advice from specialist infection control or health protection staff.
• Making sure that the NHS and care homes meet government standards on HCAI;
• Giving people information on how to prevent and control HCAI within all care settings and among members of the public;

HCAI are monitored and reported to Public Health England, for learning and improvement purposes.

What happens if I get an infection?

Your infection could require treatment, which probably can be given to you at home. You may be asked to stay at home for the duration of the treatment and not visit the GP surgery, they may arrange a home visit instead. If you don’t understand your condition and/or treatment please ask a member of staff.

Mission Statement

Our mission at The Village Practice is to improve the health, wellbeing and quality of lives for those we care for. We are passionate about equality, community, sustainability and putting our patients in the heart of everything we do.

Vision & Values

• Empowering patients to take control & make decisions about their own care
• Ensuring that patients have a positive experience of the care we provide
• Improving the health and wellbeing of our patients through effective clinical decision making
• Ensuring our patients have safe and timely access to all NHS services
• Valuing sustainability in a way that will improve care for our patients and the planet, making our patch of Islington a ‘greener’ place to be
• Encouraging learning from each other to create a supportive culture

Core Values 

• Quality: To provide high quality, safe, professional primary health care general practice services to all our patients
• Integrity: Operating within an ethical framework through openness and transparency. Being accountable for our actions.
• Compassionate: Being compassionate about enhancing caring for all our patients within the community.
• Working as a team:  Valuing the contribution of every team member and building a mutually supportive environment with forward thinking attitudes.
• Learning and improving: Adapting to change, building on achievements and developing our services and others.
• Sustainability:  being committed to making changes and improvements that will help reduce our carbon footprint, as well as improving health and wellbeing of patients and our own staff.

Anastasia Remos is the Practice person responsible for creating systems from which she originates, manages, collates, analyses and evaluates all information:

1. About the quality and safety of the care, treatment, support and regulatory compliance achieved by the Practice;
2. Provided by external guidance and reviews issued by national organisations;
3. About the risk(s) to people’s health, welfare and safety.

She then reviews this with the Practice Partners, who agree relevant changes which are subsequently implemented. Anastasia Remos is responsible for ensuring that relevant and necessary audits are undertaken and completed by staff and the information is taken to the Partners, staff and if needed PPG in order to review service provision.

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

More Information

For further information visit the NHS Care records website