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Our procedure is detailed below along with information of how to get help locally.

If you would like help or assistance it is available through the Healthwatch West Sussex Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS). They can be contacted:

Healthwatch IHCAS: 03000120122
[email protected]k
Healthwatch West Sussex IHCAS, The Billingshurst Community Centre, Roman Way, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9QW

From 1st July 2023 any complaints to NHSE should be directed to the local ICS How to complain to the NHS – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

The complaints procedure has two stages

Stage one: Local Resolution

Wherever possible the NHS looks to resolve complaints at a practice level. Please send complaints to, for the attention of the Practice Manager:

• Email: [email protected]
• Write : Michelle Pope, Deputy Practice Manager, Silverdale Practice, 4 Silverdale Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0EF

Once the complaint has been received it will be formally acknowledged in writing by the Practice within three days.

The complaint will be dealt with timely and efficiently and the complainant will be regularly informed of the progress of the investigation.

There are no longer any statutory timescales within which the complaint must be handled other than an expectation that a case will be concluded within six months. Most complaints are normally investigated and concluded within a matter of days.

If you do not want to deal directly with the practice then the alternative route is:

Complainants have the right to choose whether they complain direct to the service provider (practice) or to the commissioner of that service, in this case NHS England via the National Contact Centre:

• Tel: 0300 311 2233
• Email: [email protected]
• Post:
  NHS England
  PO Box 16738
  Redditch
  B97 9PT

Further information is available at: www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/

Full copy of the regulations is available

When a complainant makes their complaint to NHS England, it is forwarded it to the practice.  The practice then carries out its own investigation and responds to NHS England, providing copies of relevant medical records.  Where a complaint is about clinical matter, a review of the complaint, response and records is undertaken by one of the Surrey and Sussex Medical Advisers following which a response sent from the Area Director usually enclosing the practice response.

If a complaint has already been made direct to the practice, then NHS England cannot investigate.

Complainants should normally be current or former patients or nominated representatives. If someone other than the patient makes a complaint they will need to have the authority to do so in order to protect patient confidentiality.

The normal time limit whereby patients can raise a complaint is extended to 12 months and can be longer depending on the circumstances.

Stage two: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Complainants not content with the outcome of their complaint at local level can contact the Health Service Ombudsman to independently review their case

11- 13^th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank,
London,
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033

In deciding whether to discuss or investigate a complaint, the Ombudsman has access to all the paperwork generated by local resolution and has powers to compel disclosure of documents and the attendance of witnesses, if necessary

Details of how to get the Silverdale complaints policy and procedures are on our notice boards, on our website, in the practice brochure and available by asking at Reception.

BSUH Patient Liaison Service

You can contact the PALS team by telephone between 10am and 4pm on:

• 01444 441881 extension 5909 (for issues at Haywards Heath site)
• 01273 696955 extension 4029 or 4588 (for issues at Brighton site)
• Or by email at [email protected] for either site.

We ask you for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information.

You have a right of access to your health records. To do this please make an appointment with your General Practitioner who will explain it to you.

EVERYONE WORKING FOR THE NHS HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CONFIDENTIAL. 

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS.  So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests.    The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.

Patient Summary Care Records containing key medical information which will be accessible wherever patients are treated, is taking off across England over the next year as part of a national roll-out of the programme. The early adopters already show evidence of improving out-of-hours care, ensuring that doctors have reliable, relevant, up-to-date information at their fingertips in situations where time is critical.

The Summary Care Record means that clinicians no longer have to rely on patient testimony, which can often be incomplete or inaccurate. A Summary Care Record is a secure electronic summary of core information such as medications, allergies, adverse reactions and key health information derived initially from the patient’s GP record and added to as necessary by other healthcare staff treating the patient. The record will be available anywhere in England and NHS staff will ask permission before they access it.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

If you agree, your relatives, friends and carers will be kept up to date with the progress of your treatment.

You have the right to stop non patient identifiable data from your GP record being uploaded to NHS Digital.

Information about opting out can be found here…

If you wish to opt out please complete and return this form to either receptions.

General Data Protection Regulations – GP Surgeries

The way data is protected and used was changed as of 25th May 2018. The introduction of GDPR requires Silverdale to clearly explain how we use the data we store. As a contractor to NHS England we take the security and confidentiality of the information we hold extremely seriously. Each member of staff has confidentiality as part of their employment contract and undergoes regular training of Information Governance.

This practice handles medical records in-line with laws on data protection and confidentiality.

We share medical records with those who are involved in providing you with care and treatment.

In some circumstances we will also share anonymised medical records for medical research, for example to find out more about why people get ill.

We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example, to prevent infectious diseases from spreading or to check the care being provided to you is safe.

You have the right to be given a copy of your medical record.

You have the right to object to your medical records being shared with those who provide you with care.

You have the right to object to your information being used for medical research and to plan health services.

You have the right to have any mistakes corrected and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please see the practice privacy notice on the website or speak to a member of staff for more information about your rights.

The Data Protection Officer is Trudy Slade, who can be contacted:-

NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

Wicker House, High Street | Worthing | West Sussex | BN11 1DJ

if you have any detailed questions.

The document below provide specific information on how and why we use the data in different circumstances and under what lawful basis. These documents have been produced in association with Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group.

Please Click Here To View Our Privacy Notice

Please Click Here For More Information

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.

2022/2023

The average pay for GPs working in The Silverdale Practice in the last financial year was £61,131 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs and 9 part time GPs, who worked in the practice for more than six months.

2021/2022

The average pay for GPs working in The Silverdale Practice in the last financial year was £66,744 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs, 8 part time GPs, and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.

2020/21

The average pay for GPs working in Silverdale Practice in the last financial year was £62,873 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 3 full time GPs, 7 part time GPs, and 2 locum GPs, who worked in the practice for more than six months.

2019/20

The average pay for GPs working in Silverdale Practice in the last financial year was £64,250 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 4 full time GPs, 6 part time GPs, and one locum GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.

2018/19

The average pay for GPs working in Silverdale Practice in the last financial year was £66,612 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 4 full time GPs, 6 part time GPs, and no locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Certain services we provide are not covered by the NHS and are therefore deemed to be ‘Private Services’ you will be asked to pay a fee for these. Please note that our NHS service take priority over the provision of these private services and private does not mean faster.

You will be made aware when dropping in your request, the expected timeline of completion, which is currently 8 – 10 weeks.  We will contact you when ready for collection.

Payment will need to be received before work commences. Fees can be paid by BACS or bank card at Silverdale site. We are happy to provide a receipt.

Currently we are not providing the following private services:

• Fit to Fly/Travel
• Fit to complete marathons & extreme sports/skydiving etc
• Any transport medicals, including HGV, taxi etc
• Gun licenses
• Passport/Driving Licence verification

If you are unsure, please contact reception for guidance.  We recommend using your NHS App to access your medical records and for copies of notes.

There are a number of patients who book their appointments, request repeat medication and can view certain parts of their medical records online.

Patient Access have now improved their system to allow parents and Carers to be authorised to all of the above-mentioned functions for children or the people they care for.

Any patient or Carer wishing to have proxy access will need to sign up to this service by completing a form available at the practice Reception.

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

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 this Link

Please Click Here to view our Leaflet

We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take seriously any harassing, threatening, hostile, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff or patients.

If a patient displays any of the behaviour above, the partners may exercise the right to take action and request Primary Care Support England to remove them from our registered patient list. This can happen without a warning if the partners deem there is a risk to the patient or staff and immediately if the police are requested.

View our Leaflet, Zero Tolerance Policy.