NHS Black Country ICB is responsible for buying and monitoring healthcare services on behalf of all patients in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

NHS Black Country ICB,
Civic Centre,
St Peters Square,
Wolverhampton,
WV1 1SH

For further information please visit: https://blackcountry.icb.nhs.uk/contact-us

Staff and Patients

The Practice is committed to ensuring that, as far as is reasonably practicable, the way in which we provide services to the public and the way in which we treat our staff reflects their individual needs and does not discriminate against individuals or groups on any grounds.

 

Equality and Diversity

The Practice aims to promote equality and diversity and value the benefits this brings. It is our aim to ensure that all staff feel valued and have a fair and equitable quality of working life.

 

Human Rights

The Practice is committed to the principles contained in the Human Rights Act. We aim to ensure that our employment policies protect the rights and interests of our staff and ensure that they are treated in a fair, dignified and equitable way when employed at the Practice.

 

Information Governance

Any Practice policy which impacts on or involves the use and disclosure of personal information (patient or employee) must make reference to and ensure that the content of the policy is comparable with the relevant statutory or legal requirement and ethical standards.

 

Data Protection Act 2018 and the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice

The Data Protection Act (DPA) provides a framework which governs the processing of information that identifies living individuals.

 

Processing includes holding, obtaining, recording, using and disclosing of information and the Act applies to all forms of media, including paper and images.

 

It applies to confidential patient information but is far wider in its scope, e.g. it also covers personnel records.

 

The DPA provides a legal gateway and timetable for the disclosure of personal information to the data subject (e.g. Health Record to a patient, personal file to an employee).

 

Whilst the DPA applies to both patient and employee information, the Confidentiality Code of Practice (COP) applies only to patient information.

 

The COP incorporates the requirements of the DPA and other relevant legislation together with the recommendations of the Caldicott report and medical ethical considerations, in some cases extending statutory requirements and provides detailed specific guidance.

 

 

This Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy contains the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. Practice Statement
3. Recruitment and Selection
4. Employee relations
5. Zero Tolerance

 

Introduction

The Practice is committed to equal opportunities and to building a valued workforce whose diversity reflects our community.

 

Our Equality and Diversity Policy takes into account all current UK and EU legislation and guidelines, including codes of practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

 

This Equality and Diversity Policy has been written in accordance with current best practice and has been updated in line with the Equality Act 2010.

 

Practice Statement

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is against the law for a company to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of colour, age, sex, race / nationality – including citizenship – ethnic or national origins, marital status, civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, any religion, or religious or philosophical belief.

 

It is also possible for employees to claim for discrimination on a combination of two of these grounds. Similarly if employees discriminate against a colleague or patient, the Practice could be held vicariously liable for their acts, and be responsible for paying the compensation or damages to the victim of the discrimination.

 

If the Practice can prove that it has done all that was reasonable to prevent the discriminatory acts from occurring then its liability can be reduced or entirely eliminated. Having an equal opportunities policy and apprising all staff of its existence is one of the things that a reasonable employer should do.

 

The Practice has the following policies in place which need to be read along with this Equality and Diversity policy:

• Disability policy
• Culture & Religious policy
• Grievance Procedures
• Bullying and Harassment
• Age Discrimination
• Equal Opportunities policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Training and Development policy
• Dignity at work
• Being Open Policy
• Information Governance Policy i.e. confidentiality / consent

 

 

Recruitment and Selection

The Practice has implemented a Recruitment & Selection policy. The objective of this policy is to recruit the best person for a role and outlines the responsibilities of the recruiting managers in complying with legal and locally agreed requirements.

 

At every stage of the recruitment process, Managers will treat all applicants equally, showing no discrimination on the grounds of their ethnic origin or nationality, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, age, sexual orientation, race, trade union activity or political or religious beliefs.

 

Applicants will be selected against criteria based solely on objective, job related criteria and their ability to do the job applied for. The Practice will consider providing appropriate assistance to ensure equality for all.

 

Relevant educational, training and development opportunities are open to all staff and all staff have a personal development plan in place, which must be reviewed annually. Information on education, training and development opportunities is widely publicised, and attendance monitored for.

 

Monitoring information is gathered periodically to ensure there are no inequalities in opportunities for promotion.

 

Employee Relations

 

The Practice has developed a number of ‘Employee Friendly’ Policies and also has in place Disciplinary, Dignity at Work and Grievance Policies to process employee relations issues.

 

As with any Practice Policy these are fair and consistent in their manner. Practice policies do not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of colour, age, sex, race / nationality – including citizenship – ethnic or national origins, marital status, civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, any religion, or religious or philosophical belief.

 

Instances of harassment under any of the above are treated very seriously and are addressed under the Dignity at Work and Disciplinary Policies.

 

Zero Tolerance

The Practice is committed to developing and maintaining a safe and secure environment, for its patients, staff and visitors and has a duty to take all reasonable steps to protect and support its staff.

 

Violent and abusive behaviour includes bullying and / or harassment of any description. Violent or abusive behaviour by patients, visitors or staff is not tolerated and decisive action will be taken to protect staff, patients and visitors, including combating behaviour contrary to the principles outlined in this Policy on the grounds outlined in the Policy Statement.

 

All violent adverse incidents are reported, investigated and appropriate remedial action is taken. When a clinical risk/incident is reported, a risk assessment may be appropriate to identify the need for change. On-going follow up and review of progress may also be appropriate.

 

 

 

 

Rights:

• Patients aged 16 –75 who have not seen a doctor/nurse in the previous 3 years may request a health check with a HCA.
• Patients aged over 75 and have not seen a doctor/nurse in the previous 12 months may request a health check with a HCA.
• Patients have the right to see their own health records subject to limitations.

Responsibilities:

• Arrive on time for your appointments
• Inform the practice of your intention to cancel an appointment in good time.
• Show the courtesy to staff you would yourself, expect to receive.
• Violent or aggressive patients may be removed from the list and referred to a specialist service.
• All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required.

Your Data Matters to the NHS

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 www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

National Data Opt- Out

The National Date opt-out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information being use for research and planning. The data extracted will be pseudonymized (not directly identifiable) For more information about opting out please call 0300 3035678 or please visit;

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-data-opt-out

GDPR Privacy Notice

The current NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes (known as the GPDPR) has been delayed due to NHSD wishing to review the way in which this data will be collected, to conduct more public involvement and information about the plans and change the way in which patients can opt out of the extract of their GP data. Currently the only way to opt out is to complete a Type 1 opt out form and return this to the practice by the 1^st September.  However, this extract will not be taken until the NHSD have changed the way it will take the data and respect the patient’s choice for using their data.  NHSD are introducing the following changes to the opt out process which will mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time::-

• Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1st September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded.
• NHS Digital will create the technical means to allow GP data that has previously been uploaded to the system via the GPDPR collection to be deleted when someone registers a Type 1 opt-out.
• The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while we get the new arrangements up and running and will not be implemented without consultation with the RCGP, the BMA and the National Data Guardian.

This means that you can opt out at any time in the future and NHSD will delete data that they already have taken for research purposes, the deadline of the 01/09/2020 has been delayed until a new system of opt out is developed.  Hopefully, this will be a simple centralised approach via the NHS app or NHS website to avoid paper form and administration work for your GP. We will update you when we know more about the NHSD plans to change how you can control who has access to your data.

Download a copy of the patient leaflet

CQC Update- 8th July 2021

“We carried out a review of the data available to us about Rushall Medical Centre on 08-07-2021. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.”

CQC Report – Rushall Medial Centre – 8 November 2017
The Care quality Commission inspected Rushall Medical Centre on 8 November 2016. The Ratings from the report are given below and the full report is available for review.

CQC – Full Report – 8 November 2016

For a NHS Covid Pass Letter or to download the NHS app for a digital copy please click the link below.

NHS – Conditions

Coronavirus (COVID- 19)- Help protect yourself & others from coronavirus. Find out more about the symptoms, how to prevent spread & advice for travellers using the below links;

NHS – Coronavirus 

COVID -19 Privacy Notice

COVID -19  Advice for Parents

All adults can now book or walk-in for a COVID-19 vaccine at dedicated clinics. Join the millions who have already had theirs.

Find a vaccination clinic near you

COVID-19 Vaccine Leaflet – Black Country

COVID Vaccinations During Pregnancy

Long Covid Signposting

How does this affect you

 

All patients, including children, are allocated a named, accountable GP who is responsible for their overall care at the practice.  This is the GP that you are registered with.

You should be informed of your GP when you registered at the practice but you can also check who this is with any member of staff at any time and you may be given this information on you next attendance at the practice by the clinician.

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests to change your accountable GP if you feel that this is necessary.

Patients are allocated the following GP based on the first letter of their surname

Dr Shahzeb Afreedi		A – B
Dr Manish Verma		C – E
Dr Guan Chan		F – H
Dr Satvinder Sandilands		I – L
Dr Sam Owen		M
Dr Saffeia Imtyaz		N – R
Dr Sophia Nasser		S
Dr Julie Antony		T – Z

Patients are welcome to continue to see any of the doctors at the practice of their choice for appointments.

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

Self Care and Over the Counter Prescribing

Rushall Medical Centre have adapted the guidelines produced by Walsall CCG which aims to restrict the prescribing of medication for short term use that can be bought at a reasonable cost over the counter. If this guideline is followed it will result in

• • Reduced patient reliance on prescribers for prescriptions.

• • Reduced consultations for minor, self-limiting conditions.

• • Increased patient self-reliance for minor conditions.

The NHS has been spending around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, such as paracetamol. By reducing the amount the NHS spends on over the counter medicines, we can give priority to treatments for people with more serious conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and mental health problems.

Please click on the link below – this will give you information you may require regarding self care and purchasing over the counter medication. 

https://walsallccg.nhs.uk/tv-spotlight-for-walsall-pharmacist-and-ccg-prescribing-adviser/