Great Review
Good evening
I would like to thank you for your care and help during my visit this afternoon.
If all the opticians were as professional and attentive as you are I trust the NHS would have a better reputation.
I have mentioned to my husband how thorough the examination was and how concerned the young lady who did the test was and he would like if possible to also have an appointment with you
Wishing you a good evening
Kind Regards
Claudie Wood
Eco friendly spectacle lenses
Shamir launch their New Metaform material, an Eco friendly material for the climate conscious amongst us. Available for most prescriptions and not that much more expensive than standard materials, Metaform is lighter and thinner than the equivalent product and uses much less water in its production.
The Dry Eye epidemic
Dry eye symptoms and treatment leaflet
Visit your Optometrist
Tired eyes when working on the computer?
Protect your eyes from Sun damage
Does your make-up need a make over?
Freedom of Information Policy
Freedom of Information Act (FOI)
This document complies with the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme for Bridle opticians in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and fulfils the obligations on opticians’ practices under the Act.
Introduction
This is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Bridle opticians. It is a description of the information about our NHS services that we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals.
How is the information made available?
The information within each Class is available in hard copy from:
David Bridle
Bridle opticians
112 Felpham Road
Felpham PO22 7PR
This guide information
We will publish any changes we make to this guide or relevant information. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.
Cost of Information
For the most part, we will only charge for hard copies, or copies onto media. Charges are as follows and will be reviewed regularly.
• Single hard copies – free of charge
• As the Freedom of Information Act applies to the provision of information, a request for multiple hard copies does not fall within the provisions of the Act and will attract a charge for retrieval, photocopying and postage. We will inform you of the cost of these charges that will have to be paid in advance.
• E-mail will be free of charge.
Your Rights to Information
• The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is designed to promote openness and accountability amongst all organisations that receive public money.
• Like all NHS contractors, since 1 January 2005 there has been a FOI obligation on optical practices to respond to requests about the NHS related information that they hold, and a right of access to that information has been established in law.
• These rights are subject to exemptions (see below) that have to be taken into consideration before releasing information.
• In addition to accessing the information identified in this guide, you are entitled to request information about our NHS services under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
• 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 any practice where your records are held 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:
David Bridle
Bridle opticians, 112 Felpham Road, PO22 7PR
Classes of Information
All NHS information at Bridle opticians is held, retained and destroyed within 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, the main reasons being the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This scheme has been written in accordance with those exemptions. The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following categories:
1) Who we are and what we do
• Company/Practice background
• Bridle opticians 16 Shore Road East Wittering PO20 8DZ 01243 671717
• Bridle opticians 112 Felpham Road Felpham Village PO22 7PR 01243 823467
• Details of the opticians and optometrists employed in our practices can be obtained by contacting that practice directly.
• Alternatively, details of all opticians and optometrists registered in the UK are available from the General Optical Council www.optical.org Tel: 0207 580 3898.
• Company Registration number 4837311
2) Financial and funding information: what we spend and how we spend it
For every sight test performed on behalf of the NHS the practice receives a set fee, which is fixed nationally. This practice also carries out the following enhanced services on behalf of the NHS: Glaucoma Referral Refinement. The fees paid by the NHS for each service are available from the practice on request. They include a contribution towards optometrists’ and staff salaries, equipment costs and other practice overheads. Information in this class will be published only where it is unlikely adversely to affect the commercial position of the firm or practice
3) Our Priorities
To provide our patients with high quality eye care
4) Decision Making
Any decisions made about the provision of NHS-funded services will be reflected in the services we provide and in the contract(s) held with NHS England.
5) Our policies and procedures
• Complaints
• Data protection
• Health and safety
are available on request from David Bridle, Bridle opticians 112 Felpham Road PO22 7PR
Complaints
If you have a complaint about any of our products or services, please do discuss any problems with the manager at the practice concerned in the first instance. We find that most issues can be put right at this stage.
If the matter cannot be resolved in this way or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive please contact David Bridle on 01243671717. A full copy of our complaints policy is available on request.
6) Lists and Registers
We don’t keep lists and registers. Our patient records are confidential.
7) The Services We Offer
Both our practices provide NHS-funded sight tests for those who are eligible. Patients may also be entitled to NHS vouchers that can be used against the purchase of spectacles or contact lenses as required. To find out if you are eligible for this assistance please ask for details in any of our practices.
The practice also provides the following NHS-funded enhanced services
Sight tests
Glaucoma referral refinement
Appointments for sight tests can be booked over the phone, or by dropping into one of our practices. The contact details for our practices are:
16 Shore Road, East Wittering PO20 8DZ 01243 671717
112 Felpham Road, Felpham village, PO22 7PR
Opening times can vary between practices, so please call to confirm.
Regular publications and information for the public
Information about optical and ocular conditions, sight tests, spectacles, and contact lenses, can be found on www.bridleopticians.co.uk and www.college-optometrists.org
Some of this information is also available in patient leaflets. These are freely available from both our practices. To request a set of leaflets by post, please write to:
David Bridle
Bridle opticians
112 Felpham Road
Felpham PO22 7PR
Useful Resources
Websites:
• Information Commissioner
www.ico.gov.uk
• Ministry of Justice
http://www.justice.gov.uk/whatwedo/freedomofinformation.htm
Publications:
• NHS Openness Code
www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/codemain.htm
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm
January 2009
Copyright:
Material available through this publication scheme is 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 on FOI publication schemes see www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm.
Data Management Policy
DATA MANAGEMENT POLICY
This policy describes the data that we hold about patients, how we hold it, how we protect it, how we use and process it (including what patients need to be provided with) and how we transfer it (if necessary).
There are certain legislative requirements for every organisation to hold information. Information about this is provided below.
• The Practice complies with the eight data protection principles under the Data Protection Act 1998 in its processing of personal data in that such data is:
o fairly and lawfully processed
o processed for limited purposes
o adequate, relevant and not excessive
o accurate and up to date
o not kept for longer than is necessary
o processed in line with patients’ rights
o secure
o not transferred to other countries without adequate protection
• The practice is registered with the Information Commissioner
o Registration No.
o Security No.
• The practice has an up to date Freedom of Information Act statement and this is available to patients
• A practice policy notice on handling patient data is available to patients (See appendix below)
• David Bridle is responsible for procedures relating to confidentiality and data management.
What information we hold and how we hold it
• Patient records are held in a variety of formats:
• Paper records for sight test and contact lens clinical records.
• Paper records are used for spectacle prescription and dispensing information
• Clinical information, Spectacle prescription and dispensing information is held in the practice management software.
• Recall dates are held in the practice management software.
• Photographic information (retinal and anterior segment) is held in the imaging software.
• Visual Field records may be held as paper, as data in the VF software or as images within the imaging software and practice management system.
How we protect this information
• All practice staff have a confidentiality clause within their contracts.
• All personal information contained on practice records, whether paper or electronic, is considered confidential.
• No personal information is discussed with anyone other than the patient or their parent or guardian (except where Gillick competency applies) without the patient’s permission.
• Care is taken that records are not seen by other people in the practice
• All staff are aware of the importance of ensuring and maintaining the confidentiality of patients’ personal data and that such data must be processed and stored in a secure manner.
• All electronic data is protected by suitable back-up. When computers are replaced, old hard drives are securely erased or physically destroyed.
• Records are retained for periods as agreed by the optical bodies.
(See record retention policy below).
• Confidential paper information requiring destruction is shredded.
• Records due for destruction are shredded.
• We have an IT security policy regarding specific access to electronic information (See IT security policy below)
• If the need arises to transfer information we have procedures that include consent and secure transfer (See section on how we transfer personal data below)
• Any suspected breaches of security or loss of information are reported immediately and are dealt with appropriately by the person responsibility for confidentiality and data management.
• Paper records are kept secure and away from access by the public.
How we use and process the information we hold
To discharge our legal and contractual duties:
• Patients are given a copy of their spectacle prescription immediately following their sight test.
• If a patient is referred, they are given a written statement that they are being referred, with a reason [e.g. “cataract” written on the GOS2 or similar private form]. They are also offered a copy of the referral letter.
• Patients are given a copy of their contact lens specification on completion of the fitting process.
• Staff assisting in the provision of GOS are appropriately trained, and supervised for the tasks that they undertake.
We may also use the information we hold about patients to remind them when they are due for checkups and we may send them eye care and eyewear information.
How we transfer personal data
We always transfer personal information (data) in a secure manner.
We seek permission before transferring personal information except in some cases where it is to another healthcare professional responsible for patient care and who needs that information to assist in patient care or where we are legally required not to.
See Policy & procedures on:
• Patient consent to the provision of information (see appendix below)
• Handling requests for Rx and clinical information (see appendix below)
• Transferring Patient Identifiable Data (see appendix below)
APPENDIX
The practice displays the following as a part of the information poster in the waiting room:
Information - we keep records of our information about you as a mixture of paper and/or computer records. Everyone in the practice is aware of the confidential nature of these records and will only use or release this information in accordance with the law. You will need to provide us with your consent if you wish us to pass your information to another optometrist. If you are an NHS patient, the NHS may ask to see the portion of your record that relates to NHS services provided. Such information will only be given to the NHS in strictest confidence. You are entitled to a copy of your records, although there may be an administrative charge. If you wish to see your records, please ask David Bridle and we will respond as quickly as possible and in any case are required to do so within 40 days. If you require independent advice, contact the Information Commissioners Office at www.ico.gov.uk
APPENDIX
Data Backup Policy
• Mirrored hard drives for business continuity
• Regular backups to:
o USB memory sticks
o External hard drives
APPENDIX
RECORD RETENTION
• This policy applies to the following:
o Spectacle records
o Contact lens records
o Appointment diaries
• All records are retained for 10 years from the date of last seeing the patient.
• Records of children are retained until they are 25 AND it is 10 years since they were last seen.
• Records of the deceased are kept for 10 years.
• Records are destroyed by shredding.
Examples:
Age at last test Time to retain record
Age 5 Until age 25
Age 10 Until age 25
Age 17 Until age 27
Over 18 For 10 years
APPENDIX
IT SECURITY POLICY
• When computers are replaced, old hard drives are securely erased or physically destroyed.
• All electronic data is protected by suitable back-up procedures and any off-site storage uses a service which encrypts the data securely before transmitting it from the practice PC. (See also our separate data backup policy)
• Patient identifiable or sensitive data is password protected for access as appropriate to the level of security required for staff members.
• PCs in public areas are protected from access by the public – e.g. by the use of password protected screensavers that enact after short periods or screen blanking software that requires a password for access.
• Wireless networks are protected from unauthorised access by:
• Encryption keys
• Access control – access restricted to specific PCs
• Laptop computers do not contain unnecessary patient identifiable data and are password protected
• Any data (e.g. backups) taken offsite is kept secure (password protected or not left unattended and/or locked away)
APPENDIX
Bridle opticians
Patient consent to the provision of information
To:
Patient:
Address:
I request that you provide Bridle Opticians with the following information:
Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date:
APPENDIX
Handling requests for Rx and clinical information
Spectacle Prescription (Spec Rx) or Contact Lens Specification
Where a patient requests a copy of their own, or their child’s spectacle prescription or contact lens specification this should be provided. It should be double checked for accuracy and signed by an optometrist. Such information may be collected or posted or faxed to the patient. It may also be emailed to their personal email address if they so request.
Contact Lens Specification
Where a 3rd party supplier requests the verification of a contact lens specification they should provide the following details:
• Patient’s full name and address
• Full specification including parameters and power of the lenses
• An expiry date of the specification
• The name or registration number of the person signing the specification
The answer can only be yes or no; the details are correct or not. If the details are not correct, further information must not be supplied without the explicit consent of the patient. In that event the supplier should be told that a copy of the specification, with all the correct details, will be posted to the patient. The request, and the result, should be noted on the patient’s record.
Requests from another optometrist for spec Rx information
In all cases you should be satisfied that the patient has consented to the transfer of the information. That may be obvious and implicit “the patient is on holiday elsewhere and has broken their glasses”, but if not, ask to speak to the patient or for a signed consent to be faxed to us. The request should be noted on the patient’s record.
Requests from another optometrist for clinical information
The optometrist should satisfy themselves that the request is for the clinical and health benefit of the patient and should conduct the phone conversation and provide the information themselves. They should also be satisfied that the patient has consented to the transfer of information.
Requests by us for clinical or spec Rx information.
These requests will be made by the optometrist personally. A signed consent should be held in case this is requested by the other party. If the information is not urgent the request may be made in writing using the form in Appendix 1.
APPENDIX
Transferring Patient Identifiable Data
Patient data may be communicated in the following ways:
By ordinary 1st or 2nd class post
This will be in a sealed envelope
By Fax
This will be to a safe haven fax where possible.
The cover sheet will state:
This fax contains proprietary confidential information some or all of which may be legally privileged and or subject to the provisions of privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not read, use, disclose, copy, print or disseminate the information contained within this fax. Please notify the author immediately by replying to this fax and then destroy the fax.
By email:
Wherever possible patient identifiable data tis transferred using nhs.net at both ends providing a more secure facility, where this is not possible the following will apply:
Patient consent is required for sending data that can identify an patient except where both sender and recipient have NHS emails ending in @nhs.net.
Emails will carry a message stating:
This e-mail contains proprietary confidential information some or all of which may be legally privileged and or subject to the provisions of privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not read, use, disclose, copy, print or disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. Please notify the author immediately by replying to this e-mail and then delete the e-mail.
Verbally
With care that confidentiality is maintained
The recipient of the information is identified
A note is made on the record.
Information that could result in errors will be communicated in writing where possible
Using digital media
For instance, CDs, DVDs, USB memory sticks, portable hard drives.
• No unecessary patient identifiable data is committed to, or retained on, portable media.
• These are hand delivered
• These are not left unattended
• Where possible information is held in encrypted folders
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