Privacy & Dignity Policy
Privacy is the freedom of intrusion and dignity is being worthy of respect.
Aim
To achieve high standards of patient dignity and to put patient experience high on the agenda.
Objectives
To provide a framework for improving the patient experience in all care areas within our dental practice around six key themes:
Attitudes and behaviours
Personal world and identity
Personal boundaries and space
Communication between staff and patients
Privacy and confidentiality of personal information Privacy, dignity and modesty.
General Principles
Every member of staff has a duty to see that the privacy and dignity of all patients are respected.
The practice consistently monitors the environment within the practice with regard to privacy and dignity issues.
Respectful attitudes and behaviours are promoted and assured preventing patients experiencing offensive and negative attitude and behaviours.
Patients and relatives/carers should be given clear information on how to raise concerns and to whom.
Problems in relation to standards and guidelines on privacy and dignity in care of patients shall be monitored and reported through the incident reporting system.
Attitudes & Behaviours – Patients feel that they matter all the time.
Respectful attitudes and behaviours are promoted and assured, including consideration of non-verbal behaviour and body language.
Issues about attitude and behaviour towards minority groups are addressed with individual staff.
Personal World & Personal Identity – Patients experience care in an environment that actively encompasses individual values, beliefs and personal relationships.
Stereotypical views are challenged, and the valuing of diversities is demonstrated. Individual needs and choices are ascertained and continuously reviewed.
Personal Boundaries & Space – A patient’s personal space is actively promoted by all staff.
The name that the patient wants to be called is agreed and noted.
The acceptability of personal contact (touch) is identified with the individual patient.
Personal and private space is respected and protected for individuals and privacy is effectively maintained.
Communication between Staff and Patients – Communication between staff and patients takes place in a manner that respects their individuality.
Access to translation and interpretation services is provided as appropriate.
Information is adapted to meet the needs of individual patients are identified.
All information is factual in plain language with no jargon or abbreviations and given at the required level of understanding.
Relevant communication exchanges are recorded.
Privacy & Confidentiality of Personal Information – Information is shared with consent to enable care
Informed consent is sought when using trained interpreters.
Precautions are taken to prevent information being shared inappropriately.
The practice’s, consent, confidentiality policy, Caldicott principles and information security policies must always be adhered to.
Privacy, Dignity & Modesty – Patients care actively promotes their privacy and dignity and protects their modesty.
Patients are protected from unwanted public view whenever appropriate. A private area is created or made available.
Data Security Policy
Tottington and Ramsbottom Dental Surgery is committed to ensuring the security of personal data held by the practice.
This objective is achieved by every member of the practice team complying with this policy.
Confidentiality (see also the practice confidentiality policy)
All staff employment contracts contain a confidentiality clause.
Access to personal data is on a “need to know” basis only. Access to information is monitored and breaches of security will be dealt with swiftly
We have procedures in place to ensure that personal data is regularly reviewed, updated and deleted in a confidential manner when no longer required. For example,
The retention of clinical records should be sought in line with current guidance and legislation such as – Clinical records for adults should be retained 11years
Children’s records should be retained for 11 years or until the 25th birthday or 26th if the patient was
17 when treatment ended
Physical security measures
Personal data is only taken away from the practice premises in exceptional circumstances and when authorised by The Practice Managers. If personal data is taken from the premises it must never be left unattended in a car or in a public place.
Records are kept in a lockable cabinet, which is not easily accessible by patients and visitors to the practice.
Efforts have been made to secure the practice against theft by, for example, the use of intruder alarms, lockable windows and doors.
The practice has in place a business continuity plan in case of a disaster. This includes procedures set out for protecting and restoring personal data.
Information held on computer
Passwords are only known to those who require access to the information, are changed on a regular basis and are not written down or kept near or on the computer for others to see
Daily and weekly back-ups of computerised data are taken and stored in a container, off-site.
Back-ups are also tested at prescribed intervals to ensure that the information being stored is usable – should it be needed
Staff using practice computers will undertake computer training to avoid unintentional deletion or corruption of information
Dental computer systems all have a full audit trail facility –preventing the erasure or overwriting of data. The system records details of any amendments made to data, who made them and when
Precautions are taken to avoid loss of data through the introduction of computer viruses.
This statement has been issued to existing staff, who have access to personal data at the practice and will be given to new staff during induction. Should any staff have concerns about the security of personal data within the practice they should contact The Practice Managers.