Please be aware that our staff are bound to the NHS code of confidentiality. Our staff are, therefore, not permitted to discuss any of our patients’ medical history with anyone but the patient or other health and social care professionals without the patient’s written consent to do so.

Once we have received their written consent or have had sight of active Power of Attorney if the patient is unable to make decisions on their own then we can provide a third party with the requested information.

We therefore respectfully ask parents, relatives, and guardians not to request information regarding their relatives/friends or to complain on their behalf unless we have the patient’s written consent to do so. If consent is required we advise that the patient attends the Practice to confirm consent.

For further information please refer to “Confidentiality it’s your right” leaflet.

What if I am under 16 ?

It explains that anyone who looks after your health has to keep information about you private. This may be doctors, nurses, pharmacists or other health workers.

The information tells you only about how things work in the health service, not other organisations such as your school or social services.

When you are young, your parents are usually involved in your health care. They may make decisions for you, and speak to health workers on your behalf. But as you get older you have more rights. You can decide if you want your parents to be involved or not.

In Scotland if you are 12 or over, the law assumes you can make your own decisions about your health care information unless there is evidence to suggest you can’t.

If you are under 12, you may still be able to make decisions about your health care information but the doctor must believe that you understand enough to do this. When we talk about parents, we also mean anyone who is your legal guardian.

If you want to talk about your health in private, and you need an interpreter, ask our reception staff to arrange this for you.

If you are over 12 years of age Practice staff are unable to provide confidential information to your parent or guardian unless you have given us written permission to do so.

For further information concerning Confidentiality and your rights please visit NHS Inform.

Zero tolerance Patients Rights & Responsibilities.docx

     From time to time, we may ask if you can send us images of rashes or skin conditions.  Before sending these, you should be happy for the photo to be  put  in your record and used for onward referral if necessary.

You may decline to do this if you wish this if you wish.

    If asked, you should send maximum 2 photographs but only one if at all possible.   Under no circumstances will you be asked to send photographs of private areas of your body, genitals, breasts etc.

We may contact you again if the image is not good.

Please email images only if asked to, to reception.cadzow@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Due to an increase in the number of wasted appointments through patient’s failing to attend without informing the surgery it has become necessary to implement the following policy:

If you repeatedly fail to attend appointments without satisfactory explanation you may be removed from this practice list and will have to find an alternative doctor.

If you cannot attend your appointments for any reason please let us know as soon as possible, we can then offer the appointment to someone else.