How we handle your data

Practice Plus Group take handling your data very seriously and we work together to handle your data responsibly.

Your rights

You have the right to request a copy of any information that we currently hold about you. In order to receive such information please complete a Data Request.

Alternatively please send your contact details including address to the following address:

Privacy
Practice Plus Group Quality and Governance Team
Practice Plus Group, Ground Floor, 1330 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Reading, England, RG7 4SA

Compliance with CMA Order 2014

In October 2014, the Competition and Markets Authority (the “CMA”) published the Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 (the “Order”) following its investigation into the private healthcare industry. The Order imposed requirements on private hospital operators to disclose certain information in relation to referring clinicians (as defined by the Order) for the benefit of patients. Full details about the investigation and the Order can be found here. The information provided by Practice Plus Group below is required by the Order.

Practice Plus Group private healthcare services are delivered through fee rates and packages agreed between Practice Plus Group and Medical Insurers or Private Patients. Consultants who are employed or engaged through Practice Plus Group do not levy any fees directly to Medical Insurers or Private Patients, in relation to any healthcare services provided by Practice Plus Group. No Clinicians hold practicing privileges with Practice Plus Group and thus all referrals are received directly from General Practice, Private Patients or via Medical Insurers.

Practice Plus Group does not provide any Clinicians with any Direct Incentives or any High Value Services.

In the course of providing NHS and private healthcare services Practice Plus Group does provide some or all of the following Low Value Services:

  1. General services to ensure clinical safety e.g. in house training, administrative services, insurance or indemnity cover in respect of the treatment of patients.
  2. Basic workplace amenities including refreshments, subsidised meals provided on site, parking, and stationery.
  3. General marketing services e.g. general promotional events, providing consultant biographies/directories.
  4. General corporate hospitality.

Data handling

Practice Plus Group have a team of senior staff members of whom a responsible for the safe handling and transfer of data throughout our Health Care division. Read more about how we handle your data and our privacy and cookie policy for more information.

Key team members:

  • Serious Information Risk Owner: Barry Nee, Chief Information Officer
  • Data Protection Officer: Shepherd Makusha. The DPO can be contacted at dpo@practiceplusgroup.com
  • Caldicott Guardian: Dr Marjorie Gillespie, Medical Director for Primary Care

Caldicott Guardian

A Caldicott Guardian is a senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people’s health and care information and making sure it is used properly. All NHS organisations and local authorities which provide social services must have a Caldicott Guardian.

If you have any queries regarding the sharing of information, please email caldicott.guardian@practiceplusgroup.com.

Privacy notices

Our privacy notices have been updated to ensure that they are aligned with the new GDPR regulations. Please see the current versions here.

Complaints

Our complaints procedure is based on three stages detailed below and is designed to make sure that we work with you to resolve any complaints as quickly as possible.

Step 1

Contact first with the local manager and clinician to discuss your concerns and if this is the case arrangements will be made for this to happen at a mutually convenient time.

You can make your complaint: In person / by telephone – ask to speak to the manager and investigation will proceed.

Step 2

If you are unhappy with the response you have received from the local manager you can request an internal review. Please contact:

Ross Dowsett
Chief Operating Officer
Practice Plus Group, Ground Floor, 1330 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Reading, England, RG7 4SA

Step 3

If, following internal review – stage two, you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal investigations; you may request an external review of your complaint.

Secondary Care complaints guide

Primary Care complaints guide

For NHS patients:

The Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

CQC National Customer
Service Centre
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

The NHS complaints procedure is available through the Department of Health and Social Care’s website.

At anytime you can request that your complaint is handled under the NHS Complaints Procedure, which entitles you to be represented by the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS). The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) provides support in dealing with complaints. Details of your local ICAS office can be found on The Advocacy People’s website.

You can also contact ICAS via:

For private patients

Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service
70 Fleet Street
London
EC4Y 1EU

More information can be found on the ISCAS website or they can be contacted at info@iscas.org.uk.