General Information – Hylton Medical Group

Armed Forces

Staff at HYLTON MEDICAL GROUP take a proactive approach to identify ex-service personnel in order to ensure they are managed appropriately (including priority access where relevant under the Armed Forces Covenant).

To this support this, we will raise awareness of the issues faced by ex-service personnel with all staff within the practice.

Kelly & Samantha have been nominated as practice champions and will be able to signpost our military community to the services they require.

Please let us know if you have served in the Forces as a regular / reservist or adult volunteer cadet. We have an information pack you can collect from reception.

The practice works with Sunderland CCG Armed Forces Leads and Veterans in Crisis Sunderland to ensure those who have served or are currently serving in the military have access to information across the city on services and support that is available.

HMG Armed Forces Policy

* Once personnel have been identified offer Information Pack
* Discuss at meetings how best to promote awareness
* Add questions on New patient check template (already on registration forms)
* Ask the question at each contact – start with 21-24 yr old co-hort
* Ask ad-hoc at appointments, collecting prescriptions, opportunistically when attending/calling for other
* Add this action sheet to the “desktop info packs” for all admin users to use

Please contact us if you are or have ever served in HM Forces.

Veterans in Crisis has a wealth of information and we have had very positive feedback from those we have referred onto their service.

Please feel free to browse information websites below:

Big White Wall. View website
Reserve Forces Act 1996. View website
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA Forces Help). View website
The Royal British Legion. View website
British Army. Welfare and support. View website
Veterans UK. View website
NHS Choices, Veterans: mental health. View website
Combat Stress 24-hour helpline. View website
Reserves Mental Health Programme. View website
Military of Defence – Legacy health. View website
King’s Centre for Military Health Research publications. View website
Armed Forces Covenant Reports. View website
Army Families Federation. View website
Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO). View website
Home Start. View website
Naval Families Federations. View website
NHS Choices Armed Forces Health page. View website
NHS England Armed Forces Commissioning. View website
RAF Families Federation. View website
View website
Supporting the health and wellbeing of Military families. View website
The Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS). View website
The Royal British Legion. View website
Phantom limb pain Nikolajsen L and T. S. Jensen Br J Anaesth 2001; 87: 107–116
British Limbless Ex-Service Men’s Association. View website
British Nuclear Test veterans Association View website
UK Armed Forces Families Strategy. View document
Information for the care of serving personnel – View website
UK Armed Forces Families Strategy. View document
Action for hearing loss View website
Armed Forces Covenant Reports View website, View website
Armed Forces Networks View website
Big White Wall. View website
View website
View website
Combat stress. View website
Dementia UK. View website
Domestic Abuse Guidance and Support for the Armed Forces Community. View website
Families of Injured Service Personnel (FIS). View website
Forces In Mind Trust (FiMT) reports: View document View document
Help for Heroes. View website
Help for heroes – Hidden wounds. View website
Help for heroes – Band of sisters. View website
Lip reading and managing hearing loss. View website
Lord Ashcroft’s Transition Review View document
Lost Voices. View document
MHFA Instructor training. View website
NHS Choices. View website
View website
Service charities –many are listed in the COBSEO directory. View website
The Ripple Pond. View website
The Royal British Legion – compensation for hearing loss. View website
The Royal British Legion – dementia care. View website
Veterans Outreach Service. View website
Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme (VRMHP). View website
Veterans UK. View website
Veterans’ Welfare Service.View website
Young Minds. View website

Carers

Zero Tolerance

Policies

As of April 2013 the practice complies with Policies & Procedures as outlined in the new CQC Care Quality Commission – please feel free to browse the CQC website for further information regarding their work on quality regulation in the care network.

Zero Tolerance

Our practice has signed up to the NHS Zero Tolerance Campaign which makes verbal abuse, threat and physical violence to all NHS staff unacceptable. Any such behaviour from any patients may result in their removal from our practice list.

NON COMPLIANCE
Those that DO NOT regularly attend for their Long Term Condition reviews or medication reviews will be subject to our non compliance protocol:

What is the doctor’s role?
A doctor’s primary concern is to do their best for their patients; this includes giving advice and treatment, and arranging investigations in accordance with the current evidence base and the patient’s best interests.

Why can non-compliant patients present difficulties?
All practices will have a cohort of patients whose autonomous choices conflict with the suggested course of action of their doctor. Given that there is no obligation to provide a treatment requested by a patient that is not to their overall benefit, this can give rise to clashes between doctor and patient.

What are the commonest scenarios in relation to non-compliance?

A patient has been started on a treatment, but declines to attend for subsequent review and/or monitoring checks. This scenario puts a GP in an invidious position, in that a decision has already been taken that it is in the patient’s best interests to commence a particular treatment. This can create a new risk that must be balanced when judging what is in the best interests of the patient.
A patient who declines the investigation or treatment of symptoms with a potentially serious and/or treatable underlying cause.

After a failed review you will receive a letter regarding your compliance. After your 3rd notification we will seek to remove you from the practice due to breakdown in doctor/patient relationship. This is of course a last resort, you are a very important member of your healthcare team. To be involved in your own health care may mean for you, or your family member, to take part in every decision possible. This will give you greater control over your situation. It will also help to ensure your health choices are influenced by what matters most to you.

Comments, Complaints and Suggestions
We aim to offer a friendly, personal, comprehensive and high standard of family health care to all our patients. We always welcome your feedback and value your comments and suggestions. Please get in touch via our online form, or by telephone and let us know your thoughts. We endeavour to listen to your comments and act appropriately on the constructive feedback to deliver the best for you and your family.

Please keep in mind that it is also nice to receive positive comments about the practice.
Please see “How to complain” and the timeline from the full policy below:

Complaints Procedure Policy

We have a robust complaints procedure, which is summarised here. If you wish to make a complaint you can do so verbally to any member of staff, in writing to the practice manager or email: hylton.medical@nhs.net

The Practice follows 6 principles when dealing with complaints:

Getting it right
Being open and accountable
Putting things right
Being customer focused
Acting fairly & proportionately
Seeking continuous improvements

There are four parts to the complaints procedure. Our complaints procedure is based on these four parts:

The Initial Stage
The Investigation
The Informal Meeting/Written Explanation
Follow-up and Conclusion

There is a dedicated member of staff who is the complaints lead and ensures the complaints process is followed in a timely fashion.

The Practice Manager has overall responsibility for the complaints system.

A Complaint – The Investigation

Presuming that the practice complaints procedure is to be used, the complainant needs to be assured that the Practice will:

deal with matters promptly – the aim being to complete enquiries within 14 days, with a maximum of four weeks
undertake a detailed investigation
offer a meeting to discuss the outcome of the investigation if appropriate
advise the complainant that they may bring a ‘friend’ to the meeting
inform the complainant if there appear to be any delays or problems

A Complaint – Informal Meeting/Written Explanation

If there is an informal meeting, the practice should reassure the complainant that:

the matter has been taken seriously
the complaint has been fully investigated
they will receive a detailed explanation
they will receive an appropriate apology if necessary, but will always receive a statement of regret that the incident has occurred

A Complaint – The Follow-up

The action taken is entered in our complaints log and a record of any relevant meeting/s and/or a copy of the letter sent is kept in the complaints file in case further action results.

Learning from Complaints and Patient Feedback

Complaints and patient feedback logs are regularly reviewed in the Clinical Governance and Audit meetings to:

Determine whether any audits are required as a result
Determine whether and process needs to be reviewed
Determine how to measure the effectiveness of any changes already implemented

Sharing of learning and actions from complaints

The information from the annual complaints audit and the anonymised summary of learning & action points from complaints will be shared via the next practice training session and there will be a multi-disciplinary discussion.

If the complainant is not satisfied, they should be alerted to their right (under the practice complaints procedure) to take the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman which is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide services. You can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on 0345 015 4033 or write to them at:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower,
Millbank,
London
SW1P 4QP

A conciliation service, Independent Complaints advocacy Service (ICAS) – Telephone 01823 275037

RINGING FOR RESULTS
If you have investigations or tests carried out during a hospital attendance it is their responsibility to inform you of the result. We are responsible for tests and investigations done at our request.
We will try, where possible, to provide the result on behalf of the hospital if they are unable to but results can take longer to reach the Practice. Please do not get upset with staff if the result is not returned within the timescale suggested by the hospital, this is out of our control.
Thank you for your co-operation.

Urgent Prescription Policy

Due to an increasing number of requests for repeat prescriptions to be issued urgently we have had to review how we handle these requests in order to provide safe and consistent service to all of our patients. Requests for prescriptions outside the normal prescription protocol impacts significantly on both doctor and administration staff time, meaning there is less availability to a doctor for other patients and a higher risk of a prescribing error occurring. We require 2 full working days for prescriptions.

If you ask for an urgent repeat prescription you will need to give a reason for your request. You may also be required to contact the police, in some cases, if the medication has been lost and it is a controlled drug and also provide a crime number.

Many medications can be safely missed for a few days. We will not issue urgent prescriptions for items that can be bought over the counter or for non- essential medication and you may be informed that your medication will be processed following the normal repeat prescription process. If your medication cannot be missed, the item will be issued as required. All urgent prescriptions must be collected in person from the surgery. We reserve the right to withdraw the service to patients requesting urgent prescriptions on a regular basis.

Medications that WILL NOT be issued urgently

Anything that can be purchased over the counter eg paracetamol, emollients, ibuprofen, low dose co-codamol
Nutritional supplements/ vitamins/ iron
Statins
Antidepressants
Sleeping tablets
Erectile dysfunction drugs
Skin creams
Eye drops
Regular painkillers
Oral contraceptives
Oral medications for diabetes
Prescriptions following discharge from hospital and outpatient clinics

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate that you may find this frustrating. This step has been implemented as a necessity to protect Doctors time for more clinically urgent matters.

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HYLTON MEDICAL GROUP’s Patient’s Charter

We aim to provide you with the best quality care available. Our charter is a statement of what you can expect from the practice and what we feel we should expect from you in return.

A Patient:

Has a right to see a GP (this does not need to be their named GP) at the surgery during surgery hours. If an appointment is not available, the next routine appointment will be offered as long as the delay will not result in a risk to health.
Should an urgent appointment not be available, be offered telephone triage by a clinician.
Should have access to a telephone number where a GP can be reached when the surgery is closed.
Should have a home visit, if considered necessary by the GP.
If temporarily away from home must receive treatment if it is considered to be required immediately, though the GP is not bound to accept them as a temporary resident.
Is required to give consent before being examined or treated. However, a visit to the GP is considered to constitute consent.
Is entitled to a chaperone during intimate examinations.
Is not bound legally to accept treatment. However, a doctor can give essential treatment if the patient is temporarily incapable of understanding or consenting to treatment as per the Adults with Incapacity Act.
May refuse to be examined when a medical student is present.
Is entitled to a full and truthful answer to questions about their treatment unless the answers would result in anxiety, which may injure the person’s health.
Has the right to complain about their GP if he/she has not followed the terms of service or behaves in an unprofessional or unethical way. The patient should then be kept informed about how the complaint is being dealt with and told of the outcome.
Has the right to see medical reports requested by insurance companies or employers before they are sent. However, a GP may withhold them if access may cause harm to the patient or if they contain information regarding a third party.
Has the right to confidentiality.

With These Rights Come Responsibilities:

We ask that you attend your appointments at the arranged time. If you cannot attend please inform the surgery immediately.
One 10 minute appointment is for one person only. Please make additional appointments if more than one person needs to be seen.
Patients are responsible for their own health and the health of their children and should co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to keep themselves healthy.
We ask that requests for help or advice for non-urgent matters be made during surgery hours.
Home visits should only be requested for patients who are seriously ill. It is important to bear in mind that most medical problems are dealt with more effectively in the clinical setting of a well-equipped surgery.
Patients should understand that home visits are made at the doctor’s discretion.
Many problems can be solved by advice alone therefore patients should not always expect a prescription at every consultation.
We ask that patients treat the doctors and staff with consideration and courtesy.
Patients must inform the practice staff of any change in their circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number, even if it is ex-directory.
Children, the elderly and those with life limiting conditions have priority access.

Mental Health Support

Carers

Learning Disability

HYLTON MEDICAL GROUP MISSION STATEMENT

Practice Philosophy of Care for Learning Difficulties

The staff of Hylton Medical Group will provide a high standard of care and patients will benefit from the new care plan that we have now put into practice.

We will aim to promote good health through clinical skills, better communication, caseload management, effective use of resources and liaison with other agencies.

Our staff will work together as a team with the patients, families and carer all included so that we can provide the best individualised care, whilst maintaining their dignity, privacy and freedom of choice.

This aim will be achieved by using good communication skills and to encourage, where possible, independence for the patient.

Our practice aims to offer an honest, friendly and open environment giving support to patients, families, carers and professionals in the surgeries pursuit to provide the best possible care.

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FORUM INFORMATION
If you are interested in attending regular meetings in the surgery to discuss any issues relating to our learning disability appointment process or any other issues please let us know:
E-Mail; Hylton.Medical@nhs.net
Tel: 0191 5658598
Thank you.

Hylton Medical Group Policy when dealing with Learning Difficulties

Health: Legislation, Research and Good Practice

People with a learning disability have a right to receive good healthcare, but are often let down by current provision. People with a learning disability experience poorer health and poorer healthcare than the general population, but we aim to provide a better understanding of their needs and requirements and look after their well being. The Equality and Human Rights Commission and our “Death by indifference” campaign show how all parts of the health service are struggling to meet the needs of the people with Learning disability, and too often fail in their efforts.

The aims of the Practice Policy is to provide health professionals with information on best practice, and where to go for information and support so all people with a learning disability get the best health treatment possible.

Key Issues

People with a learning disability have a right to receive good healthcare. They will need healthcare in the same way that everyone else will, and some people with a learning disability will have additional health needs (for example people with a learning disability are more likely to have epilepsy). Often, they need more support to understand information about their health, especially communicating symptoms and concerns, and to manage their health adequately.

There are 3 simple things all health practitioners can do to ensure that people with a learning disability get the healthcare they need:

Allow longer appointment times
Communication with the individual (verbal and non-verbal)
Listening to the knowledge of their families and carers and most important, equally valuing the life of a person with a learning disability

The www.easyhealth.org.uk has guides for professionals in treating people with a learning disability. It also includes easy read information that health professionals can use to help explain health issues and treatments to their patients with a learning disability.

Information such as:

ADHD leaflets
Hypothyroidism
Diabetes
Parenting Toolkit
Parkinson’s Disease
Acute Bronchitis
Contraception injection
Obesity
Epilepsy
Breast Screening
Incontinence in Women/Men
Earwax
Pneumonia

Additional Supporting information

Supporting parents with Learning Difficulties.
Health card Learning Difficulties.
Foundation for people with Learning difficulties, contact number: 020 7803 1100

The List is endless and I am sure if you put a subject matter that is of a concern they will be some useful information.

Legislation

The Disability Discrimination Act says that people with a disability must not be discriminated against. Service providers must make reasonable adjustments to give people with a disability an equal outcome. Failure to do this would be in breach of the Law

Research

“Death by indifference” Mencap 2007 result of six people with Learning Disabilities that died in NHS care.
“Closing the Gap”Disability Rights Commission, 2006 technology can change lives for the better and has within the learning disabilities world.
“Illness in people with Intellectual disabilities” British Medical Journal 2008, early recognition very important as early intervention very significant in the patient’s life.

Good Practice

Communication through diagrams and use of bigger font when sending letters out.
Patient forum group for Learning Difficulties.
Patient Survey
Regular reviews and easy access to the GP
Highlight that the patient has learning difficulties and will require more time with the GP such as a double appointment.

Our Approach

Health awareness plays an important part in the way we support people with a learning disability. Our work involves producing resources for health and social care professionals to enable them to better understand health, diet and nutrition. We also produce resources for people with a learning disability that can help them develop a better awareness of their own health, and give them tools for managing this.

How we work with others

We will provide the necessary training for all staff to understand the needs and necessary support needed to provide healthcare for learning difficulties. We have liaised with a specialist organisation to share good practice, hopefully we will learn from there expertise in this field of work and take these ideas forward to provide a very worthwhile service for both the patient and the carers.

Repeat Prescriptions

Emergencies

GP Earnings

Vaccines and Immunisations

Mark you diarys for September – Our vaccinations are due for delivery Mid September.

Please remember to book your Flu appointment as soon as possible to ensure adequate cover for the winter months.

Those who fall into flu vaccination categories are people with:
COPD/Asthma, CHD, Stroke, Diabetes, Neurological Disorders (such as MS), Pregnant women, Over 65’s, Immunosuppressant, Children in specifis age cohorts …. Please contact us to see if you qualify.

Shingles Vaccination Programme

A vaccine to prevent shingles, a common, painful skin disease is available on the NHS to certain people in their 70s.
The shingles vaccine is given as a single injection. Unlike the flu jab, you’ll only need to have the vaccination once and you can have it at any time of the year.
The shingles vaccine is expected to reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you are unlucky enough to go on to have the disease, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter.

Shingles can be very painful and uncomfortable. Some people are left with pain lasting for years after the initial rash has healed. And shingles is fatal for around 1 in 1,000 over-70s who develop it.
It’s fine to have the shingles vaccine if you’ve already had shingles. The shingles vaccine works very well in people who have had shingles before and it will boost your immunity against further shingles attacks.

Who can have the shingles vaccination?

From September 1 2015 the shingles vaccine is routinely available to people aged 70 and 78. You become eligible for the vaccine on the first day of September 2015 after you’ve turned 70 or 78 and remain so until the last day of August 2016.

In addition, anyone who was eligible for immunisation in the first two years of the programme but has not yet been vaccinated against shingles remains eligible until their 80th birthday. This includes:

people aged 71 and 72 on 1 September 2015
people aged 79

You can have the shingles vaccination at any time of year, though many people will find it convenient to have it at the same time as their annual flu vaccination.

How do I get the shingles vaccine?

You don’t need to do anything. We will invite you to the surgery for the vaccine when you become eligible. If you can’t go to the appointment you’re offered, contact us to rearrange it. It’s important that you don’t leave it too late to have the vaccination, as wemay only be able to give it to you before 31 August 2016.

What is the brand name of the shingles vaccine?

The brand name of the shingles vaccine given in the UK is Zostavax. It can be given at any time of the year.

Read the patient information leaflet (PIL) for Zostavax.

Read more about who can have the shingles vaccine.

How is the shingles vaccine given?

As an injection into the upper arm.

How does the shingles vaccine work?

The vaccine contains a weakened chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus). It’s similar, but not identical to, the chickenpox vaccine.

Very occasionally, people have developed a chickenpox-like illness following shingles vaccination (fewer than 1 in 10,000 individuals).

How long will the shingles vaccine protect me for?

It’s difficult to be precise, but research suggests the shingles vaccine will protect you for at least five years, probably longer.

How safe is the shingles vaccine?

There is lots of evidence showing that the shingles vaccine is very safe. It’s already been used in several countries, including the US and Canada, and no safety concerns have been raised. The vaccine also has few side effects.

Read more about shingles vaccine side effects.

What is shingles?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus) in people who have previously had chickenpox.

It begins with a burning sensation in the skin, followed by a rash of very painful fluid-filled blisters that can then burst and turn into sores before healing. Often an area on just one side of the body is affected, usually the chest but sometimes the head, face and eye.

Read more about the symptoms of shingles.

How is shingles spread?

You don’t “catch” shingles – it comes on when there’s a reawakening of chickenpox virus that’s already in your body. The virus can be reactivated because of advancing age, medication, illness or stress and so on.

Anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles. It’s estimated that around one in five people who have had chickenpox go on to develop shingles.

Read more about vaccine ingredients.

Men ACWY vaccine side effects

Like all vaccines, the Men ACWY vaccine can cause side effects, but studies suggest they are generally mild and soon settle.

The most common side effects seen in teenagers and young people who receive the vaccine are redness, hardening and itching at the injection site, headache, nausea and fatigue.

Who should not have the Men ACWY vaccine?

You should not have the Men ACWY vaccine if you are allergic to the vaccine or any of its ingredients. You can find out the vaccine ingredients in the patient information leaflets for Nimenrix and Menveo.

You should also check with the doctor or nurse before having the Men ACWY vaccine if you:

have a bleeding problem, such as haemophilia, or bruise easily
have a high temperature
are pregnant or breastfeeding

How is meningitis W spread?

Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis (also called the meningococcus). These bacteria can be divided into 13 different groups, of which five (A, B, C, W and Y) are responsible for nearly all serious meningococcal infections.

The meningococcal bacteria live in the back of the nose and throat in about 1 in 10 of the population without causing any illness. The bacteria is spread from person to person by close prolonged contact with a person carrying the bacteria, such as coughing, kissing and sneezing.

Very occasionally, the meningococcal bacteria can cause serious illness, including meningitis and septicaemia.

Meningococcal infections can strike at any age, but babies, young children and teenagers are especially vulnerable.

Read more about how meningitis bugs are spread.

Men W cases on the increase

In England, most meningococcal infections are caused by group B (Men B). Men C, Men W and Men Y are usually responsible for only 10-20% of cases.

Although the total number of meningococcal cases in England has been falling since the early 2000s, Men W infections have increased from only 22 cases in 2009 to 117 in 2014. Currently, Men W alone accounts for almost a quarter of all meningococcal infections in England.

From 2009 to 2012, an average of four people died of meningitis W each year. Most of the people who died were elderly. But during 2013 and 2014, there were 24 deaths from Men W disease including, for the first time in over a decade, babies and toddlers.

Read more about meningitis and septicaemia.

Babies, older people and Men W vaccine

Only teenagers and young people will be vaccinated against Men W as part of the new vaccination programme. This is so they will be directly protected by the Men ACWY vaccine at a time when they’re at increased risk (entering colleges and universities, where they will be socialising more).

Vaccinating teenagers against Men W should have the added benefit of indirectly protecting other age groups, including unvaccinated babies, children and older people. This is because teenagers are the age group most likely to carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their noses.

Vaccinating teenagers will reduce the number of carriers, and therefore spread of the Men W bug, both within their social circles and also to other age groups.

How to spot meningitis and septicaemia

Men W disease, like all meningococcal infections, can come on suddenly and progress quickly.

All meningococcal infections can cause meningitis and septicaemia, but Men W can also cause other illnesses, such as pneumonia and joint infections (septic arthritis).

Early symptoms of meningococcal disease include:

headache
vomiting
muscle pain
fever
cold hands and feet

A rash of tiny red pinpricks may also develop once septicaemia has set in. You can tell this is a meningitis rash if it doesn’t fade under pressure – for instance, when gently pressing a glass against it (the “glass test”).

If you, or a child or adult you know, has these symptoms, seek urgent medical advice. Don’t wait for a rash to develop. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital.

Here’s more info on the symptoms of meningitis and the treatment of meningitis.

Other meningitis vaccines

The Men C vaccine is offered as part of the NHS vaccination programme to all babies aged 2 and 12 months old.

From September 2015, Men B vaccine (Bexsero) will be offered as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme, to all babies aged 2, 4 and 12 months old.

When to go to A&E

An A&E department (also known as emergency department or casualty) deals with genuine life-threatening emergencies, such as:

loss of consciousness
acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
chest pain
breathing difficulties
severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
severe allergic reactions
severe burns or scalds
stroke
major trauma such as a road traffic accident

When to visit an urgent treatment centre (walk-in centre or minor injury unit)

You can go to an urgent treatment centre if you need urgent medical attention, but it’s not a life-threatening situation.Conditions that can be treated at an urgent treatment centre include:

sprains and strains
suspected broken limbs
minor head injuries
cuts and grazes
bites and stings
minor scalds and burns
ear and throat infections
skin infections and rashes
eye problems
coughs and colds
high temperature in child and adults
stomach pain
being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoea
emergency contraception

If in doubt contact 111

When to seek help from your pharmacist

As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.

If symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure you get the help you need. For example they will tell you if you need to see a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional.

All pharmacists train for 5 years in the use of medicines. They are also trained in managing minor illnesses and providing health and wellbeing advice.

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard

Minor illnesses

Pharmacies can give treatment advice about a range of common conditions and minor injuries, such as:

aches and pains
sore throat
coughs
colds
flu
earache
cystitis
skin rashes
teething
red eye

If you want to buy an over-the-counter medicine, the pharmacist and their team can help you choose.

Antibiotics will not be available over the counter to treat minor conditions.

Seeing Your GP

GPs are highly skilled doctors who look after the health of people in their local community and deal with a wide range of health problems. Your GP should be your first point of contact for health issues that you can’t treat yourself with the help of your local pharmacy or information on NHS.uk.

GPs work in a practice as part of a team that includes nurses, healthcare assistants and other staff. They’re trained in all aspects of general medicine, which includes child health, mental health, screening, vaccinations and the management of long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

GP practices are there to support patients throughout their lives and help you manage your health and prevent illness. They work closely with other professionals such as health visitors, midwifes, mental health services and social services, and if your GP can’t deal with a problem they may refer you to hospital or another NHS service for tests, treatment or to see a specialist.

They’re usually open throughout the day from Monday to Friday but if you work during the day, many practices are now open early in the morning and in the early evening.

You’ll need to register with a GP practice to access their services. When doing so, it’s a good idea to take the time to find a practice that meets your personal needs.

Sexual Health

There are so many different types of contraception available that you should be able to find the right method. You may have to try several different things before you choose the one you like most.

How we use your Information

How data in your GP record is used and how you can control the use (opt-out)

As a practice, we fully respect your right as a patient to control your data. We outline our privacy policy in more detail on this page and explain how we share data with other providers, including the Great North Care Record and NHS Digital for secondary use.

You have the right to opt-out at any time from data being shared.

Your data is used in broadly two different ways:

1. To provide you with care. This is called “Primary Use“

2. To allow for planning and research to be done. This is called “Secondary Use“

Both uses will only be made where it is considered secure and appropriate to use patient data.

Opting-out of data sharing is an option for all patients, however it is not without potential downsides. For Primary Use data, if you opt-out and need care in a local hospital, for example, it may be much harder for the staff to access important medical information about you needed to provide safe and effective care. For Secondary Use, the downsides are more indirect. If everyone in the country were to opt-out, it would make it much harder to ensure funding is used in the NHS to develop services where they are needed. It would also be harder to develop new treatments.

It is possible to opt-out of specific parts of data sharing, while keeping some elements of data sharing in place. It is very common, for example, for people who have privacy concerns about Secondary Use, to be happy to continue sharing data for Primary Use/Direct Care.

The below table summarises what opt-outs are possible, and how to request them:

opt table

How data in your GP record is used, and how you can control the use

Primary Use – sharing your data for your direct care

Who it is shared with: Summary Care Record & Great North Care Record

How it is used: These are used by NHS hospitals and other providers (e.g. midwives) to ensure they have the data needed to provide you with the right care.

How to opt out: Opt out through your GP practice – contact the surgery reception to speak to the practice manager/deputy practice manager to discuss this and we will be able to apply the opt-out.

Secondary Use – Using your data to design health services and do health research

Who it is shared with: Local NHS Organisations (such as Clinical Commissioning Groups), NHS Digital & *External research organisations

Hos is it used: Using data to plan how to design local services around the needs of the population, Using data to plan and design national services around the needs of the population, *Using data for various research purposes.

How to opt out: Use a ‘type-1 opt out’ – Please send this form to the practice by emailing to hylton.medical@nhs.net
*Use the National Data Opt-out – Visit the NHS website, use the NHS App or call 0300 3035678

How to manage your sharing preferences using the NHS App

You can view or change your current preference at any time.

To view and change your preference in the NHS App:

1. Go to Your health

2. Select Choose if data from your health and care records is shared for planning and research.

3. Select Make your choice.

4. Review the information on the page, then select Start now.

5. View your preference, then select Change if you want to change it.

6. Update your choice, then select Submit. You can also visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR) 2018

This practice keeps medical records confidential and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation.
We hold your medical record so that we can provide you with safe care and treatment.
We will also use your information so that this practice can check and review the quality of the care we provide. This helps us to improve our services to you.
For more information please click on the link below:
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

HYLTON MEDICAL GROUP
PRIVACY NOTICE

This practice keeps data on you relating to who you are, where you live, what you do, your family, possibly your friends, your employers, your habits, your problems and diagnoses, the reasons you seek help, your appointments, where you are seen and when you are seen, who by, referrals to specialists and other healthcare providers, tests carried out here and in other places, investigations and scans, treatments and outcomes of treatments, your treatment history, the observations and opinions of other healthcare workers, within and without the NHS as well as comments and aide memoires reasonably made by healthcare professionals in this practice who are appropriately involved in your health care. When registering for NHS care, all patients who receive NHS care are registered on a national database, the database is held by NHS Digital, a national organisation which has legal responsibilities to collect NHS data. GPs have always delegated tasks and responsibilities to others that work with them in their surgeries, on average an NHS GP has between 1,500 to 2,500 patients for whom he or she is accountable. It is not possible for the GP to provide hands on personal care for each and every one of those patients in those circumstances, for this reason GPs share your care with others, predominantly within the surgery but occasionally with outside organisations. If your health needs require care from others elsewhere outside this practice we will exchange with them whatever information about you that is necessary for them to provide that care. When you make contact with healthcare providers outside the practice but within the NHS it is usual for them to send us information relating to that encounter. We will retain part or all of those reports. Normally we will receive equivalent reports of contacts you have with non NHS services but this is not always the case. Your consent to this sharing of data, within the practice and with those others outside the practice is allowed by the Law. People who have access to your information will only normally have access to that which they need to fulfil their roles, for instance admin staff will normally only see your name, address, contact details, appointment history and registration details in order to book appointments, the practice nurses will normally have access to your immunisation, treatment, significant active and important past histories, your allergies and relevant recent contacts whilst the GP you see or speak to will normally have access to everything in your record. HYLTON MEDICAL GROUP is one of many organisations working in the health and care system to improve care for patients and the public. Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending the Practice, Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected to help ensure you get the best possible care and treatment and to ensure that the standards of service provided are of the highest quality. Your data may be used to contact you about your experiences of using such services via surveys and questionnaires. The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with: • improving the quality and standards of care provided • research into the development of new treatments • preventing illness and diseases · monitoring safety • planning services This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law. Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed. You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care. To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. On this web page you will: · See what is meant by confidential patient information · Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care · Find out more about the benefits of sharing data · Understand more about who uses the data · Find out how your data is protected · Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting · Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone · See the situations where the opt-out will not apply You can also find out more about how patient information is used at: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research); and https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-know (which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made) You can change your mind about your choice at any time. Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement. Health and care organisations have until 2020 to put systems and processes in place so they can be compliant with the national data opt-out and apply your choice to any confidential patient information they use or share for purposes beyond your individual care. Our organisation ‘is currently’ compliant with the national data opt-out policy. You have the right to object to our sharing your data in these circumstances but we have an overriding responsibility to do what is in your best interests. Please see below. https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-data-opt-out We are required by Articles in the General Data Protection Regulations to provide you with the information in the following 9 subsections.
What we hold about you:	We hold the following types of information about you: · Basic details about you, such as your name, date of birth, NHS Number · Contact details such as your address, telephone numbers, email address · Contact details of your ‘Next of Kin’, a close relative, friend or advocate · Contacts we have had with you; scheduled and unscheduled appointments · Details about your care; treatment and advice given and referrals made · Results of investigations, eg blood tests · Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well
1) Data Controller contact details	Dr BGO Al-Khalidi Kelly Hardy Practice Manager
2) Data Protection Officer contact details	James Carroll 0191 404 1000 Ext 3436 Dpo.sunccg@nhs.net
3) Purpose of the processing	Direct Care is care delivered to the individual alone, most of which is provided in the surgery. After a patient agrees to a referral for direct care elsewhere, such as a referral to a specialist in a hospital, necessary and relevant information about the patient, their circumstances and their problem will need to be shared with the other healthcare workers, such as specialist, therapists, technicians etc. The information that is shared is to enable the other healthcare workers to provide the most appropriate advice, investigations, treatments, therapies and or care.
4) Lawful basis for processing	The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR: Article 6(1) (e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’ Article 9(2) (h) ‘…necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…’ We will also recognise your rights established under UK case law collectively known as the “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”^*
5) Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data	The data will be shared with Health and care professionals and support staff in this surgery and at hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centres who contribute to your personal care. For example: Sunderland Royal Hospital Queen Elizabeth Hospital Royal Victoria Infirmary Freeman Hospital James Cook Hospital All other Clinics used for the purpose of a referral to Secondary Care
6) Rights to object	You have the right to object to some or all the information being processed under Article 21. Please contact the Data Controller or the practice. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection; that is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.
7) Right to access and correct	You have the right to access the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law.
8) Retention period	The data will be retained in line with the law and national guidance. https://digital.nhs.uk/article/1202/Records-Management-Code-of-Practice-for-Health-and-Social-Care-2016 or speak to the Practice.
9) Right to Complain	You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, you can use this link https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ or calling their helpline Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate) There are National Offices for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (see ICO website)

* “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”, common law is not written out in one document like an Act of Parliament. It is a form of law based on previous court cases decided by judges; hence, it is also referred to as ‘judge-made’ or case law. The law is applied by reference to those previous cases, so common law is also said to be based on precedent.

The general position is that if information is given in circumstances where it is expected that a duty of confidence applies, that information cannot normally be disclosed without the information provider’s consent.

In practice, this means that all patient information, whether held on paper, computer, visually or audio recorded, or held in the memory of the professional, must not normally be disclosed without the consent of the patient. It is irrelevant how old the patient is or what the state of their mental health is; the duty still applies.

Three circumstances making disclosure of confidential information lawful are:

where the individual to whom the information relates has consented;
where disclosure is in the public interest; and
where there is a legal duty to do so, for example a court order.

We will share relevant information from your medical record with other health or social care staff or organisations when they provide you with care. For example, your GP will share information when they refer you to a specialist in a hospital. Or your GP will send details about your prescription to your chosen pharmacy.

More information on how we share your information with organisations who are directly involved in your care can be found here: Summary Care Record, Care.Data Research, Electronic Data Sharing Model EDSM.

What is a Summary Care Record?

A Summary Care Record is a brief electronic (computerized) summary which contains information about the medication you take, allergies you suffer from and any adverse reaction to medications you may have.

This information is shared with emergency services such as A&E or the Out of Hours GP services so that

they may treat you safely but does not give emergency services full access to your medical records.

What is Care.Data Research?

The NHS continually gathers data in order to evaluate health and social care services to ensure that the

best and most appropriate healthcare services are properly funded, and will aim to improve health and

social care services. How does the NHS do this?- the NHS will automatically download information from EMIS WEB about diseases such as diabetes, from medical records but this is controlled by laws and strict confidentiality rules. The kind of information used may include your date of birth, postcode and NHS number but your name would not be included.

What is the Electronic Data Sharing Model (EDSM)?

Patients now have a choice about how GP practices share their full electronic medical records. This means patients can choose who can see their information. You therefore have two choices to make:
1. SHARING OUT– If you are sharing out then you agree to have your full medical record shared with other NHS healthcare professionals who are treating you, e.g. district nurses. The standard setting for your medical records WILL NOT be shared out.

SHARING IN– If you are sharing in then you agree to share your medical information with your GP from NHS healthcare professionals who are treating you outside of the surgery. Involving your GP in your care outside of the practice will ensure that your GP is kept up-to-date and that you maintain continuity of care. The standard setting WILL be shared in so that your GP can view all the treatment you receive.

Healthcare staff working in A&E and out of hours care will also have access to your information. For example, it is important that staff who are treating you in an emergency know if you have any allergic reactions. This will involve the use of your Summary Care Record OR Emergency Care Summary / Individual Health Record. For more information see: https://digital.nhs.uk/summary-care-records or alternatively speak to your practice.

You have the right to object to information being shared for your own care. Please speak to the practice if you wish to object. You also have the right to have any mistakes or errors corrected.

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

Other important information about how your information is used to provide you with healthcare

Registering for NHS care

· All patients who receive NHS care are registered on a national database.

· This database holds your name, address, date of birth and NHS Number but it does not hold information about the care you receive.

· The database is held by NHS Digital, NHS England Information Services, Business Services Organisation, national organisations which has legal responsibilities to collect NHS data.

· More information can be found at: https://digital.nhs.uk/or the phone number for general enquires at NHS Digital is 0300 303 5678

Identifying patients who might be at risk of certain diseases

· Your medical records will be searched by a computer programme so that we can identify patients who might be at high risk from certain diseases such as heart disease or unplanned admissions to hospital.

· This means we can offer patients additional care or support as early as possible.

· This process will involve linking information from your GP record with information from other health or social care services you have used.

· Information which identifies you will only be seen by this practice.

· More information can be found at: http://www.atbsunderland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NEW-Risk-Stratification-Guidance-%E2%80%93-July-2017.pdf or speak to the practice.

Safeguarding

· Sometimes we need to share information so that other people, including healthcare staff, children or others with safeguarding needs, are protected from risk of harm.

· These circumstances are rare.

· We do not need your consent or agreement to do this.

· Please see our local policies for more information:

http://www.sunderlandscb.com/

We are required by law to provide you with the following information about how we handle your information.

Data Controller contact details	DR KHALIDI AND KELLY HARDY CLINICAL DIRECTOR AND PRACTICE MANAGER
Data Protection Officer contact details	JIM CARROLL @ SUNDERLAND CCG 01915128484
Purpose of the processing	· To give direct health or social care to individual patients. · For example, when a patient agrees to a referral for direct care, such as to a hospital, relevant information about the patient will be shared with the other healthcare staff to enable them to give appropriate advice, investigations, treatments and/or care. · To check and review the quality of care. (This is called audit and clinical governance).
Lawful basis for processing	These purposes are supported under the following sections of the GDPR: Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’; and Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…” Healthcare staff will also respect and comply with their obligations under the common law duty of confidence.
Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data	The data will be shared with: · healthcare professionals and staff in this surgery; • NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts • GP’s • NHS Commissioning Support Units • Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists • Private Sector Providers • Voluntary Sector Providers • Ambulance Trusts • Clinical Commissioning Groups • Social Care Services • Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) • Local Authorities • Education Services • Fire and Rescue Services • Police & Judicial Services • Voluntary Sector Providers • Private Sector Providers • Other ‘data processors’ which you will be informed of · or other organisations involved in the provision of direct care to individual patients.
Rights to object	· You have the right to object to information being shared between those who are providing you with direct care. · This may affect the care you receive – please speak to the practice. · You are not able to object to your name, address and other demographic information being sent to NHS Digital. · This is necessary if you wish to be registered to receive NHS care. · You are not able to object when information is legitimately shared for safeguarding reasons. · In appropriate circumstances it is a legal and professional requirement to share information for safeguarding reasons. This is to protect people from harm. · The information will be shared with the local safeguarding service SUNDERLAND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN/ADULT BOARD.
Right to access and correct	· You have the right to access your medical record and have any errors or mistakes corrected. Please speak to a member of staff or look at our ‘subject access request’ policy on the practice website – WWW.HYLTONMEDICALGROUP.NHS.UK We are not aware of any circumstances in which you will have the right to delete correct information from your medical record; although you are free to obtain your own legal advice if you believe there is no lawful purpose for which we hold the information and contact us if you hold a different view.
Retention period	GP medical records will be kept in line with the law and national guidance. Information on how long records are kept can be found at: https://digital.nhs.uk/article/1202/Records-Management-Code-of-Practice-for-Health-and-Social-Care-2016 or speak to the practice.
Right to complain	You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. If you wish to complain follow this link https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ or call the helpline 0303 123 1113
Data we get from other organisations	We receive information about your health from other organisations who are involved in providing you with health and social care. For example, if you go to hospital for treatment or an operation the hospital will send us a letter to let us know what happens. This means your GP medical record is kept up-to date when you receive care from other parts of the health service.

What Information Do We Collect?
Your healthcare records contain information about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP surgery, Walk-In clinic etc.). NHS health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Your healthcare record may include the following information.

Details about you, such as address and next of kin
Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.
Notes and reports about your health
Details about your treatment and care
Results on investigations, such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

Why Do We Collect This Information?
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and help us manage the NHS. Information may also be used for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided. In addition your information will be used to identify whether you are at risk of a future unplanned hospital admission and/or require support to effectively manage a long term condition.

Health Risk Screening
Your local GP Practice in Sunderland is planning to screen patients aged 18 and over already diagnosed with a long term conditions, such as diabetes, dementia, respiratory disease and heart disease. Health risk screening is now a commonly used practice within the NHS that entails accessing healthcare records electronically, and using the data to identify patients who may be at risk of future hospital admissions. The data is used to identify how best to support patients to avoid admission and to manage their conditions more effectively.

How Do We Use This Information?
The results of the screening will enable your GP to decide whether you would benefit from the assistance of a multi-disciplinary care team made up of other healthcare providers, social care professionals such as a district nurse or consultant physician and/or support from voluntary sector organisations. Your information will need to be shared with this team to assist your GP to identify the best care for you.

Do I need to do anything to give my permission?
No. You do not need to anything if you are happy to give permission for health risk screening. However if details from your healthcare records need to be shared as part of a clinical care discussion within the multi-disciplinary care team, we will contact you to obtain your consent.

What if I do not want to give my permission?
If you have any concerns or wish to opt out of health risk screening you should speak our Business /Practice Manager. The practice will ensure your decision is recorded so your records will not be included in any screening process and/or multi-disciplinary care team discussion.

Who Will We Share Your Information With?
For the purposes of Health Risk Screening we may need to share your information with the following organisations, with your consent:

Community Link Nurses and/or Community Matrons from Sunderland Community Health Care Trust (SCHC)
Representatives from Adult Community Services, Sunderland County Council (SCC)
Representatives from Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (SNHSTSFT)
Integrated Care Coordinators (ICCs) (employed by NCC and SCHC)
Voluntary Support Organisations commissioned by SCCG

How Do We Maintain the Confidentiality of Your Records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (which is overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office), Human Rights Act, the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, and the NHS Codes of Confidentiality and Security. Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential. Anyone who receives information from an NHS organisation has a legal duty to keep it confidential. We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), or where the law requires information to be passed on. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep this information confidential.

How your records are used to help the NHS
Your information may be used to help assess the needs of the general population and make informed decisions about the provision of future services. Information can also be used to conduct health research and development, monitor NHS performance, to help NHS plan for the future and to investigate complaints in respect of the services we commission.

We will not publish any information that identifies you or routinely disclose any information about you without your express permission. At any time you have the right to refuse/withdraw consent to information sharing. The possible consequences will be fully explained to you, such as potential delays in receiving care.

There may be circumstances where we are bound to share information about you owing to legal obligation, such as for benefit of public health in the event of a pandemic.

Access to Your Information
You have the right under Data Protection Act 1998 to access, view what information the surgery holds about you, and to have it corrected should it be inaccurate. This is known as ‘the right of subject access’. If we do hold information about you we will:

Give you a description of it;
Tell you why we are holding it;
Tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
Let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.

If you would like to make a ‘subject access request; please contact the Practice Manager in writing.

There are 2 main record sharing initiatives at the moment.

The Summary Care Record SCR is an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff in other areas of the health and care system involved in the patient’s direct care.

The GNR The Great North Care Record is a local version of the summary care record which is data sharing between health agencies in and around Sunderland including Out of Hours, Social Services, Hospitals and ambulance services in the area. This enables them to access your records for direct care – they can see items such as your allergies/past medical history and medication lists.
Please click on the links below for further information.

Summary Care Record

Great North Care Record

How to opt out of data sharing

LGBTQ+

We aim to update this page with a wealth of information for you to use but for now we’d like to let you know we LGBTQ+ friendly and will work hard on broadening our knowledge base on this particular topic.

Many organisations have been delivering training on equality and diversity for many years, particularly covering gender, race and disability. Since the introduction in 2003 of legal protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual people at work, an increasing number of employers have extended their existing training to include sexual orientation. Some provide stand-alone training on LGBTQ+ issues.

Equality and diversity training provides employees with guidance on how to act in accordance with the law as well as with the organisation’s policies on discriminatory behaviour, bullying and harassment. Many people won’t have given any thought to what it’s like to be lesbian, gay or bisexual in their workplace and won’t realise what behaviours others may find offensive. Effective training helps staff understand how everyone’s behaviour contributes to creating a safe and comfortable working environment in which people can perform at their best.

We have recently undertaken some more indepth training in this specialist area and would like to share with you how we would use this to improve services.

Our staff will better understand the particular needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual service users are now better equipped to deliver services appropriately. Organisations that provide in-depth sexual orientation equality training to client-facing staff increase staff confidence in working with LGBTQ+ service users and ultimately improve customer satisfaction.

We aim to improve this page in the coming week but if anyone visiting this page has any information which you feel would be of benefit for us to have here then please do contact us via email on: hylton.medical@nhs.net

Thank You.

For information on where to meet please click on this link

Out for Life

Mind Out

just like us

Sunderland Equality Forum

Strong Family Alliance

Domestic abuse help