Welcome to our Guide for Information for R A & F Riley as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Introduction

This is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by R A & F Riley. It is a description of the information about our NHS services that we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals.

How much does it cost?

The publications are free unless otherwise indicated. How is the information made available? The information within each Class is available in hard copy from:

R A & F Riley
Dolphin House
33 Muster Green
Haywards Heath
RH16 4AL

or can be printed from this website, www.rileyraf.co.uk

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 opticians' and optometrists' practices to respond to requests about the NHS related information that it holds, and a right of access to that information has been established in law.
• These rights are subject to some exemptions 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: R A & F Riley Dolphin House 33 Muster Green Haywards Heath RH16 4AL

Classes of Information

All NHS information at R A & F Riley 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. From 2005, individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons being the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This guide has been written in accordance with those exemptions. The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following categories:

1. Who we are
   • We are an independent practice.
   • We are located at Dolphin House, 33 Muster Green, Haywards Heath, RH16 4AL.
   • Details of the opticians and optometrists in our practice can be obtained by contacting the practice directly.
   • Alternatively, details of all opticians and optometrists registered in the UK are available from the General Optical Council - Tel: 0207 580 3898.
2. Our services

   We provide NHS funded eye tests for those who are eligible. You may also be entitled to vouchers that can be used against the purchase of glasses or contact lenses if you require them. To find out if you are eligible for assistance please ask for details in the practice. Appointments for eye tests can be booked over the phone, or by calling into the practice. Opening times are:

   • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 9.00am to 5.30pm
   • Wednesday and Saturday - 9.00am to 1.00pm

3. Financial and funding information

   For every eye test performed on behalf of the NHS the opticians practice receives a set fee. This includes a contribution towards optometrists and staff salaries, equipment costs and other store overheads.

   If you are not eligible for the NHS eye test, please contact the practice for details of our current private charges.

   Regular publications and information for the public

   Information about optical and ocular conditions, eye tests, glasses, and contact lenses, can be found on www.rileyraf.co.uk. optical and ocular conditions on the College of Optometry website, www.college-optometrists.org.

   Some of this information is also available in patient leaflets. These are freely available from our practice.

4. Our policies and procedures
   • Complaints

   Practice complaints procedure If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the optometrist or any of the staff working in this practice. please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria. You are also reminded that we are part of the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) which deals with complaints about non NHS matters. They may be contacted via the web. Mid Susex Primary Care Trust tel-01903 708400 OCCS 0844 800 5071 For further advice. You may also like to contact the Independant Complaints advocacy service (ICAS) for help. Tel-0845 6008616 Further detaials may be obtained from the practice.

   • Data protection

   Patient records are held in a variety of formats:

   • Paper records for sight test and contact lens clinical records.
   • 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.

   All personal information contained on practice records, whether paper or electronic, is considered confidential. Mrs F Riley is responsible for procedures relating to confidentiality No personal information will be discussed with anyone other than the patient without the patient's permission. Patients are given their spectacle prescription immediately following their sight test. If a patient is referred, they are advised the reason. Copies of the referal letter may be obtained on request. Patients are given a copy of their contact lens specification on completion of the fitting process. Where a patient has diabetes, the GP is informed of the result of the sight test.

   Care is taken that records are not seen by other people in the practice.

   All practice staff have a confidentiality clause within their contracts. 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. The practice is registered with the Information Commissioner 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:

   1. fairly and lawfully processed
   2. processed for limited purposes
   3. adequate, relevant and not excessive
   4. accurate and up to date
   5. not kept for longer than is necessary
   6. processed in line with patients' rights
   7. secure
   8. not transferred to other countries without adequate protection

   Confidential paper information requiring destruction is shredded. When computers are replaced, old hard drives are securely erased or physically destroyed. Records are retained for periods as described in the record retention policy below. Records due for destruction are to be shredded. 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. 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. If you wish to see your records, please ask a partner.

   Record Retention

   This policy applies to the following:

   • Spectacle records
   • Contact lens records
   • Appointment diaries

   All records are retained for 7 years from the date of last seeing the patient.Records of children are retained until they are 25 AND it is 7 years since they were last seen.Records of the deceased are kept for 7 years.Records are destroyed by shredding.

   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.

   Communicating 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
     • Patient consent is required for sending data that can identify a 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

   Backup Policy

   Regular backups to external hard drives

   • Health and safety

     It is our policy that staff and patients should be safe and we recognise our responsibilities in regard to this. A risk assessment has been carried out and action taken where required. This will be reviewed on a regular basis

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. Accessed from our website - free of charge Single hard copies - free of charge Multiple hard copies, or archived copies will attract a charge for photocopying, retrieval 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.

Part 3. Useful Resources

Websites:

• Information Commissioner
  • www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
• Lord Chancellors Department
  • www.lcd.gov.uk
• NHS Freedom of Information
  • www.foi.nhs.uk

Publications:

• NHS Openness Code
  • www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/codemain.htm
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
  • www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm