Covert Recording
Covert recording is an audio or video recording on a portable device, made without telling the person being recorded.
Covert Recording may undermine trust and breach the privacy rights of staff and other patients.
Unauthorised covert recording of consultations by patients or visitors is not permitted in the surgery without consent, patients are requested to seek explicit consent before making any audio or video recording.
For more information on covert recording please follow the link Patients recording consultations
Social Media
There are many social media platforms that are widely used by staff, patients, and members of the public such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn.
Patients and members of the public are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct at all times: Further guidance to this can be found here: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/complaints-in-primary-care/dealing-with-abuse-of-practice-staff-on-social-media-from-patients
1. Patients must not post any material that is inaccurate, threatening, obscene, defamatory, or unlawful. Any such posts on the practice Facebook page and/or other social media platform will be deleted by the Practice and/or reported to the applicable media platform.
2. Derogatory and offensive comments about our team will not be tolerated on any social media platform. The Malicious Communications Act 1988 Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003 Communications Act 2003 make it an offence for a patient to send online messages or posts that contain threats, grossly offensive, obscene, menacing, or false information, where the sender’s intention is to cause the recipient distress or anxiety. Legal advice will be sought, and the appropriate action taken against any individual who posts defamatory comments.
4. Patients must not post comments on social media that identify staff who work at the practice.
5. Photographs or any media recordings are not permitted in the waiting room or areas where other patients are present, nor should patients take photographs or media recordings of any staff without their explicit consent.
6. Social media platforms are not to be used to make or cancel appointments, share medical information with the practice or make contact with a member of staff. Any such contact with the practice should be via appropriately confidential and routine communication methods.
7. Information about other patients and staff members is confidential. Patients must not disclose any identifiable information about others on social media without the express permission of that person.
Feedback and complaints
We appreciate any feedback our patients may have, good and bad. However, if you wish to make a complaint, we kindly request that you do so using our designated complaints procedure on the website. We will only respond to complaints made to the practice in accordance with the practice policy and a complaint made on any social media platform may be deleted.