Policies

Communication and confidentiality are cornerstones of medical practice. We at the Parks are fully aware of our collective responsibility to maintain these key elements of our interactions with all our clients.

Verbal Communication.

We make every effort to ensure that all communications between the staff at the Parks and our clients is confidential. The consultation room provides a secure environment for this to happen. In this environment we will disclose no information about a third party without consent.

Unfortunately, the front desk poses a significant problem, the administrative staff at the front desk are aware of this and do their level best to maintain confidentiality. If the information you are discussing with the receptionist is of a confidential nature and the environment is not so, please advise the receptionist and they will try to find a quieter spot to listen to what you have to say.

It would be hugely helpful if you could check that we have your correct address and mobile phone number.

Telephone.

To ensure we are speaking with the correct person, on answering your call we will always ask for your date of birth. As you are maybe aware our computer files go back to 1994 and we regularly find we have several people with the same name. Please do not be offended, it is to protect your confidentiality.

Text messaging.

Text messaging is used in the practice, to convey test results, to remind patients re appointments or to request patients to attend the practice generally in relation to text results or prescription check-ups that are required.  Your consent to text will be recorded in the admin section of your medical file. If you would prefer not to receive text messages from this practice, please let us know.  Your privacy will always be respected.

Transfer of Medical Records

Should you wish to view your medical records, transfer your medical records to another health professional or if we receive third party requests for your medical information, we have put together this policy to protect you, the Patient.

Transferring to Another Practice

If you decide at any time and for whatever reason to transfer to another practice we will facilitate that decision by making available to your new doctor a copy of your records on receipt of your signed consent from your new doctor.  All  medical files will be sent directly to your new GP by secure email (Healthmail).

If you are requesting your medical records for your own use, we have a “no post” policy unless it is not geographically possible for you to pick these files up. They will then be registered posted (eg, moved outside Dublin) We will not email them or save them to a usb stick/cd or other device.

For medico-legal reasons we will also retain a copy of your records in this practice for an appropriate period of time which may exceed eight years.

As per new legislation, we will need written consent from every individual in your family. As per GDPR legislation, an individual can only make an Access Request for their own personal data. Legal Guardians can also make a request on behalf of a child, however, once a child is capable of understanding their rights to privacy and data protection, the child should make this request in their own name. THIS IS NOT AGE DEPENDENT therefore we reserve the right to process these requests on an individual basis as revealing medical information of a child who is capable of making decisions themselves will in most cases constitute a breach of Data Protection Acts.

Medico/Legal Requests
In the event of a solicitor requesting medical records, we will continue to ask you, the patient, to look at these notes prior to releasing them.

PMA Requests
Again, we will ask you, the patient, to look at this report prior to sending this to the Insurance company.

Health Insurance Companies
As with above, we will ask you to look at this report prior to releasing.