This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by the partnership of

• Dr W Seward
• Dr R Smith
• Dr B Johnson
• Dr J Roberts
• Dr E Thompson
• Dr N Fox
• Dr N Prigg

of Chirk General Practice

It is a description of the information about us and the Practice which we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its effectiveness.

How much does it cost?

• The publications are all free unless otherwise indicated within each Class [with a £]. Where information is provided at a cost the charges will be calculated as set out in the paragraph headed "Cost of Information"

How is the information made available?

• The information within each Class is available in hard copy from the Practice Manager at Chirk

Your right to information

• At the present time, in addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about Chirk General Practice under the Code of Practice on Openness 1995
• The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services, are organised and run, how much they cost and how decisions are made.
• From January 1st 2005 the Freedom of Information Act obliges us to respond to requests about information they hold and is recorded in any format and creates a right of access to that information. The right is subject to some exemptions which have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information we can release.
• The Environmental Information Regulations 2003 set the standard for the release of information about the environment in which we live and work.
• 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 the Practice Manager 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 under the Scheme, please write to:

All information at Chirk Surgery is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or The Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are e.g. the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme.
The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following broad categories:

• Who we are
  Details of the Practice , organisational structure, key personnel and how we fit into the NHS (£).
• Our Services
  The range of services we provide under contract to NHS (£).
• Financial and funding information
  Funding details and charging policies (£).
• Regular publications and information for the public
  Guidance and information leaflets.
• Complaints
  Policies, procedures and contacts for complaints.
• Our policies and procedures
  General policies and procedures in use within the Practice. These include, but are not restricted to, data protection, prescribing and prescription, and health and safety.
• This Publication Scheme
  In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquiries regarding information management generally in the General Practice. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

Cost of Information
For the most part, we will charge you only for hard copies or copying onto media (e.g. CD Rom). Some information is available free, (e.g.leaflets & brochures which we normally provide to patients) but for othermaterials (e.g.our Health & Safety Policies) there will be a charge. The charges will vary according to how information is made available.
Charges are as follows:-

• A single printout is available by post from the Practice Manager at Chirk or by personal application at the surgery for 35p per sheet plus postage at cost
• Request for multiple printouts, or for archived copies of documents which are no longer accessible may attract a charge for retrieval, photocopying postage etc.We will advise you of the cost in advance.
• The charges will be reviewed regularly.

Web sites:

• http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/ This s the web site of the Information Commissioner.
• http://www.justice.gov.uk/ This is the web site of the Lord Chancellors Department.
• www.wales.nhs.uk/foi This is the web site for NHS Wales Freedom of Information.
• http://www.nhs.foi.uk/ This is the web site for NHS Freedom of Information.

Publications

• Welsh Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS http://www.wales.nhs.uk/
• FOI Act 2000 www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts2000/2000036.htm
• Code of Practice under Section 45 FOI Act 2000 http://www.justice.gov.uk/
• Code of Practice under Section 46 FOI Act 2000 http://www.justice.gov.uk/
• Statement of Fees and Allowances payable for General Medical Practitioners in England and Wales.

Copyright

Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the General Practice's copyright unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided it is done so accurately in a manner which will not mislead. Where items are re-published or copied to others, you must identify the source and acknowledge copyright status. This permit does not extend to third party material, accessed through the scheme.

For HMSO Guidance Notes see www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm or contact: HMSO Licensing Division, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. Tel: 01603 621000.