We may record telephone calls to:
· Review and improve services
· Monitor and review quality of care
· Train, develop and manage staff and medical trainees
· Prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute allegations, complaints, claims and / or fraud relating to patients, other organisations or our staff
· Protect staff and patients
We do this in the interests of offering a good service to our service users, patient safety, being a good employer and to protect public funds.
How will call recordings be used:
· Quality monitoring: Written records only provide partial information. A call recording provides a more rounded view and allows us to better understand patient and staff experience and assess the processes applied. This can help us identify any improvement areas.
· Training and development: Listening to a sample number of calls allows managers to identify training needs. Call recordings may also be used as part of training for medical students, GP registrars and other clinical staff in training at the practice. This is part of their clinical skills development.
· Gaining a better understanding of our patients: Many calls are verbally resolved without the need to complete records. Listening to sample calls will help us better understand our patient and staff needs and gain a more informed view of organisations we signpost to.
· Complaints and disputes: Some calls are verbally resolved. Where information is entered onto an electronic system this becomes the established record. In the event of a complaint or dispute, a call recording (if possible), may provide additional information to help us investigate and resolve
· Employee safety and wellbeing: A recording may become a vital piece of evidence in the event of any threats being made to the organisation or an individual or in dealing with employment-related matters.
How your information is shared
Generally, call recordings are not shared. In certain circumstances, for example to comply with a court order or carry out a legislative requirement, we may share call recordings.
How long we keep your call recording
General call recordings will be retained for up to 1 month from the date of creation. Where there is a complain or dispute we may keep the call recording longer until the issue is resolved.
Can I request a copy of my call record?
If the recording is still available, you can request a copy of your conversation by contacting the surgery. This information will be provided to you in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.
What we use your data for (including call recordings). Your data is processed to:
· Provide care to you
· Audit clinical quality and service experience
· Resolve complaints or confusion
Who can access these call recordings:
The recordings can only be accessed by members of the practice management team. All staff accessing these recordings adhere by strict confidentiality protocols.