Your rights to Information  

·         The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is designed to promote openness and accountability amongst all organisations that receive public money.

·         From January 1^st 2005 it  will oblige opticians’ and optometrists’ practices to respond to requests about the NHS related information that it holds, and it will create a right of access to that information.  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 the publication scheme, you are entitled to request information about our NHS services under the NHS Openness Code 1995.

·         New environmental information regulations may be introduced as early as 2003.  These will enable similar access to environmental information as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

·         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:

The I J Brown Partnership, 7 St. Thomas Street, Weymouth, Dorset  DT4 8EW

Classes of Information

All NHS information at The I J Brown Partnership 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 Scheme had been written in accordance with those exemptions.  The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following categories: 

1)                   Who we are - The I J Brown Partnership  - Local Opticians

·         Details of all the Opticians and Optometrists employed in one of our practices can be obtained by contacting that practice directly.

·         Alternatively, details of all opticians and optometrists registered in the UK are available from the General Optical Council.

2)         Our Services

All our practices provide free NHS 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 click here.

Appointments for eye tests can be booked over the phone, or by dropping into one of our practices.

Opening times can vary between locations, so please call to confirm.

For both the above please visit our page for this information - LINK.

3)         Financial and funding information

For every eye test performed on behalf of the NHS the opticians practice receives a set fee of £16.72.  This covers expenses such as optometrist and staff salaries, equipment costs and other store overheads.

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

4)                   Regular publications and information for the public

A complete set of information about optical and ocular conditions, eye tests, glasses, and contact lenses can be found on our website link to a number of websites including www.college-optometrists.org

Some of this information is also available in patient leaflets.  These are freely available from all our practices.  To request a set of  leaflets by post, please write to:

The I J Brown Partnership
7 St. Thomas Street
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 8EW

Complaints

If you have a complaint about any of our products or services, we recommend that you first discuss any problems with the manager at the practice concerned.

If the matter cannot be resolve in this way or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive please contact us on 01305 786303 - The Partnership at St. Thomas Street, Weymouth.

5)                   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 practice.  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.

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

Copyright:

Material available through this publication scheme is 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 that 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