Terms and Conditions

Customer Charter, Freedom of Information, Data Proptection and Complaints

Our Customer Charter can be found here

Freedom of Information Act (FOI): Model Publication Scheme

 

This document complies with the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme for Turners in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and fulfils the obligations on opticians’ practices under the Act.

Introduction

This is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Turners.  It is a description of the information about our NHS services that we make publicly available.  It will be reviewed at regular intervals.

 

How is the information made available?

The information within each Class is available in hard copy from:

 

Aspen House 67 Wembdon Road Bridgwater Somerset TA6 7DR

 

 

 

This guide information

We will publish any changes we make to this guide or relevant information.  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
  • As the Freedom of Information Act applies to the provision of information, a request for multiple hard copies does not fall within the provisions of the Act and will attract a charge for retrieval, photocopying and postage. We will inform you of the cost of these charges that will have to be paid in advance.
  • E-mail will be free of charge.

 

 

Your Rights to Information

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

 

  • Like all NHS contractors, since 1 January 2005 there has been a FOI obligation on optical practices to respond to requests about the NHS related information that they hold, and a right of access to that information has been established in law.

 

  • These rights are subject to exemptions (see below) that have to be taken into consideration before releasing information.

 

  • In addition to accessing the information identified in this guide, you are entitled to request information about our NHS services under the NHS Openness Code 1995.

 

  • 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:

 

Aspen House67 Wembdon RoadBridgwaterSomerset TA6 7DR

Classes of Information

All NHS information at Turners 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, the main reasons being the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998.  This scheme has been written in accordance with those exemptions.  The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following categories:

1)          Who we are and what we do

  • Company/Practice background
  • List of stores/practices including contact phone numbers
  • Details of the opticians and optometrists employed in our practices (stores) 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 Tel: 0207 580 3898.

 

 

2)       Financial and funding information: what we spend and how we spend it

For every sight test performed on behalf of the NHS the practice receives a set fee, which is fixed nationally. This practice also carries out the following enhanced services on behalf of the NHS: . The fees paid by the NHS for each service are available from the practice on request. They include a contribution towards optometrists’ and staff salaries, equipment costs and other practice overheads. Information in this class will be published only where it is unlikely adversely to affect the commercial position of the firm or practice

 

3)       Our Priorities

To provide our patients with high quality eye care

 

 

4)       Decision Making

Any decisions made about the provision of NHS-funded services will be reflected in the services we provide and in the contract(s) held with the NHS England and Somerset CCG.

 

5)      Our policies and procedures

  • Complaints
  • Data protection
  • Health and safety

 

They are available on request from Aspen House 67 Wembdon Road Bridgwater Somerset TA6 7DR

 

Complaints

If you have a complaint about any of our products or services, please do discuss any problems with the manager at the Turners VisionCare concerned in the first instance. We find that most issues can be put right at this stage.

 

If the matter cannot be resolved in this way or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive please contact us on 01278 422978.  A full copy of our complaints policy is available on request or on our website and can be found in Class 6.

 

 

6)      Lists and Registers

We don’t keep lists and registers. Our patient records are confidential.

 

7)      The Services We Offer

Turners provide NHS-funded sight tests for those who are eligible.  Patients may also be entitled to NHS vouchers that can be used against the purchase of spectacles or contact lenses as required. To find out if you are eligible for this assistance please follow this link http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/nhs-voucher-values.aspx

The practice also provides the following NHS-funded enhanced services Somerset CCG

 

Appointments for sight tests can be booked over the phone,  or by dropping into the practice.

 

 

Regular publications and information for the public

Information about optical and ocular conditions, sight tests, spectacles, and contact lenses, can be found on  www.college-optometrists.org  

 

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

 

Aspen House67 Wembdon Road Bridgwater Somerset TA6 7DR

                    

 

 

 

 

 

Useful Resources

 

Websites:

  • Information Commissioner

www.ico.gov.uk

  • Ministry of Justice

http://www.justice.gov.uk/whatwedo/freedomofinformation.htm

 

 

 

Publications:

  • NHS Openness Code

www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/codemain.htm

  • Freedom of Information Act 2000

www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm

 

13 June 2017

 

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 on FOI publication schemes see www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm.

 

 

Freedom of Information Act
Publication Scheme
Welcome to the Publication Scheme for Turners VisionCare as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Introduction
This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Turners.  It is a description of the information about our NHS and other services that 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 free unless otherwise indicated.  Where information is provided at a cost, the charges will be calculated as set out in Class 7

How is the information made available?
The information within each Class is available as a hard copy on request from the practice, or can be printed from our website:
www.turnersvision.com

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 1st 2005 it will oblige all 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 exceptions 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 and 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 from information from this scheme, please write to the Practice Manager.

Classes of Information
All NHS information at Turners is held, retained, and destroyed, within NHS guidelines.  Our commitment to publish this 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 reason being the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998.  This Scheme has been written in accordance with those exemptions.  The information on this scheme is grouped into the following categories:

1) Who we are

  • Turners VisionCare give full details of practice information on our practice website.  Hard copies of the information from the website may be provided on request at a charge, or downloaded from the website without charge
  • Practice contact details are on the website, and in practice information leaflets available free of charge on request from the practice
  • Details of all of our optometrists and other staff are displayed in the practice, on our website, or can be provided on request
  • Alternatively, details of all opticians and optometrists registered in the UK are available from the General Optical Council 41 Harley Street, London W1G 8DJ Tel 020 7580 3898Fax 020 7307 3939 email goc@optical.org

2) Our Services
Turners provide NHS funded sight tests for those who are eligible.  We will adhere strictly to the NHS eligibility criteria.  You may also be entitled to vouchers that can be uses towards the cost of glasses and some types of contact lenses if you require them.  To find out if you are eligible for assistance, ask for the appropriate NHS leaflet or see www.doh.gov.uk/nhscharges/hc12.htm

Appointments for NHS sight tests can be booked over the phone, by calling into the practice, or by sending in an e-mail request to: info@cluster7.website-staging.uk

Our current opening hours are displayed on our web site or can be obtained by contacting the practice

3) Financial and Funding Information
For every sight test performed on behalf of the NHS the practice receives a set fee of £21.10 (January 2015 or as subsequently amended).  This covers expenses such as optometrist and staff salaries, equipment costs, and other overheads.

If you are not eligible for an NHS sight test, please contact the practice or look at our website for details of our current fees and charges

4) Regular Publications and Information for the Public
A comprehensive set of information about optical and ocular conditions, NHS sight tests, eye examination procedures, glasses, and contact lenses can be found on www.turnersvision.com  and in the links from that site

Some of this information is also available in the form of patient leaflets.  These are available from the practice, or by downloading from our web site

5) Complaints
If you have a complaint about any of our products or services, we recommend that you first discuss any problems with our manager.  Our policy is always to try and resolve any problems positively and with as little disruption as possible.

If the matter cannot be resolved in this way, or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive, the we have a formal complaints procedure, copies of which are available on request from the practice

6) Our Policies and Procedures
We have formal policies regarding the following and these are available (in whole or part as required by legislation) on request from the practice

  • Complaints
  • Data Protection
  • Health and Safety

7) The 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 within the practice.  We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.  The Publication Scheme is available from our web site, in hard copy from the practice on request, or by e-mail as a Word file

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 periodically

  • Access to our web site – free of charge
  • Single sheet hard copies – free of charge
  • Multiple sheet hard copies or archived copies will attract a charge for retrieval, printing, photocopying, and postage.  We will inform you of these charges in advance on request
  • E-mail is normally free of charge
Data Protection Statement

This policy describes the data that we hold about patients, how we hold it, how we protect it, how we use and process it (including what patients need to be provided with) and how we transfer it (if necessary). There are certain legislative requirements for every organisation to hold information. Information about this is provided below.

The Practice complies with the eight data protection principles under the Data Protection Act 1998 in its processing of personal data in that such data is:

  • processed for limited purposes
  • fairly and lawfully processed
  • adequate, relevant and not excessive
  • accurate and up to date
  • not kept for longer than is necessary
  • processed in line with patients’ rights
  • secure
  • not transferred to other countries without adequate protection
  • The practice is registered with the Information Commissioner
    • Registration No Z497045X
  • The practice has an up to date Freedom of Information Act statement and this is available on the website

A practice policy notice on handling patient data is available to patients

The practice manager is responsible for procedures relating to confidentiality and data management.

What information we hold and how we hold it

Patient records are held in a  variety of formats:

  • Paper records for sight test and contact lens clinical records.
  • Paper records are used for  spectacle prescription and dispensing information
  • Clinical records are held electronically on computer
  • Spectacle prescription and dispensing information is held in the practice management software.
  • Recall dates are held in the practice management software.
  • Photographic information (retinal and anterior segment) is held in the imaging software.
  • Visual Field records may be held as paper, as data in the VF software or as images within the imaging software.

How we protect this information

  • All practice staff have a  confidentiality clause within their contracts.
  • All personal information contained  on practice records, whether paper or electronic, is considered  confidential.
  • No personal information is discussed with anyone other than the patient or their parent or guardian (except where Gillick competency applies) without the patient’s permission.
  • Care is taken that records are not seen by other people in the practice
  • All staff are aware of the importance of ensuring and maintaining the confidentiality of patients’  personal data and that such data must be processed and stored in a secure  manner.
  • All electronic data is protected by suitable back-up procedures and any on-line backup uses a service, which encrypts the data securely before transmitting it from the practice
  • When computers are replaced, old hard drives are securely erased or physically destroyed.
  • Records are retained for periods  as agreed by the optical bodies.
  • Confidential paper information requiring destruction is shredded.
  • Records due for destruction are shredded.
  • We have an IT security policy  regarding specific access to electronic information
  • If the need arises to transfer information we have procedures that include consent and secure transfer
  • Any suspected breaches of security or loss of information are reported immediately and are dealt with appropriately by the person responsibility for confidentiality and data management. 
  • Paper records are kept secure and away from access by the public.

How we use and process the information we hold

To discharge our legal and contractual duties:

  • Patients are given a copy of their spectacle prescription immediately following their sight test.
  • If a patient is referred, they are given a written statement that they are being referred or a copy of the referral letter, with a reason
  • Patients are given a copy of their  contact lens specification on completion of the fitting process.
  • Staff assisting in the provision of GOS are appropriately trained, and supervised for the tasks that they  undertake.

We may also use the information we hold about patients to remind them when they are due for checkups and we may send them eye care and eyewear information.

How we transfer personal data

We always transfer personal information (data) in a secure manner.

We seek permission before transferring personal information except in some cases where it is to another healthcare professional responsible for patient care and who needs that information to assist in patient care or where we are legally required not to.

See Policy & procedures on:

  • Patient consent to the provision of information
  • Handling requests for Rx and clinical information
  • Transferring Patient Identifiable Data

APPENDIX

The practice displays the following as a part of the information poster in the waiting room:

 

Information – we keep records of our information about you as a mixture of paper and/or computer records.  Everyone in the practice is aware of the confidential nature of these records and will only use or release this information in accordance with the law.  You will need to provide us with your consent if you wish us to pass your information to another optometrist.  If you are an NHS patient, the NHS may ask to see the portion of your record that relates to NHS services provided.  Such information will only be given to the NHS in strictest confidence.  You are entitled to a copy of your records, although there may be an administrative charge.  If you wish to see your records, please contact info@turnersvision.com and we will respond as quickly as possible and in any case are required to do so within 40 days.  If you require independent advice, contact the Information Commissioners Office at www.ico.gov.uk

We adhere to the guidelines of the College of Optometrists and the Data Protection Act and will not pass any of your personal information to a third party without your consent unless there is a clear public interest duty to do so.  You will need to provide us with your consent if you wish us to pass your information to another optometrist.

If you are an NHS patient, we are obliged to provide the portion of your record that relates to NHS services to authorised persons within the NHS (who are in turn subject to a duty of confidentiality) if they request this. This is usually to confirm that we have provided the NHS services that we have been paid for, and to improve quality of care. It is also possible that the NHS may contact you to ask if you have received services (such as a sight test or spectacles) as part of this monitoring.

Within the practice we may use the information to analyse trends, or to audit our performance. This enables us to monitor and improve the quality of care that we offer you. Wherever possible (i.e. if we do not need to know who an individual patient is) we will only analyse trends from anonymised information.

If you have any queries about this please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Useful resources
Data Protection Information
Information Commissioner
www.informationcommissioner.gov.ukLord Chancellors Department
https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/the-freedom-of-information-act
NHS Openness Code
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, acknowledge copyright status.  This permit does not extend to third part material, accessed through the scheme.  For HMSO Guidance notes, see www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm.
Competition Terms and Conditions

The promoter of our competitions is: Turners VisionCare whose registered office is at Aspen House, 67 Wembdon Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 7DR

  1. Competitions are open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of Turners and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
  1. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter the competition.
  2. By entering our competitions, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  1. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
  1. Closing date will be as specified on the competition. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
  2. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason

The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:

  1. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
  2. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
  3. The prize is as follows:
  4. The prize is as stated in each competition running and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
  5. Winners will be chosen by one of the following methods dependable on the competition running:
  • at random by software, from all entries received and verified by Promoter and or its agents
  • as a result of a popular vote conducted via social media sites as measured and recorded and verified by Promoter and or its agents
  • by an independent adjudicator or panel of judges appointed by the Promoter
  1. The winner will be notified by email and/or direct message on Twitter/Facebook and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
  2. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.
  3. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  5. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by [English] law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of [England].
  6. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current [UK] data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
  7. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by emailing info@turnersvision.com
  8. Entry into competitions will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
  9. Competitions & promotions are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Turners VisionCare and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.Turns VisionCare will judge all competitions and decide on the winner/s, which will be picked at random from all complete entries
  1. Turner’s decision as to those able to take part and selection of winners is final. No correspondence relating to the competition will be entered into.
  2. The entrant must be following Turners on Facebook in order to enter.
  3. Turners shall have the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to change or modify these terms and conditions, such change shall be effective immediately upon posting to this webpage.
  4. Turners reserves the right to cancel the competition if circumstances arise outside of its control.

Opening Hours

Mon-Tue, Thur-Fri 09:00-17:00

Wednesday 10:00-17:00

Saturday 09:00-16:00

Closed Bank Holidays and Public Holidays

Trustpilot