IMAGES USED FOR REMOTE CONSULTATION
Patients may, at times, be asked to consider sending a photographic image to the practice, via email, in order to assist the clinician dealing with their medical condition. Examples of such photographs may be a rash on an arm or a deteriorating leg ulcer.
It is important that patients are aware of the processes involved regarding the sending of an image to the practice.
If you are requested to send an image, you must consent to doing so and our reception team will seek that consent from you. You do not have to provide your consent if you do not feel comfortable sending an image into the practice.
If you do consent, our admin team will ask you to send your photo to our generic NHS email address which is encrypted. Once the image is received by the admin team, the image will be uploaded to your medical records and deleted permanently from the email inbox at that time. The clinician handling your condition will be informed that the image has been received.
Please be assured that any image received by the practice is handled in line with GDPR and our practice policy on confidentiality. Our generic email can only be accessed by authorised staff and your medical records can only be viewed by authorised staff when there is a reasonable reason to do so.
Please note, the practice will not request or accept any images from any person aged under 18 years of age that can be interpreted as intimate in nature (even if consent is offered by a parent or guardian). An example of where an image will not be accepted is that of nappy rash or groin rash. Non-intimate images for this age group will continue to be accepted once consent has been provided by a parent or guardian. An example being a rash on a child’s arm.
Patients aged 18 years and over may send an image into the practice if requested to do so. This includes images that may be interpreted as intimate in nature. Again, our admin team will seek your consent for an image to be sent to the practice. If you do not wish to send an image into the practice, you do not need to do so.
Any images received by the practice will remain in your medical records and will only be used to assist the clinician with diagnosis and treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The below email address must not be used for any other form of communication with the practice other than if you have been requested to send a photograph into the practice.