Freedom
of Information Act
Publication
Scheme
This Publication scheme is
a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by
Chase Eyecare. It is a description of the information about
our NHS services that we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its
effectiveness.
The publications are free
unless otherwise indicated. Where
information is provided at cost, the charges will be calculated as set out in
Class 7.
The information within each
Class is available in hard copy from:
Chase
Eyecare
75
High Green
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11
1BN
·
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 opticians 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 your local
practice to do this.
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:
Chase Eyecare
75 High Green
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11 1BN
1)
Who we are
·Practice background
·List of Practices including contact phone
numbers
·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 Tel: 0207 580 3898.
·Company Registration number
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 ask
for details in any of our practices.
Appointments for eye tests
can be booked over the phone, or by dropping into one of our practices. To
find the address or phone number of your local practice, please look in the
Phone Book. The addresses and phone
numbers of our practices is/are:
75
High Green 25
market Street
Cannock Hednesford
Staffs Staffs
WS11
1BN WS12
5AY
Tel:
01543 570313 Tel:
01543 422198
Opening times can vary between locations, so please call to
confirm.
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 www.ChaseEyecare.co.uk
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:
Chase Eyecare
75 High Green
Cannock
5) Complaints
If you have a complaint
about any of our products or services, we recommended that you first discuss
any problems with the manager at the practice
concerned.
If the matter cannot be
resolved in this way or you are unsatisfied with the response you receive
please contact us on 01543
570313. A full copy of our complaints
policy is available on request.
6) Our policies and procedures
· Complaints
· Data protection
· Health and safety
They
are available on request from 01543 570313
7) 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 enquires
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.
·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.
·E-mail will be free of charge.
Websites:
· Information Commissioner
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
· Lord Chancellors Department
· NHS Freedom of Information
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.