Patient Safety, Privacy & Support at The Independent Nurse

At The Independent Nurse, we are committed to ensuring your safety, dignity, and confidentiality at every stage of your care. To support this, we follow clear policies on the use of chaperones, safeguarding, and the protection of personal data. A full copy of any policy is available to all patients on request.

• Patients may request a trained chaperone for any appointment.
• In some circumstances, your nurse may decide that a chaperone is clinically required. If one is not available, your appointment may need to be rescheduled.
• Chaperones are there to provide reassurance, ensure professional standards are upheld, and safeguard both patient and clinician.

• We have a duty of care to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• Any concerns about abuse, neglect, or exploitation will be acted upon promptly and in line with local safeguarding team protocols.
• Where necessary, concerns may be escalated to external agencies (such as local safeguarding teams or the police).
• If you need support in raising a safeguarding concern, our team will provide reasonable adjustments to help you do so.

• We handle your personal and medical information lawfully and securely, in line with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• We only collect information needed to provide safe, effective care and will never share it unnecessarily.
• Your data may be shared with laboratories, prescribers, or other clinicians involved in your care, but only under strict confidentiality rules.
• You have the right to:

                                      • access your records
                                      • request corrections
                                      • request limited use or erasure (where lawful)
                                      • complain if you believe your rights are not upheld.

Complaints about data handling can be escalated to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

• Concerns raised with us will be acknowledged within 3 working days and we aim to provide a full response within 28 days.
• If you are not satisfied, you may escalate:

                                      • Clinical or care concerns → Care Quality Commission (CQC)
                                      • Safeguarding concerns → Local Safeguarding Team
                                      • Data protection issues → ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office)

• Patients with communication difficulties or disabilities can request additional support in making a complaint or raising a concern.

These policies ensure that:

• Patients feel safe, respected, and supported during their care.
• Safeguarding duties are met to protect vulnerable individuals.
• Data is protected with the highest standards of confidentiality.
• Clear routes exist for raising and escalating concerns when needed.