Introduction

This policy outlines the practice’s call recording process. The purpose of call recording is to provide a record of incoming and outgoing calls which can:
• Identify and support practice staff training needs
• Protect practice staff from nuisance or abusive calls
• Establish facts relating to incoming/outgoing calls made (e.g. complaints)
• Identify any issues in practice processes with a view to improving them

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that call recording is managed in line with DPA & Data Retention requirements. This will generally involve the recording of telephone conversations which is subject to the Telecommunications Act 1984.

The practice will make every reasonable effort to advise callers that their call may be recorded and for what purpose the recording may be used. This will normally be via a pre-recorded message within the telephone system. The voice file may be stored within the clinical system or within the telephone system to which the same rules of confidentiality will apply.

Where a patient requests to listen to a recording then this should be allowed within the general provisional of data subject access under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Scope

This policy applies to all practice staff including any contracted or temporary workers.
All calls via the telephone systems used in the practice will be recorded, including:
• All external incoming calls
• All external outgoing calls made by practice staff
• All internal incoming and outgoing calls made by the practice staff
• Call transfers

Callers must be advised that the call will be recorded for quality/training purposes - this can be in the form of an automated voice message or similar.

Recording will automatically stop when the practice staff member terminates the call. If the patient states they do not wish the call to be recorded, then a face-to-face appointment must be offered instead as all telephone calls are recorded within the system.

Playback / Monitoring of Recorded Calls

Monitoring of the call recordings will be undertaken by the Caldicott Guardian and Practice Manager. Any playback of recordings will take place in a private setting and where applicable, individuals should be given the opportunity to listen to the relevant recordings to receive feedback and developmental support.

All recordings and call recording equipment will be stored securely, and access to these should be controlled and managed by the Caldicott Guardian and the Practice Manager.

Access to the recordings will be by:
Log in to dedicated website, access is controlled by password and only Partners and the Practice Manager have access.

Confidentiality

The Data Protection Act allows access to information that is held about them and their personal data. This includes recorded telephone calls. Recordings should be stored in such a way that will enable easy access to the information relating to one or more individuals.

Requests for copies of telephone conversations can be made under the Data Protection Act as a “Subject Access Request”. This must be done in writing and after assessing whether the information can be released, the requestor can be invited to the practice premises to hear the recording.

If there is a request from an external body relating to the detection or prevention of a crime (e.g. police), then requests for information should be directed to the Practice Manager to carry out the request for the recording

Telephone calls to the Practice are recorded for the following purposes;

• To ensure practice staff act in compliance with procedures
• To ensure quality control
• Training, monitoring and service improvement
• Prevention of crime, misuse and the protection of staff.

All telephone calls to the Practice are recorded. This is to help us ensure that we provide the best possible services to our patients and helps us to deliver care and identify ways that we can provide a quality service.
Call recordings are kept secure and the data is retained for 12 months and then automatically deleted.

Revised June 2024
Next Review due June 2025