Medical service providers choose Shred-it
137% rise in use of information compliance services through LMC Buying Group in just six years
The LMC Buying Group works with GP practices, dental surgeries, out of hours groups and other providers of medical services in the United Kingdom to negotiate group purchasing discounts. It’s a key service for more than 6,500 practice members and helps them to manage the cost of medical consumables, insurance, telecoms, staff uniforms, stationery and more. Since 2010, LMC Buying Group has partnered with Shred-it to offer its members information protection solutions that ensure confidential paperwork, such as medical records, are securely destroyed when no longer needed. In just six years, the use of Shred-it services through LMC Buying Group has increased by 137%.
Protecting sensitive records
“When we first approached Shred-it, we were aware that medical practices had a real need for a service of this nature. Traditionally, most practices destroyed their confidential information in the same way a household would, with a shredder and a recycling bin. However, there’s been a push at a national level to secure these processes.
“We started with about 70 practices, which has grown to 1,797 today, and more members are signing up all the time. There are two key services that practice managers use: ad hoc purges when they need to clear out an archive of papers that they no longer need to hold, and the monthly subscription service which means they recieve secure containers that are regularly collected and shredded. We even use Shred-it ourselves.”
A culture change for medical practices
“There is always a need for medical practitioners to deal with confidential information responsibly, but it’s not always top of people's minds and mistakes happen. Practice managers have told us that, in the past, they have pulled sensitive papers out of GPs’ bins.
“What we say is ‘would you be happy for those papers to be left in a city centre for anyone to pick up and take away?’ That usually gets across that they need better processes in place so that doesn't happen.”
Staying compliant
“The implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has forced a lot of medical businesses into action, and there was an upsurge in the number of requests for purge shreds in order to clear out data that managers didn't need to keep. There are so many other regulations that medical practices must comply with too; utilising Shred-it’s secure information security services offers them peace of mind.”
Saving time, saving resources
“There aren’t many employees who enjoy the actual process of shredding. Practices that moved from shredding themselves to a paid-for service see the big picture. It is a cost, but it’s a manageable one. And doing it yourself is not as secure. It also means a staff member has to stand in front of a shredding machine which takes time, and this has a cost too.
“We did our own shredding - now we just put things in a box and don't have to think about it. It's been very positive feedback from our members. It makes at least one thing in their work life that bit easier.”
Doctors feel supported by Shred-it people
“We've been working with Shred-it for eight years now, and the people we've liaised with have always been incredibly helpful. They’ve always been willing to go the extra mile or assist us with a specific problem. When you're dealing with GP practices, that's very important. It's often how a company deals with them that is the deciding factor in whether they stay a customer or go to a competitor.”
Shred-it helps GP practices dispose of sensitive information securely
Medical practices handle important and confidential information about their patients, which must be stored securely and disposed of with the utmost care and precaution. Working with LMC Buying Group, Shred-it provides document disposal services to nearly 2,000 GP practices, dental surgeries and out-of-hours organisations nationwide.
The relationship began in 2010 and through the work of LMC Buying Group, use of Shred-it services has increased 137% in just six years. LMC Buying Group’s Head of Operations, Helen Shuker, explains why the service is so convenient that LMC Buying Group even use it themselves. The benefits include:
• A cost-effective way of meeting compliance obligations
• Protecting sensitive patient data from prying eyes
• A seamless service that doesn’t disrupt operations
• Frees up staff members’ time who previously destroyed documents themselves
