Practice
Charter Standards
These
are the local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients.
It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you,
you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people.
No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interest
of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given
to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.
Our
Responsibility To You
We
are committed to giving you the best possible service.
Names
People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know
how to contact them. The surgery should be well signposted and the doctors'
or nurses' names are indicated on their surgery rooms. As a patient you have the right to ask to see a specific practitioner. Where possible we will try to accommodate this request, allowing for sickness and holidays.
Waiting
Time We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given
a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not
wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation
for the delay.
Access You will have access to a doctor
rapidly in cases of emergency, 24 hours in cases of urgency, and otherwise within
two working days. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are
too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
Telephone
We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient
staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone.
Test Results If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered
by the practice, we will inform you of the results at your next appointment. If
no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to
obtain the results.
Respect Patients will be treated
as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic
origin or religious and cultural beliefs.
Information
We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will
be made to ensure that you receive the information which directly affects your
health and the care being offered.
Health
Promotion The practice will offer patients advice and information on
steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness; and self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments.
Health
Records You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations
in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.
Your
Responsibility To Us
Help
us to help you.
Please
let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
Please
do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you
cannot, otherwise other patients may have to wait longer.
We
need help too. Please ask for home visits by the doctor only when the person is
too ill to visit the surgery.
Please
keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for
non-urgent matters.
Test results take time to reach us, so please do
not ring before you have been asked to do so. Enquiries about tests ordered by
the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.
We
ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect.
Patients are reminded that any violence or abuse to doctors, staff or other
patients on the premises will not be tolerated and may result in removal from
the practice list.
Please read our practice booklet. Along with this website it will help you
to get the best out of the services we offer. It is important that you understand
the information given to you.
Please ask us questions if you are unsure
of anything.
Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the
health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please
act upon it.
Please ask if you wish to see your doctor.
COMMENTS
AND SUGGESTIONS
We
are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients. Please
present your views in writing at reception.
COMPLAINTS
PROCEDURE
We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when
you feel this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house
complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances. Our practice
procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation.
We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any
problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use
this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Health Service
Authority. Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to
patients and a patient's consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made
by the patient in person. If you wish to make a complaint, please telephone or
write to our practice manager. Full details will be taken and a decision made
on how best to undertake the investigation.
We believe it is important
to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will receive a response within 10 working
days. Occasionally it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout.
We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss
any action that may be needed.
CONFIDENTIALITY
We
ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and
treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under
the Data Protection Act. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality
is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the
effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is necessary that the medical
information about you is sometimes shared between members of the team.
ZERO TOLERANCE
We
strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery
who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients, be it verbally, physically or in
any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In
extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.
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