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
indicated on their surgery doors.
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
20 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay.
Access: You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency; four hours in cases
of urgency; and otherwise within three 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 or nurse by telephone before or at the end of consultation hours or at other times by special arrangement. Please speak to reception and ask them to arrange this for you.
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 belief.
Information: We
will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will
be made to ensure that you receive that information which directly affects your
health and the care being offered.
Health Promotion: The
practice will offer patients advice and information on steps that they can take
to promote good health and avoid illness, also 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.
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.
Please read our practice booklet. This will help you get the
best out of the service 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.
Freedom
Of Information - Publication Scheme
The Freedom of
Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication
Scheme is a guide to the 'classes' of information the practice intends
to routinely make available.
This scheme is available from reception.
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.
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 sometimes necessary that medical
information about you is shared between members of the team.
Comments
And Suggestions
We
are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients.
Please
present your views in writing at reception or use our post box.
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 Services
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 be offered an appointment for a meeting
to discuss the details within seven days. Occasionally it may take longer, but
we will keep you informed throughout. You may bring a friend or relative with
you to the meeting. We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an
explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.
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