Patient Charter

These are our local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. We try very hard to give you the best help and advice. Following discussion with you, you will be offered 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 and please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Our Responsibilities 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 is well signposted and the doctors’ or nurses’ names are indicated on their surgery rooms: Staff

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 case of emergency; within half a working day 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: Book an appointment

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. If a doctor is unable to take your call at the time we will ring you back at the first opportunity.

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 we need to discuss the result of a test with you we will contact you directly. Our receptionists will be able to tell you whether a result is normal or not, but they will not be able to discuss with you the implications of any tests: Obtain test 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 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. We will not release any confidential information without your consent unless it is in the best interests of your medical treatment (eg discussing your case with a hospital doctor).

Health Promotion: The practice will offer patients advice and information on:

• Steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness.
• 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. Please contact reception for further information about how to access your medical record.

Your Responsibilities To Us

Help Us To Help You

• Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number: Update my records
• Please do everything you can to keep appointments.Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot so other pateints are able to book this appointment: Book an appointment
• Please ask for home visits by the doctor only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery: Obtain Home Visit
• 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: Obtain test results
• Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital or hospital follow-up appointments 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 leaflet. 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:

Data Protection
Practice staff have access to all the records held by the practice. Non-practice medical staff have access to records on a purely need-to-know basis where that information is important for the delivery of health care to that particular patient. The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act. Information is released to third parties (eg the Clinical Commissioning Group) but not in a form where individual patients can be identified.

Freedom Of Information
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.

Complaints Procedure
Please click here for more information regarding our complaints and feedback procedure: Feedback

Zero Tolerance
If a patient becomes violent or abusive they will be asked to leave the premises. If they do not leave immediately the police will be called. They will be automatically and immediately removed from the registered practice list.