Practice Charter

Help us to help you

• 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 genuinely housebound.

• 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 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.

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 should be well signposted and the doctors' or nurses' names are indicated on their surgery rooms.

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.

Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there is sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone, if necessary, at a mutually convenient time.

Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of abnormal results as soon as they are available.

Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.

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.

Confidentiality

The practice makes every effort to protect confidentiality.
We realise that the main reception desks can be a little public so if you wish to discuss something of a confidential nature please mention it to the receptionist and she will arrange for you to be able to do so in private.

In common with most modern practices, we use a computer system to record information and speed up administrative tasks. All information held is governed by the strict laws of the Data Protection Act under which we are registered.

Comments & Complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in the practice, please let us know.

We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our system meets national criteria.

Our practice manager will be happy to give you further information. Our practice complaint leaflet gives details of the procedure and is available from reception.

Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service. We will try to deal swiftly with any problems that may occur and welcome your suggestions as to how we can improve our services.