Practice Charter Standards

SUGGESTIONS/COMPLAINTS

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly and as amicably as possible. The practice has an agreed procedure for handling patients' complaints which complies with the NHS complaints procedure. Simply contact the practice manager, Julia Bailey, and she will set all the necessary wheels in motion. Further written information on the complaints procedure is available from reception.

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 POLICY

The practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, physical contact and/or aggressive gestures.

The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.

All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.

CONFIDENTIALITY

We ask you for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment.

We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again.

We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently, plans for the future, trains its staff, pays its bills and can account for its actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow’s clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth.

The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information. You have a right of access to your health records.

EVERYONE WORKING FOR THE NHS HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CONFIDENTIAL.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you.

We only use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.

There will be some circumstances where we will not need consent, for example, where doing so would:

• place a child at increased risk of significant harm; or

• place an adult at increased risk of serious harm; or

• prejudice the prevention, detection or prosecution of a serious crime; or

• lead to unjustified delay in making enquiries about allegations of significant harm or serious harm.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Electronic data kept on computer complies with the Data Protection Act.

ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS

If you require any information regarding your medical record, please ask the receptionist who will be happy to provide you with an Access to Health Records leaflet.

PATIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You will be treated with respect and as a partner in your care. Being a partner means you have responsibilities too.

The practice staff will respect your privacy and dignity. They will be sensitive to, and respect, your religious and cultural needs at all times.

You will be treated fairly by the practice staff according to your healthcare needs, regardless of age, sex, disability or sexuality.

It should be possible to see a GP in 48 hours and a health care professional in 24 hours.

We would remind patients of the need to keep appointments or to cancel in plenty of time.

Due to the nature of General Practice, our GP and nurse surgeries do not always run to time.

When this happens we would ask that:

• If you have been waiting for more than 30 minutes please advise our reception staff and we will do our very best to find an alternative.

• If you have arrived more than 10 minutes late, rebook the appointment to another day.

Although we understand that patients may be upset we would ask that they be courteous to all members of the practice team.