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PRACTICE CHARTER
Our Responsibilities To You
• We will provide and maintain premises that are clean, comfortable,
safe and easily accessible to all our patients including those with mobility disabilities
and special needs.
• You will be treated as an individual and be
given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious
belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems.
•
You have the right to confidentiality at all times. If you wish to speak to any
member of the medical centre team privately please ask at reception.
•
We offer same-day consultations, not only to children but to all of our patients,
by appointment. Patients wishing to see a particular doctor, however, will be
given the next available appointment which may take several days.
• Clinics and surgeries will normally start on time
and we aim to see you within 15 minutes of your
appointment time. Delay is
sometimes unavoidable, particularly in the case of emergencies, but when this
happens we will try to keep you informed.
• If, for reasons of ill
health, you are unable to reach the surgery the doctor will visit you at home.
Please phone before 10.30am where possible to enable us to organise our rounds.
• In an emergency there is always a doctor on call each weekday night,
over the weekend and bank holidays. The emergency telephone number is 0845 600
1013.
• Doctors may also
be contacted by telephone after morning surgery at around 11.00am daily.
•
If the doctor has arranged for you to have tests or x-rays we will advise you
when and how to obtain the results. If further action is required before your
next appointment we will get in touch with you.
• If you are dissatisfied
in any way, please contact our practice manager who will be happy to talk over
any complaint or suggestion you may have.
• You have a right to
information about your own health. We will offer medical advice and information
for promotion of good health. You have the right to see your own medical records
subject to the limitations of the law. A charge may be made.
• The
practice will offer routine health checks to those patients over 75 who request
them (and have not been seen in the previous 12 months) or those patients that
the practice otherwise identifies as being appropriate.
Your Responsibilities
To Us
• Please let us know if you change your name, address
or telephone number.
• We ask that you treat the doctors and practice
staff with courtesy and respect and to make responsible use of our service to
you by showing consideration to other patients.
• Please only request
home visits when you really cannot get to the surgery and remember that night
visits are for emergencies only.
• Please do everything you can
to keep appointments or let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend.
• If we are running late, please be patient. On another occasion
it may be you that needs the extra time and attention.
• Please
remember that you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children
and that we are here to give our professional help and advice.
“It
is our aim to provide a professional and caring medical service of the highest
quality and to work together to meet the needs of our patients and community.”
COMPLAINTS/COMMENTS
We would welcome constructive criticism
or comments on the services that we provide. If you tell us where problems have
arisen it gives us a chance to try and put things right. We try to provide the
best possible service, but sometimes things do go wrong. If you think that has
happened in your case then please speak to our Practice Manager, Mrs Sheila Leete.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Personal information is requested so
that we can give you appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded
both on the computer, for which we are registered under the Data Protection Act
1998, and in your written medical record. We 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. Prescriptions
and some of the consultation records are run purely on the computer which enables
us to analyse various aspects of healthcare and to produce an annual practice
report.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
ACT
The Freedom of Information Act 2000
obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. This is a guide to the 'classes'
of information the practice intends to routinely make available and it is available
on request.
STAFF PROTECTION
A zero tolerance policy towards violent, threatening and abusive behaviour is now in place throughout the National Health Service.
The staff in this practice have the right to do their work in an environment free from such behaviour and everything will be done to protect that right.
At no time will any violent, threatening or abusive behaviour be tolerated in this practice. If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our medical list. In the interest of security, phone calls may be recorded.
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