Practice Charter

The Partners and Staff at this Practice aim to work together in offering all our patients a high standard of health care delivered in a professional and caring manner.

We aim to achieve the following objectives

• You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times.
• You have the right to be treated with absolute confidentiality.
• All staff will either wear name badges or be happy to give you their name.
• We operate appointment systems and you will be offered an appointment with the Doctor of your choice as soon as possible.
• If you feel that your condition is urgent you will be triaged by an appropriate health care professional by telephone and, if they deem it appropriate you will be offered an appointment either on the same day in advance. They may however treat you over the telephone. If your visit is for a regular check up, please try to book an appointment as far in advance as is practical.
• Emergency cases will be fitted in to a surgery that day. For recent onset, minor illness, not already under the care of a Doctor, you will be offered the opportunity to consult our Nurse Practitioner who is trained and highly experienced in examination, diagnosis and treatment - including prescribing of drugs.
• All the Doctors may be contacted by telephone during the week. Members of the reception staff will advise you as to the best time to telephone.
• If your Doctor has ordered tests for you, he/she will tell you how to obtain the results. If in doubt, please telephone the surgery 2 days after the test to see if the result is available. A few special tests will take longer than this.
• For reasons of confidentiality, telephone results will only be released to the person to whom they apply unless prior arrangements have been made.
• After surgery hours, an emergency service is in operation. You should telephone the surgery to be put in touch with the Out of Hours service who will be able to give you advice, see you in the emergency care centre or make an emergency home visit.
• Home visits are available for patients who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
• We retain the right to remove patients from our list if they repeatedly and persistently ignore their responsibilities to us and to our other patients.
• We welcome constructive suggestions as to how we can improve our service to you. In the event that you wish to make a suggestion or complaint, we would ask that you speak to the Practice Manager.
• You have the right to see your health records subject to any limitations of the law.
• The Practice will inform patients of services available by means of its leaflet, News Letters and notice boards.

The Practice will offer advice and information on:

• Steps to promote good health and avoid illness.
• Self help that can be undertaken without reference to a Doctor in case of minor ailments. We feel that to implement the above objectives it is important that patients also realise that they too have certain responsibilities.

We would ask you:

• To please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
• Please only request a home visit when you really cannot attend the surgery.
• To treat the Doctors and Practice Staff with the same courtesy and respect you would wish shown to you.
• Please remember that a Doctor is on call at night and at weekends for URGENT cases only.