Practice Charter

These are local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive 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. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Help Us To Help You

Your responsibility to us:

•	Help us to help you
•	Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
•	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 a home visit only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.
•	Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during 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 the practice staff with courtesy and respect.
•	Please read our practice booklet. This will help you to get the best out of the services we offer. It is important 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.
•	Please ask if you wish to see your doctor.

Our Responsibility to you:

•	We are committed to giving you the best possible care.
•	People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them.
•	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.
•	We will try and answer the telephone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by phone.
•	If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of the results at your next appointment. If no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to obtain the results.
•	Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their health care, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.
•	We will give you 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.
•	The practice will offer patients advice and information on health promotion: i) steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness. ii) Self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments.
•	You have a right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Confidentiality

We ask for your personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice 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.

Comments & Suggestions

We are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients. Please present your views in writing at reception or use our reception box.

Complaints
Our practice has an in-house complaints procedure set out within guidelines from the Primary Care Trust. Hopefully you will not need to use this, but if you do, all initial complaints should be directed to the practice manager.

Zero Tolerance

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner what-so-ever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.

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 routinely make available.