Practice Charter

Your Doctor's Responsibilities

To treat you with respect and courtesy at all times.
To treat you as an individual, and to discuss with you the care and treatment we can provide.
To give you full information on the services we offer.
To give you the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff.
To provide you with emergency care when you need it.
To refer you to a consultant acceptable to you when necessary.
To give you access to your health records, subject to any limitations in the law.

Your Doctor's Responsibilities

To treat all staff with respect and courtesy at all times.
To tell us if you are unsure about the treatment we are offering you.
To ask for a home visit only when the patient is unable to attend the medical centre through illness or infirmity.
To request such a visit if at all possible before 10.00am.
To ask for an out-of-hours visit only when necessary.
To keep your appointments, and to make a separate appointment for each member of the family wishing to see the doctor.
Not to expect a prescription following every consultation with a doctor. There may be other options for treatment.
To take medicines according to the instructions and to only ask for a repeat prescription if you need one.
To let us know when you change your address or telephone number. You will be required to register with another practice if you move outside the practice area.

Confidentiality

We ask you for 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.

Occasionally we may be required to pass on information to third parties as legislation dictates, eg in the event of a sudden death. All other information/data will only be disclosed with the written consent of the patient.

Comments & Suggestions

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

Complaints

Inevitably, we cannot satisfy every request we get, and that can be upsetting for some patients. We are all human, and there may be occasions when something goes wrong, more often by acts of omission than commission. If you have a problem with the practice, please follow our in-house complaints procedure in order to register your complaint, comment or suggestion.

The practice manager is happy to address any issues you may have. If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, we ask that you put your complaint in writing for us to deal with in accordance with our complaints procedure.