PRACTICE CHARTER
We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This can
only be achieved by working together, which means we have mutual responsibilities; in other words,
please HELP US TO HELP YOU.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU
- You will be treated as an individual, with courtesy and respect.
- You will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably
qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent.
- By written application you have the right of access to your health
records. These records will be kept confidential, subject to any limitations in the law. (The Health Authority can
advise you on your rights in these matters.)
- We will give you full information about services available at the surgery.
- The reception area will display a notice board with information about the staff who work at the surgery and
provide your health care.
- The waiting area is provided for your comfort and to provide some information of general interest.
- We will process requests for prescriptions within 48 hours.
- We will try to answer the phone promptly and ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this.
- If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, you will be advised of how to obtain the
results.
- Our appointment system is there to help you. We will try to ensure that you are seen on time, but some
consultations take longer than others. When there is a prolonged delay, an explanation will be given by the
receptionist.
- We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those patients who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the
surgery.
- Outside surgery hours, cover for emergencies at all times is provided by the Westcall doctor service.
- The doctors do some non-NHS work in the form of medical examinations, reports and certificates. This work has
to be done outside routine surgery hours at times to suit the doctor involved.
- In exceptional circumstances we sometimes have to remove patients from our practice list. If a patient is
removed they will be advised in writing by the practice, who will also notify Thames Valley Primary
Care Agency.
- The practice has a complaints procedure, details of which we will provide on request. Any comments,
suggestions or complaints you have about the services we provide should be made to the practice manager.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO US
We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy
and respect.
We would expect you to ASK the doctor if you do not understand what
they have said. Please try to follow the medical advice offered and take any medication as instructed, but contact
the surgery if your medication is causing problems.
We expect you to pay a reasonable fee if you wish to have a copy of
information from your records.
Please read and keep our practice booklet, which will help you to get
the best out of our services.
You can also help us with information. Please let us know as soon as
possible if you change your name, address or phone number to avoid any confusion.
Do control your children in the waiting room out of consideration for
other users who are likely to be feeling ill - they deserve this courtesy.
Do keep the waiting room tidy.
Do look at the posters, which are there to help you.
Prescription requests will be dealt with within 48 hours. Please allow seven days for the return of scripts by post. Please remember we do not accept prescription request by phone.
Try to keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak
morning time for non-urgent matters.
Enquiries about test results should be made after 10.00am Monday to
Friday.
Please be on time for your appointment. If you are delayed or have to
cancel, please let us know in advance so that another patient can benefit. If we are running late please be patient, the
doctor has given extra time to someone who needed it.
Please cancel an appointment you no longer need or are unable to attend.
ONE APPOINTMENT IS FOR ONE PERSON ONLY!
Make two appointments (or more) if more than one family member needs
to be seen.
The doctors can see five or six people in the surgery in the time it
takes to visit one person at home. In order to help us, we expect you to make EVERY EFFORT to
come to the surgery. Home visits are made for reasons of serious illness, not for social convenience. If you do
need a home visit, please let us know BEFORE 10.00am, unless a genuine emergency arises
later.
Please restrict out-of-hours calls to genuinely urgent matters,
particularly at night. Please think before ringing and be prepared to accept ADVICE if the doctor thinks this is
appropriate.
Private medicals, reports and certificates are charged at the rates
recommended by the BMA. Please allow us plenty of time to complete this work, which cannot be given preference
over our NHS commitments.
If you are dissatisfied with us or the services we provide you have
the right, at any time, to leave our practice list and register with another doctor's surgery.
If you have a complaint about
the practice please enquire about the complaints procedure.
Comments or suggestions regarding the surgery are welcome.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The practice complies with the Data Protection Act and treats
all data in total confidence. All information held at the practice is confidential, whether held electronically or
in hard copy.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
The practice complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and its
publication scheme is available for inspection in reception.
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
This practice supports the Government's NHS zero tolerance campaign. Violence and abuse is growing concern. GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. Violent patients will be reported to the police and struck off the GPs' list. |
