Practice Charter

OUR SERVICES TO YOU THE PATIENT

We are committed to provide all our patients with the highest quality of care in a safe and friendly environment by a well trained and motivated health care team . This is best achieved by working together.

What we will do for you.

1. You have the right to complete confidentiality (please read the confidentiality section of this page).
2. You will be afforded courtesy and respect at all times.
3. You are entitled to emergency care when you need it and will be seen within 24 hours.
4. Every effort will be made for you to be seen at the time of your appointment. (Emergencies sometimes inevitably delay the doctor and nurse, so try to be patient.)
5. Requests for home visits should be made before 12 noon to ensure that one of the doctors will visit on the day of request. Home visits are for patients who are too frail/ill to attend the surgery and are made at the discretion of the doctor.
6. Under normal circumstances we will give you an appointment with a doctor within two working days.
7. We will deal with your request for a repeat prescription within 2 working days. Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made online, on the slips provided, or must be put in writing (including faxed requests). We do not accept requests by telephone.
8. Any complaint you make will be acknowledged within three working days and we aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A PATIENT USING OUR SERVICES

1. Please avoid asking for an appointment for colds, coughs or tummy bugs. A pharmacist can advise on simple matters.
2. If you cannot keep an appointment, please cancel it. There is always someone else to take up that appointment.
3. Do not telephone the surgery after hours for routine matters which can wait until the morning.
4. Keep any appointment made for you at the hospital. If you find you no longer need the appointment telephone the hospital so that it can be allocated to someone else.
   If you cannot contact the hospital please let the surgery know.
5. Take responsibility for your own health. Take medication properly, keep follow-up appointments and attend for screening regularly.
6. Notify any change of name and/or address immediately to avoid unnecessary mistakes later.
7. Always remember to use the computerised tear-off portion when ordering a repeat prescription. Tick the items you require and do not add items that you have not been prescribed before. Always bring the tear-off portion of your computerised prescription when you attend for an appointment with your doctor.
8. Please behave with civility to the doctors and staff and do not act in a disruptive manner in the waiting room.

KEEPING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE

Children can experience serious harm and child abuse can happen at home, at school - in fact anywhere. Usually the harm is caused by someone the child knows and rarely by a stranger.

What should you do if you are worried?

If you are worried about a child please ask to speak to Dr Mead who is the safeguarding lead for our practice, where your concerns will be addressed.

CHILDREN UNDER 16

Children under the age of 16 can consent to medical treatment if they have sufficient maturity and judgement to enable them fully to understand what is proposed. This was clarified in England and Wales by the House of Lords in the case of Gillick vs West Norfolk and Wisbech ANA & DHSS in 1985. We will see children unchaperoned and treat their consultation in the utmost confidence if the clinicians feel they are mature enough to understand what is proposed.

CHAPERONES

Chaperones are not routinely provided to patients during an examination by a doctor. Some patients may prefer to have a chaperone with them; the doctor will fully understand the patient's concerns and will be happy to arrange for an appropriate member of staff to be present during the examination at the patient's request - please do not be afraid to ask.

Provision of a chaperone may not always be practical without prior notice. In this case it may be necessary for another appointment to be made.

VIOLENT OR ABUSIVE PATIENTS

Any patient who is abusive to, makes racist comments to or who uses or threatens violence to:

• any doctor or
• any member of the healthcare team or
• any other member of staff or
• any other person present

either on the surgery premises or any other place where treatment is being provided, will be reported to the police and the patient will be removed immediately from the practice list.