These are the 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.
There is currently very high demand and pressure upon primary care. We feel that we currently provide good levels of patient access to appointments, and this is supported by our recent National GP Patient Survey results, which were very positive compared to nationwide and local averages.
We are committed to continuing to provide the highest possible standard of care to our patients with the resources available to us, and our priority is to do this both safely and fairly. We are working hard on reviewing our current appointment-booking and triage systems.
Our responsibility to you:
- Names: People involved in your care will give you their name and ensure you know how to contact them.
- Waiting time: 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.
- Access: In the case of an urgent medical problem, you will be offered same-day access to a doctor, or if we are over capacity you will receive sign-posting to another appropriate source of urgent medical help. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
- Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there is sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone.
- Test Results: If you have undergone tests ordered by the practice, we will inform you about test results within 2 weeks of the practice receiving them. This will usually be by text message, but may also be by telephone, letter or in a booked appointment. Please inform us if you have a preference on how to receive these results, at the time the test is ordered.
- Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.
- Information: We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive that information which directly affects your health and the care being offered by leaflets, posters and our notice board.
- Health Promotion: The practice will offer patients advice and information on: steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness; self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments.
- Health Records: You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.
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 by the doctors only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.
- Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the 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 practice staff with courtesy and respect.
- Please read our practice leaflet and browse this website. This will help you to get the best out of the service we offer.
- It is important to understand the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.