Practice Charter

The aim of this practice is to meet the health needs of the people it serves.

We are committed to giving you good service and we feel that this will be achieved by working together.

Please help us to help you.

Standards

Patients will be treated confidentially and with courtesy by all members of the practice.

Patients will be kept informed of:

• their illness and its treatment
• any preventative measures to take against recurrence
• any proposed investigations
• any referral to a consultant (acceptable to you).

Access

• Patients will be given a courteous welcome by our receptionists who will help you to make
  the best use of our facilities.
• We aim to see urgent cases the same day and non-urgent cases in routine appointments within 48 hours. We will attempt to enable you to see the doctor of your choice but this may mean waiting longer for an appointment.
• Any requests to be seen immediately will be referred to the doctor on duty.
• Home visits requested before 10.30am – and which the doctor deems appropriate – will be made the same day.
• Requests for home visits made after 10.30am will be referred to the doctor on duty and if not urgent may NOT be visited the same day.
• We aim to see patients within 30 minutes of their appointment time. If we are running late please be patient – on another occasion it may be you who needs the extra time.
• The practice nurses are available by appointment and provide advice and support on a variety of topics.
• Repeat prescriptions will be made available within 36 hours UNLESS the doctor responsible advises that the patient needs to be seen first.
• Patients are entitled to have access to their medical records subject to legal limitations.

Help Us To Help You

The practice asks You to help us by:

• arriving on time for your appointment.
• informing the practice as soon as possible if you cannot make your appointment or if it is no longer necessary.
• booking appropriately if more than one person needs to be seen – individual appointments are for one person only.
• letting us know if you change your address or telephone number.
• asking for home or night visits only if really necessary.
• treating our reception staff with courtesy. They have a difficult job to do.
• bringing a chaperone with you if you think that you may need one.