Practice Charter

Practice Charter

Our Responsibilities

• Waiting time-  We run an appointment system within the Practice and you will be given a time when you should see either the Nurse or Doctor.  You should not expect to wait more than 30 minutes without an explanation why.
• Home Visits-  We will visit you at home if you are too ill or infirm to be brought to the Surgery.
• Access to the doctors-   You should expect to be able to see a Doctor for an emergency the same day.
• Repeat Prescriptions-   To ensure effective access for emergency calls, this Practice does not accept requests for repeat prescriptions over the phone.  We will have requests for repeat prescriptions processed in 48 hours.
• Test Results-   If the Practice has arranged for you to have tests, you will be told the results at the next appointment or if a further appointment has not been arranged, you may ring for the results after 2.00 p.m.
• Information-   Full information about the services we offer is on this website or in our Practice booklet.  We will endeavour to explain / give you full information regarding your care and health.
• Patient Feedback-   Complaints should be directed to the Practice Manager, as suggested in the Practice booklet.  We want to be sure to continue to improve our services to you.  Any constructive suggestions are more than welcome.  Always remember, this is your surgery, so help us to improve the service we offer to you.
• We have a right to remove patients from our lists if they repeatedly and persistently ignore their responsibilities to us and other patients.

Your Responsibilities

• Appointments-   Please try to keep your appointments and be punctual.  If you cannot attend please tell us as soon as possible, your appointment can then be offered to someone else.
• Home Visits-   The less time a Doctor spends travelling, the more time is available for patients.   Please do not ask for a home visit unless it is strictly necessary.
• Out of Hours-   Please do not call out of hours except in real emergencies.  Wherever possible, it is best to wait for the next surgery.
• Repeat Prescriptions-   Please avoid phoning in with repeat prescription requests.  Write you name, address and medication on a slip of paper and hand in or post to the Surgery.  If you enclose a SAE we will return the completed prescription by post.  Please remember to check your cupboards before ordering repeat prescriptions.
• Test Results-   Results of tests take varying times to return to the Surgery- ask when having a test on how long the results are likely to take to return. Please phone 01403 339818 for results.  
• Patient Feedback-   Please read this website or our practice booklet.  This will ensure you are aware of services we offer.  If you do not understand about something PLEASE ASK.  Do not suffer in silence.  We are keen to bear your views both good and not so good.
• Prescriptions-   You should not expect to be given a prescription every time you visit the Doctor.
• Zero Tolerance-  Patients attending the practice, whether in person or by telephone should behave in a manner that respects the rights of others including practice staff and other patients.  Bad language, offensive remarks or threatening behaviour will be deemed unacceptable and the practice reserves the right to remove patients from the list if they are abusive or violent in any way.   Patients are requested to respect practice premises at all times.

• If you are seriously unhappy with us or the services we provide, you have the right to leave our lists and register with another practice.

  Violence Policy

  The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.