Practice

Our Responsiblities to You

We aim to give you the best possible service. We will work in partnership with you.  We will treat you as an individual and with courtesy and respect at all times.

We will agree with you on the most appropriate care.

Help us to help you - Your responsibilities to us

• We aim to treat you with courtesy and respect at all times. In return we ask that you consider the feelings of your doctors and their staff.
• We aim to ensure that you receive appropriate medical care and are kept informed about your condition. In return we ask that you share any informaiton that we may need and co-operate with the advice that you are given.
• We run an appointments system. Please help us by being punctual and giving sufficient notice if you have to cancel your appointment. If you are unable to get through on the normal telephone line, then when the surgery is closed, an option on the telephone system enables you to leave your details on an answer phone in respect of cancelling your appointment. The message is then collected in the morning by reception and the appointment is then available for another patient.
• Seeing two family members during one appointment may not be possible in the time allocated. Occasionally we may run late. It may be better if more than one member of the family needs to be seen, then two appointments are made.
  
• Please notify us of any changes in your name, address or telephone number.

Confidentiality

The Practice Team is legally bound under the Access to Medical Records Act 1990 and The Data Protection Act 1998. All practice staff are trained to respect patient confidentiality. Information about your healthcare and circumstances is kept by us both on a paper record and on computer. No-one from outside the surgery can access your records and we are extremely careful with the information that we hold.

You are entitled to access your medical records in accordance with relevant legislation and will be asked to give signed consent to disclose information to third parties except when it is necessary to make a medical referral or if required by statute.

Zero Tolerance

This practice supports the Government's Zero Tolerance Campaign. Abusive or threatening behaviour towards any member of the Practice Team or any other person present on the premises will be taken very seriously and the Police will be notified if necessary. This may result in removal from the Practice list.

Non-Attenders

We lose the equivalent of two full doctors sessions per week because of patients not keeping their appointments, without letting the practice know.

This has resulted in a considerable amount of unused and lost appointments which could have been used for other patients, had we been informed in good time.

We would remind our patients that if you are unable to attend for your booked appointment, you should ring the surgery in good time, and cancel the appointment with our reception staff.

If you are unable to get through on the normal telephone line, then when the surgery is closed, an option on the telephone system enables you to leave your details on an answer phone in respect of cancelling your appointment. This message is then collected in the morning by the reception staff and the appointment is then available for another patient.

Alternatively you could cancel your appointment online

The Practice has a policy for non-attendance of appointments which can result in patients being removed from our list.