Practice Charter

Our Standards

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 information given to you; please ask us questions if you are not sure of anything. It is our responsibility to give you the best possible service. People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery will be sign-posted and the doctors' and nurses' names indicated on the surgery room doors.

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 one hour without an explanation. If you are seen as an emergency, most delays will be due to an emergency or the necessity of longer consultation for certain patients.

Access 
You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency. We will arrange for a home visit as appropriate for those too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.

Respect 
Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their health care, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion or cultural beliefs.

Information
We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive information which directly affects your health and the care being offered.

Health Promotion
The practice will offer patients advice and information on steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness. Self-help can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor illness.

Health Records 
You have a right to see your health records subject to limitations in the law. The next section explains this in more detail.

The Information We Hold About You

Your doctor and other health professionals caring for you need to collect, hold and use information about you. Your health record contains information about you, your health, and the treatment and care you receive from the NHS. These records help us ensure we give you the best possible care. The records may include:

• Basic details about you, such as address and next-of-kin
• Contacts we have had with you, such as clinic visits
• Notes and reports about your health and any treatment and care you need
• Details and records about the treatment and care you receive
• Results of tests, such as x-rays and laboratory tests
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you and know you well

Your records are used to guide and administer the care you receive to ensure:

• Your doctor, nurse or any other healthcare professional looking after you has accurate and up-to-date information to assess your health and decide what care you need when you visit in the future
• Full information is available should you see another doctor, or be referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS
• We have a good basis for assessing the type and quality of care you have received
• We can investigate any complaints properly

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to respect your confidentiality. If you receive care from another organisation (such as social services) we may need to share some information about you so we can all work together for your benefit. This can also mean that you don’t have to give the same information repeatedly. We will only ever share information about you with others who have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to third parties without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the health or safety of others is at risk, or when the law requires information to be passed on.

Freedom of Information - Publication Scheme

Following the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the practice produces a publication scheme. A publication scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.

This scheme is available from reception.