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Practice
Charter 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 the information
given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.
Our Responsibilities To You
We are committed to giving you the best possible service.
Names: People involved in your care will give
you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery should
be well signposted and the doctors’ or nurses’ names are indicated on
their surgery rooms.
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: You will have access to a doctor rapidly
in case of emergency; within half a working day in cases of urgency; and otherwise
within three working days. 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 are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to
a doctor by telephone.
Test Results: If you have undergone tests
or X-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of the results at your next
appointment. If no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you
when and how to obtain the results.
Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals
and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious
and cultural beliefs.
Information: We will give full information
about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive
the 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 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
Responsibilities 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 home visits by the doctor 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 booklet. This will help you to get the best out of the
services we offer. It is important that you understand the information given to
you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.
Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children.
We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act on it. Please ask
if you wish to see your doctor.
Data Protection
Practice staff have access to all the records held by the practice. Non-practice medical staff have access to records on a purely need-to-know basis where that information is important for the delivery of health care to that particular patient. The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act. Information is released to third parties (eg the Primary Care Trust) but not in a form where individual patients can be identified.
Freedom Of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce 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.
Comments/Complaints
Complaints Procedure
We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when
you feel this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house
complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances. Our practice
procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation.
We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any
problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use
this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Family Health
Services Authority. Please
note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s
consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person.
If you wish to make a complaint please telephone or write to our practice manager.
Full details will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake the investigation.
We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will be offered
an appointment for a meeting to discuss the details within seven days. Occasionally
it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout. You may bring a
friend or relative with you to the meeting. We will try to address your concerns,
provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.
Zero Tolerance
If a patient becomes violent or abusive they will be asked to leave the premises. If they do not leave immediately the police will be called. They will be automatically and immediately removed from the practice list.
Primary Care Trust
South Warwickshire PCT
Westgate House, Market Street, Warwick CV34 4DE
Tel: 01926 493491
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