PRACTICE CHARTER
All members of the surgery primary care team are dedicated to a quality policy to achieve health services which meet the patients’ requirements. In particular:

 
1. Patients have a right to be greeted courteously.

2. Patients have a right to absolute confidentiality.

3. Doctors and nurses will begin surgery at the appropriate time; any delay will be due to medical necessity. Where there is a delay in excess of 20 minutes, patients have a right to be informed and to make an alternative appointment.

4. Patients have a right to information about their own health, particularly:

  • the illness and its treatment
  • alternative forms of treatment
  • likely outcome of this illness

    5. Access to health records subject to any limitation in the law.

    6. The practice will offer advice and seek to inform patients of:

  • steps they can take to promote good health and to avoid illness, eg smoking, exercise, immunisation etc.
  • advice on self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a nurse, health visitor or doctor in the case of minor ailments.

    7. The practice will inform patients of services available by means of its brochure, noticeboards and leaflets.

    8. Patients with urgent medical conditions will be given priority and will be seen as soon as possible, even when this may cause delay to booked appointments.

    		•    9. Patients may choose whether or not to take part in research or training.

    10. All new patients will be offered an appointment with a practice nurse and a doctor.

    11. Patients shall be referred to a consultant acceptable to them when their GP thinks it necessary.

    12. Any suggestions to improve service will be considered by the appropriate team members and a response given.

    13. A full and prompt reply to a written complaint will be made by a partner within seven days.

    14. Patients should be able to consult a doctor within two working days except when that doctor is on study or holiday leave.

    15. Acute prescriptions will be dispensed with minimum delay.

    16. Repeat prescriptions will be available and if appropriate dispensed within 48 hours - delay may be caused by stock situations or when patients have not attended for review as requested.



    WITH THESE RIGHTS COME RESPONSIBILITIES, AND FOR THE PATIENTS THIS MEANS:

    1. Courtesy to the staff at all times - remember they are working under doctors’ orders.

    2. To attend appointments on time or to give the practice adequate notice that they wish to cancel - lateness or non-attendance inconveniences other patients and wastes appointment time.

    3. An appointment is for one person only - where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed another appointment should be made.

    4. Patients should make every effort to consult at the surgery to make the best use of nursing and medical time - home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.

    5. When patients are advised that repeat prescriptions are due for renewal, ie ‘none left’, they should make an appointment within the next 14 days.

    6. Out-of-hours calls, eg evening, night and weekends, should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary.