Our Responsibilities
We are committed to provide you with the best possible care:
You have the right to privacy and confidentiality. Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
We aim to keep waiting time to a minimum and wherever possible to less than 30 minutes. However, if this is not possible, our receptionists will let you know when the surgery is running late.
You will be given accurate information and answers to questions about your health and, in particular, about any illness and its side-effects, prevention and avoidance of the illness recurring, details of proposed investigations etc.
You have the right to see your medical record, subject to the limitations of law (Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act 1990). Pick up an application form at reception.
Your Responsibilities
Once you register with us, the care of your health becomes in effect a partnership between you and the staff at the practice. The success of such a partnership will depend on both parties fulfilling their role. For our part, we will endeavour to provide you with a satisfactory service at all times and we ask you to:
Be courteous and polite to all staff. Patients who are aggressive or abusive to any member of our staff or any other person on the practice premises may be removed from the list.
Plan your repeat prescription request with plenty of time.
Attend appointments punctually.
Be patient if a Clinician is running late as they may be dealing with complex problems.
If you no longer require to see one of our clinicians or are unable to attend your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible and even if it is at short notice so that we can offer your appointment to somebody else.
Only request a home visit if you are too ill or infirm to attend the surgery.
Use emergency appointments responsibly and considerately.
Keep us informed of any changes in your personal details, such as name, address, telephone number, etc.
Please remember that you are ultimately responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will provide you with professional help and advice but only you can act on it.
Confidentiality
All our services are confidential. We share information with other health professionals involved in your care unless you request otherwise. We need your consent to release information to other parties. Sometimes we are asked to release information to outside organisations eg the Health Authority, to enable monitoring of services etc. In these cases we try to anonymise the information.
Access To Medical Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, patients have right of access to their health records provided:
- Application is made in writing (form available from reception)
Freedom of Information - Publication Scheme
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.
www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
Zero Tolerance
In line with the rest of the NHS, we have a Zero Tolerance Policy towards violent or aggressive patients. Aggression is taken to include verbal aggression or threatening behaviour. Any patient behaving in an aggressive or threatening manner towards any member of the practice team, other patients or visitors will be removed from the practice list.
An act of violence by a patient to a member of the practice team, another patient or visitor or damage to practice property will result in the police being called, removal of the patient from the premises, possible criminal proceedings and immediate removal from the practice list.