OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be achieved by working together.

You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention you receive.

We will provide a high standard of continuing care to all patients. The doctors hold an individual list of patients. However, patients registered with another doctor will be seen if the need arises, i.e. emergencies, doctor's holidays and half days. The patient will be "handed back" to their own doctor after the presenting episode has been completed. In the unfortunate situation of a patient not wishing to see their own doctor, for whatever reason, registration to another doctor of their choice may be possible.

You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problem.

Following discussion you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your agreement.

We will give you 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.

People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them.

It is our job to give you the treatment and advice. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you.

We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those patients who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.

Appointments are provided at 10 minute intervals at the surgery times advertised. Surgery times may alter without prior notice in order to cover absence of colleagues etc. Appointments can be made for longer than 10 minutes if required.

Each partner provides a certain number of emergency slots for patients who need to be seen urgently.

We will try to ensure that you are seen on time, but some consultations take longer than others and we have no way of knowing about this in advance. If there is a patient with an emergency or a serious problem we will give them priority. When there is a prolonged delay, an explanation will be given by the receptionist.

Patients who are on regular medication and are well established on treatment can obtain computerised repeat prescriptions. Repeat prescriptions can be ordered by telephone, in writing, or in person.

We will provide you with information about how to make suggestions or complaints about the care we offer. We want to improve services, and will therefore welcome any comments you have.

We will try to answer the phone as quickly as possible and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this.

If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of the result at your next appointment. If no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to obtain the results.

If we consider that you need a second opinion or treatment not available in the practice we will try to inform you of the best way of achieving this.

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.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO US

Help us to help you.

Being a partner means that we have responsibilities to each other.

Patients will be registered with a named doctor at the Phoenix Surgery and will be expected to see that doctor whenever possible. This will provide for a higher standard and continuation of care.

We ask that you treat the doctors, all practice staff and their families with the same courtesy and respect.

We would ask you to try and follow the medical advice offered, and take any medication as advised.

Please read our practice booklet. This will help you to get the best out of the services we offer.

Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number (landline and mobile).

Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Please do not ask for a home visit unless the patient cannot be brought to the surgery. In particular, most children can quite safely be brought to the surgery by car. Please ensure that your request for a home visit reaches the surgery before 10.00am, unless a genuine emergency arises later.

Outside surgery hours we provide cover for emergencies at all times, but please do not call out of hours, unless about an emergency which cannot wait until the next surgery. Please remember that your doctors need sleep just like everyone else.

Please do everything you can to keep appointments and tell us as soon as possible if you cannot. If it is felt that a lengthy problem needs to be discussed, which requires more than the allocated 10 minutes, please make a longer appointment.

We request that where possible emergency slots are not filled with non-urgent problems.

Please try to be punctual; if you arrive later than your appointment time this may cause delays and inconvenience to other patients.

Please ask for more than one appointment if you want more than one patient to be seen. If we are running late, please be patient, because on another occasion it might be you that needs the extra time. Please do not blame the receptionist.

Please make a note of the review date for your repeat medication. You are asked to give a minimum of 24 hours' notice for the processing of repeat medication.

Please read our practice booklet which will tell you about the arrangements we have made to receive your comments.

Please keep your phone calls brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for non-urgent matters.

When seeking test results, please do not ring before the stated time. Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.

Please do not ask for or arrange a specialist appointment without first discussing the matter fully with your own doctor. If you later decide that you no longer need an appointment made for you, please inform both the hospital and us.

EQUALITY ACT 2010

The practice actively promotes and supports the ethos and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

The practice:

• Will ensure that all patients are treated with dignity and respect

• Will promote equality of opportunity between men and women

• Will not tolerate any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any patient for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.

• Will provide the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background, religion or belief.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should raise a formal complaint through the practice's complaints procedure.

A FINAL NOTE

We also have the right to have patients removed from our list, for example in the case of patients who repeatedly and persistently ignore their own responsibilities to us and to other patients. We will remove from our list immediately patients who are violent or seriously abusive towards any of the practice staff.

You are responsible for your own health and that of your children and should take appropriate action and advice.

If you are totally dissatisfied with us or the services we provide you have the right at any time to leave our list and to register with another practice.

PATIENTS' OPINIONS AND COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The doctors and staff meet regularly to discuss and decide all aspects of the practice. Comments will always be welcome - addressed please to the practice manager.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you are in any way unhappy with any aspect of the service you receive. Choose whichever way you prefer: either speak to any member of the practice team or write or telephone the practice manager. We have both formal and informal complaints procedures, copies of which are available from reception. The purpose of these procedures is to ensure we carefully investigate any complaint we receive to try and reach a conclusion which is satisfactory both for the patient and the surgery. We believe we can learn from feedback we receive from you which can help to improve the services we offer.

CONFIDENTIALITY: PRACTICE COMPUTER AND PATIENT RECORDS

Information is collected and held, often on computer, in order that you receive proper care and treatment. You have a right of access to these medical records.

The responsible use of this information is governed mainly by medical ethics but also by the Data Protection Act. Necessary information may be shared with other people involved in your care and with local and national NHS administration.

Your permission is needed before we can pass information to people such as solicitors and insurance companies. Where possible, information is given without personal identification.

FINANCIAL SUPERVISION

In order to ensure that the NHS receives value for money and to avoid fraud, the government requires the Primary Care Trust to check that we have done the work for which we claim fees. This may involve officers from the Primary Care Trust looking at medical records. If you do not agree to this, please inform the practice manager.

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 on request from reception.

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