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 or address.
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.
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.
