Practice Responsibilities

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

You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times. You have the right to be treated with confidentiality.

You will be able to have contact with a doctor on the day of request, should you need it, provided that you contact the surgery between 8.30am and 5.45pm.

The Practice will ensure that you can have a non-urgent appointment with the doctor of your choice. However, there may sometimes be a delay involved before this is possible.

The Practice will explain the likely effects of any drugs prescribed and review your long term medical needs at agreed times.

If the Practice believe you need a second opinion, they will try to help you obtain this.

A doctor will visit you at home if you are too ill or infirm and unable to be brought to the surgery,

The practice has the right to remove patients from their list if they repeatedly and persistently ignore their responsibilities to the Practice and to other patients.

The Practice will ensure a doctor is on call at all times.

The practice will discuss any issues which may lead to change within the Patient Participation Group and will keep you informed of any relevant changes.

Patient Responsibilities

Help the Practice to help you. Being a partner means that we have responsibilities to each other.

The Practice requests that you treat the doctors and all the staff with courtesy and respect

Please remember that your doctor of choice may not always be available due to other commitments and holidays.

Please do everything you can to keep appointments and inform the Practice as soon as possible if you can't.

A patient should not  expect to be given a prescription at every visit to a doctor. Please check your existing supplies before ordering repeat prescriptions.

The patient has the right to ask for a second opinion.

The less time doctors spend travelling, the more time is available for patients. Please don't ask for a home visit unless it is strictly necessary.  Please make requests between 8.30am and 10.00am whenever possible.

Please do not call the surgery out of hours except in an emergency. Whenever possible, it is best to wait for the next surgery.

If a patient is seriously unhappy with the Practice or the service provided,  you have the right to leave the list and register with another Practice.

Please read the Practice Booklet, as this will provide full details of how to best use this Practice.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

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What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

• Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related inquiry
• Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
• Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
• Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
• Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own health care and the NHS locally
• Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
• Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

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Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

Comments & Suggestions

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

Simply contact the Practice Manager and s/he will set all the necessary wheels in motion. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception. We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.