Suggestions & Complaints

The practice has in place a ‘Practice-based Complaints System’. We hope and think that we do provide a good service to our patients. We would welcome any comments or suggestions to help us to ‘fine tune’ the system. If you do wish to make any suggestions either positive or negative, please contact the practice manager Mrs. Irene Brown either by letter, or telephone requesting an appointment to discuss your concerns.

Any comments requiring an early reply will be acknowledged within 2 working days and fully investigated within 4 weeks of your initial contact. At this point you will be given a full reply or an explanation of what is causing a delay.

Rights and Responsibilities

All patients registered at the practice have a right to access the services described in this leaflet. In addition;

• Patients have a right to express a preference to receive services from a particular doctor or nurse—providing that the preferred practitioner performs that service.
• Registered patients aged 16—75 whom have not been seen for 3 years, can request a health check-up consultation.
• Registered patients aged 75 and over whom have not been seen for 3 years can request a health check-up consultation in their home if they are unable to attend the surgery.
• Patients have a right to see their own health records, subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

Patients have a responsibility to;

• Arrive on time for their appointment
• Inform the practice if they can’t make an appointment or that the appointment is no longer necessary.
• Not to make a request for home visits, particularly night visits unless absolutely necessary, that is housebound or seriously ill.
• To make requests for repeat prescriptions in good time.
• Co-operate with all practice staff and give them the same level of courtesy that you would expect to receive.

PCT.

Patient Confidentiality and Data Protection.

In order to provide care for you we are obliged to keep records. This is increasingly done using computers. We are obliged to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and other guidance on privacy and data confidentiality and we take this very seriously.

In order to manage services and improve the quality of care we provide we share some information on practice activity, for example with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Hospital. This information is kept to as little as possible and if at all possible the information is kept anonymous, that is, name and other details are omitted. We are obliged by law to provide certain information e.g. notification of certain infectious diseases.

Information is not shared with any third party outside the health service (e.g. Insurance companies) without your clear consent and agreement. If you have any questions on this subject please contact the practice manager.

Violent and Abusive Patients.

We do not tolerate any form of verbal or physical abuse, bullying or any other form of intimidation. Any patient guilty of this towards staff, doctors or other patients will be removed from the list with immediate effect and if appropriate the matter will be reported to the Police and the