The Patient’s Charter sets out seven well established patient’s rights to care in the National Health Service.
The Doctors and Staff of this Practice feel it is important that you know their aims. We wish to encourage our patients and suggest ways on how our service can be improved. To this end we have issued below our Practice Charter which sets standards to which the whole Practice is working.
Practice Charter – Produced in March 1993.
1. Our aim is to maintain the delivery of high quality family health care regardless of ability to pay. We hope to ensure that the needs of our patients are met at all appropriate levels, utilising public or private resources to maximum efficiency at the discretion of the Partners.
2. We aim to have a good relationship between Partners and other members of the Primary Health Care Team, the Staff and our patients and to co-operate with other health care professionals.
3. We aim to see that no patient waits longer than 24 hours for an appointment provided that no particular Doctor is specified during the working week. (No longer than 48 hours over a weekend period).
4. We aim to ensure that no patient waits longer than 30 minutes for an appointment without an explanation or apology unless they are attending the surgery as an “extra”. An EXTRA is a patient who has come to the Surgery to be seen without an appointment.
5. We aim to ensure that no patient waits longer than 12 months on a waiting list for a hospital procedure.
6. We aim to ensure that patients receive courteous and efficient service from our staff and to show respect for their customs, religious and cultural beliefs.
7. We will endeavour to answer the telephone promptly and within six rings where possible.
8. We will do our best to ensure that Doctors, Nurses and staff offer explanations where applicable to the patients in a clear and understandable way.
9. We aim to ensure that all non-clinical complaints are dealt with swiftly by the Practice Manager or their assistant.
10. We hope to achieve a high standard of health education, health promotion and appropriate screening checks for our patients.
11. We welcome your suggestions and views on this Practice. To this end we have installed a patient suggestion box in the waiting area.
12. To discuss with the patient choices with regard to investigations, referral, treatment and other services.
13. To provide information about local health services to patients where necessary and appropriate.
14. To have regard to the workload of and pressures on professional colleagues and staff.
15. To respect confidential information obtained in the course of professional practice. No such information will be disclosed without the permission of the patient or person acting on his or her behalf. The only exception would be by law or by order of court or if necessary in the public interest.
16. Refuse to accept any gift, favour or hospitality which might be interpreted as seeking to exert undue influence to obtain preferential consideration.