Patients Charter and responsibilities

The doctors, Nurses, Administration staff and Receptionists at the surgery are committed to working together to provide the best possible care for you our patient. However we need you to work together with us to achieve this aim.

You have an important role in the partnership of care that exists between us. If you accept the responsibility as a patient, we can help you get the most from the medical care that is available to you here.

In the same way that you have the right to join the practice of your choice, we have the right to remove patients from our list if we feel that the doctor-patient relationship has broken down.

Responsibilities of the patient

• To treat us with the same courtesy and respect as you expect to recieve
• To read the practice information leaflet which can be accessed online via the surgery wesbite or in person at the surgery
• To tell us as soon as possible if you cannot attend an appointment
• To ask for a home visit only if it is not possible to come to the surgery
• To allow sufficient time for your prescription to be processed
• To be understanding if the surgery is running late
• To tell us if you change your address or phone number
• Not to ask for another member of the family to be seen at your appointment

We undertake

• To show courtesy to you as an individual and respect your rights to confidentiality and privacy
• To ensure that you recieve the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff
• To make sure that you recieve a clear explanation of the proposed treatment and an opportunity to ask any questions
• To provide information about the services available at the practice
• To see patients who feel their illness requires attention the same day
• To involve you in decisions regarding your health care, treatment and investigations
• To strive to improve the services that we offer. If you have any suggetions, they should be adressed to the Practice Manager, Nicola Golding or put into the suggestion box on the reception desk at both surgeries

Please find a copy of the patients charter below

Patients Charter

Practice policy for removal from our list

If it is felt that a GP – Patient relationship has irretrievably broken down, the practice reserve the right to remove the patient from the practice list. This would only be done in the most extreme cases and is not a decision the GPs take lightly. Before any removal is considered, the following steps will be taken:

• The practice will issue a written warning to patients who are at risk of removal from the practice list detailing the reasons for this and offering a chance to discuss what is happening
• The practice can remove a patient from the list if the written warning has taken place within a 12 month period prior to the date of the removal request

Exceptions to the above are:

• If the removal relates to a change of address
• If the GPs have reasonable grounds for believing that issuing such a warning would be harmful to the physical or mental state of the patient
• If the removal would put at risk the safety of members of staff or patients and public at the practice
• Where, in the GPs opinion, it would not otherwise be reasonable or practical to give such a warning

Removal from our list will not be based upon any of the following grounds: 

• Race
• Gender
• Social Class
• Age
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
• Apperance
• Disability
• Medical Conditions
• Need for specific treatments
• Relationship to a patient already removed from the list

Abusive Behaviour

We operate a zero tolerance policy – verbal abuse, aggression or violence to NHS staff is UNACCEPTABLE. It is practice policy to prosecute any person displaying such behaviour and the practice will immediately remove any patient from the list if they do so