At Shotfield Medical Practice we aim to provide our patients with the best quality care available. Our charter is a statement of what you can expect from this practice and what we feel we can expect in return from you.
- All patients will be treated equally. We do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.
- Our premises will be clean and comfortable and have facilities for the disabled and babies.
- All patients will be greeted in a friendly manner and be treated with courtesy by everyone in the practice.
- Strictest confidentiality may be expected.
- Patients will be informed of any delay of more than 30 minutes where this is known to relevant staff.
- Patients will be offered advice about how to stay healthy and avoid illness.
- New adult patients registering with the practice will be offered a new patient medical appointment with the Healthcare Assistant.
- Patients will be referred to a consultant or other suitable specialist when the clinician feels this is necessary.
- Complaints will be dealt with by our practice manager or their deputy who will refer complaints to the clinicians where appropriate and in line with our complaints procedure which is available on our website or at reception.
We Aim:
- To provide routine pre-bookable appointments with all clinicians.
- To see or speak to all patients with genuine urgent problems as soon as possible, usually on the day.
- To provide patients with long term conditions or repeat medication with a review as clinically appropriate.
- For all staff in the practice to wear identification badges indicating their name and job title.
- To identify chaperones and to advertise this to patients.
- To adhere to the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard
Policy on Patients' Rights
In relation to primary care, patients have certain rights.
A Patient:
- Has the right to be on a practice list.
- Has a right to see a GP (this does not however need to be their named GP) at the surgery during surgery hours.
- Should have access to a telephone number where a doctor can be reached 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Should have a home visit, if considered necessary by the GP.
- If temporarily away from home must receive treatment if it is considered to be required immediately, though the GP is not bound to accept them as a temporary resident.
- Has the right to change practice, by applying to another practice. No reason is required.
- Requires giving consent before being examined or treated. However, a visit to the GP is considered to constitute consent.
- Is entitled to a chaperone during intimate examinations or the ability to request one at other times.
- Is not bound legally to accept treatment. However, a doctor can give essential treatment if the patient is temporarily incapable of understanding or consenting to treatment as per the Adults with Incapacity Act.
- May refuse to be examined when a medical student is present or ask for that student to leave the room.
- Is entitled to a full and truthful answer to questions unless the answers would result in anxiety, which may injure the person’s health.
- Has the right to complain about their GP if he/she has not followed his terms of service or behaves in an unprofessional or unethical way. The patient should then be kept informed about how the complaint is being dealt with and told of the outcome.
- Has the right to see medical reports requested by insurance companies or employers before they are forwarded. However, a GP may withhold them if access may cause harm to the patient or if they contain information regarding a third party.
- Has the right to confidentiality.
With These Rights Come Responsibilities
- We ask that patients attend their appointments at the arranged time. If they cannot attend they will inform the surgery immediately and usually giving sufficient notice so that the appointment can be offered to someone else. This can be done by phone, online or by return text if a reminder has been received. Patients who regularly fail to attend booked appointments without notice to cancel will be warned about this behaviour and may subsequently be removed from the list if this behaviour continues.
- We expect that patients will understand that appointments are for one person only. Additional appointments will need to be made if more than one person needs to be seen.
- We ask that patients understand each single appointment is usually for 10-15 minute duration only and as such only one possibly two different complaints can be properly reviewed during that consultation period. The clinician may ask to defer a less serious complaint to another appointment so they should be made aware of the priorities at the start of the consultation.
- Patients are responsible for their own health and the health of their children and should co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to stay healthy.
- We ask that requests for help or advice for non-urgent matters be made during normal surgery hours.
- Home visits should only be requested for patients who are seriously ill and genuinely housebound. It is important to bear in mind that most medical problems are dealt with more effectively in the clinical setting of a well-equipped surgery.
- Patients should realise that home visits are made at the doctor’s discretion.
- Requests for night visits via the out of hours service should only be made for genuine emergencies.
- Many problems can be solved by advice alone; therefore patients should not always expect a prescription at every consultation.
- We ask that patients treat the doctors and staff with courtesy and respect. Unacceptable behaviour including verbal and physical aggression will result in a warning from the practice and may lead to removal from the list if the behaviour is serious enough or repeated.
- Patients must inform the practice staff of any alterations in their circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number, even if it is ex-directory. Suitable evidence of some changes may also be required. Patients are expected to update mobile numbers with the practice as appointment reminders and other information is regularly provided to patients by text message.