Practice Charter

Waiting Times / Clinics

You should not have to wait more than 30 minutes beyond the appointment time without good cause and explanation.

Access To Speak To A Doctor On The Telephone

You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone; this may mean phoning at an agreed time.

Privacy

You should be afforded privacy during consultations or examinations.

Confidentiality

Your records will be treated as confidential at all times.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you. We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

You have a right of access to your health records.

Staffing

You should always be looked after by properly trained and qualified staff, who are easily identifiable by a name badge. You should be allocated a named qualified nurse, midwife or health visitor who is responsible for your nursing care.

Support

You may have a relative or friend with you during consultations or examinations.

Medicines

You can expect to have appropriate medicines prescribed and be given information about how to use them.

Religious And Cultural Beliefs

You should have your religious and cultural beliefs respected.

Home Visits

You should receive a home visit from a doctor if your illness/injury does not allow you to attend surgery.

Practice Complaints Procedure

We always try to give you the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened.

The following explains what to do if you have a complaint about the services we provide for you.

Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation.

We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes that have been made.

If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust.

Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person.

If you wish to make a complaint, please phone or write to our practice manager.

She will take full details and decide how best to undertake the investigation.

We think it is important to deal with complaints swiftly so you will be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss matters within seven days.

Occasionally, it might take a little longer, but we will keep you informed.

You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting.

We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.

Access To Medical Notes

Under the Access to Medical Records Act you are entitled to view your records originated after November 1991. The charge is £10 plus 10p per sheet for any photocopying.

Fees For Non-NHS Services

There are set charges for non-NHS work eg insurance forms, medicals, letters etc. Please see reception for details of current fees.

Violent And Abusive Behaviour

All our staff are here to help you. Reception staff follow procedures that help the practice to function efficiently. Staff have the right to work in a safe and secure environment. The practice will not tolerate:

Verbal abuse to staff which prevents them from doing their job or makes them feel unsafe.

Threats of violence or actual violence to a GP or a member of his or her staff.

The GPs have the right to remove from their list with immediate effect any patient who behaves in the above manner.

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. Please ask at reception.