BULKINGTON SURGERY

Practice Charter Standards

We aim to provide the best possible service to our patients and hope you will feel that we achieve that aim.

The care of your health is a partnership between yourself and the Primary Health Care Team. The success of that partnership depends on an understanding of each other's needs and co-operation between us.

Our Responsibility To You

• You will be greeted courteously.
  
• You have a right to confidentiality.
  
• You have the right to see your medical records subject to the limitations of the law.
  
• You will be seen the same day if your problem is urgent.
  
• You will be seen by your own doctor whenever possible.
  
• You will be informed if there will be delay of more than 20 minutes for your appointment.
  
• You will be given the result of any test or investigation on request or at your next appointment.
  
• Your repeat prescription will be ready for collection within 48 hours of your request.
  
• Your suggestions and comments about the service offered will be considered sympathetically and any complaint dealt with quickly.

Your Responsibility To Us

• Please treat all surgery staff with due respect - we are all just doing our job.
  
• Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself.
  
• Tell us of any change of name or address, so that our records are accurate.
  
• Only request an urgent appointment if appropriate. Home visits should only be requested if you are really too ill to attend surgery, and night visits should be for emergencies only - the doctor on call will be at work as usual the next day.
  
• Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend.
  
• Please be punctual, but be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency.
  
• Please allow sufficient time for your consultant's letter or the results of any tests to reach us.
  
• Use the tear-off slip to request your repeat prescription whenever possible. Please attend for review, when asked, before your next prescription is due.
  
• Do let us know whenever you feel we have not met our responsibility to you.
  
• We would, of course, be pleased to hear when you feel praise is due as well.
  

Please Help Us To Help You

Our practice staff are here to help you. Our aim is to be as polite and helpful as possible to all patients. If you consider that you have been treated unfairly or inappropriately, please ask the reception staff to contact the practice manager, who will be happy to address your concerns.

Suggestions

The practice welcomes objective feedback and suggestions. Please discuss any suggestion you may have with the practice manager or put them in writing.

Zero Tolerance

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.

Complaints

We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances. The 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, correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the North Warwickshire 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 telephone or write to our practice manager. Your complaint will be acknowledged within two working days. We believe it is important to deal with complaints as soon as possible and we will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed within 10 working days.

Confidentiality

The practice operates a strict confidentiality policy. The practice holds information on your past and current medical history, including details of any medication. This enables us to make informed decisions concerning your healthcare.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. No outside organisation, ie insurance companies, solicitors, your place of work or a family member, can have access to any information about you without your written consent and your understanding of why they need the information and how the information may be used. Some services require information sharing with other health care agencies and we have a 'Sharing of Patient Information Policy' which is covered by the Data Protection Act, The Rights of Individuals and The Caldicott Principles. It is important you understand why your information may be shared with other healthcare agencies within the NHS and other outside agencies, eg referrals for secondary care, etc.