PATIENTS' CHARTER

This is our interpretation of the NHS Patients’ Charter as it applies to our practice and the service that we deliver.

Accessibility

• We will ensure that our surgery is clean, comfortable and readily accessible. This will include, where possible, facilities for the disabled.
  
  
• We will offer a range of flexible surgery times to suit the needs of the resident population.
  
  
• Patients will have the facility to consult any other member of the practice team, for example the practice nurse or health visitor, for advice about any health problems or for advice about health promotion.
  
  
• If the doctor you wish to see is not available you will have the chance to see another doctor, or you will be offered an alternative appointment with your chosen doctor.
  
  
• You will usually be seen within 30 minutes of your booked appointment time.
  
  
• Waiting time at the reception desk will be kept to a minimum and you will be informed of any expected delays to your booked appointment time.
  
  
• You can expect a full explanation of your condition and information and advice on the options available to you.
  
  
• Patients are free to consult any doctor within the practice.
  
  
• Referrals to other agencies, specialist medical or other services will be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Normally any written referral will be sent off within five working days.
  
  
• You will be able to contact a doctor urgently in case of emergency. Normally this will not require a patient or relative to make more than two telephone calls.
  
  
• If the team member you consult would like a medical or nursing student to attend a consultation you have the chance to agree or say no before the consultation begins.
  
  
• You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention you receive.

Visits At Home

• Home visits are for the genuinely housebound or seriously ill. They are time-consuming and their misuse can disadvantage those in genuine need. You should be aware that in the time it takes for the doctor to see one patient at home he can see two or three patients in the surgery.
  
  
• When a home visit is necessary you can expect to see the duty doctor on the day of request (but requests should be made before 10.00am if possible).

Health Promotion

• We are committed to a policy of promoting good health and preventing disease. There should be no smoking on the premises in order to ensure a smoke-free environment.
  
  
• All children (whose parents have given consent) should be fully immunised.
  
  
• If you have just joined the doctor's list of patients you will be offered a health check at the surgery.

The Patient - How You Can Help

• Patients should extend the same courtesy and politeness to the practice team as they would expect to receive.
  
  
• Please remember that appointments are for one person only. Where another family member needs to be seen, even for the same symptoms, you need to make a separate appointment.
  
  
• Whilst privacy will be respected by staff, patients should indicate whether they wish an appointment for routine information, ie: test results, health checks etc.
  
  
• Request repeat prescriptions in good time.
  
  
• Seek help and advice for non-urgent conditions during normal surgery hours.
  
  
• Value and respect advice on treatment.
  
  
• Make every effort to be on time for appointments and to notify the practice, as soon as possible, if you are unable to keep the appointment.
  
  
• Understand that it is not the receptionist's fault if the doctor is delayed.

When You Visit The Surgery

• You will be treated as an individual, with dignity, courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems. A patient's need for privacy will be respected at all times.
  
  
• Wherever possible, we will provide an area set aside for confidential conversations between patients and reception staff.
  
  
• You will always be told to whom you are speaking when you telephone or visit the surgery.

Medical Records

• The practice team will keep your medical records confidential.
  
  
• If you wish to see your medical records you must consult the practice manager. You have a right of access to medical records made since 1st November 1991 under The Access of Health Records Act 1990. (A fee may be charged if you wish to have a copy of the record.)
  
  
• The practice manager, in consultation with the doctor, will also consider extending permission for you to see records made before November 1991. You should ensure that, where you are given medical records such as the "Personal Child Health Record" for children born since April 1992 or maternity records, you keep these safe and make them available to your practitioners whenever they are needed.
  
  
• We will return reports for non-medical bodies (solicitors, insurance companies etc) within three working weeks, unless greater urgency is stressed. Our medical work takes priority.

Comments, Suggestions And Complaints

• The practice has an 'in house' complaints procedure. If you have a comment or complaint about the way things are run, or if you have a problem with any member of the team, please talk to the practice manager, or any of the doctors.
  
  
• We will ensure that any comment or complaint is taken seriously. It will be confidentially investigated. A reply and/or the chance to talk about it will be arranged to resolve matters within seven days of the initial contact.
  
  
• We are not perfect. We want to improve services and will welcome any constructive comments that you have which will help us to do that.

VIOLENT OR ABUSIVE PATIENTS

We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff or patients. If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients. We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.

PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure.

It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible advice and care. This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.

ACCESS TO RECORDS

You have a right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records, please call our practice manager. In the event of information being required by a third party, information will not be divulged without prior consent in writing from the patient.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Even in the best organisations things don’t always go as well as they might and, being human, we all make mistakes or sometimes might have handled things differently with the benefit of hindsight. The practice always take complaints seriously. Initially, please take the matter up with either the practice manager or one of the doctors and, between us, we will try and resolve the problem to everybody's satisfaction.

Of course, if you are pleased with the service that you have received, it is always nice to hear about that too!

The practice team is always striving to improve the service that is provided to our patients, and monitor our performance against our own and your expectations and have a 'grumbles and compliments' book at the reception desk for your comments!

PATIENT ADVICE AND LIAISON SERVICE (PALS)

If you feel that your concerns have not been addressed or need advice, you are of course free to contact the PALS who are available to help on 01243 534035.

WEST SUSSEX PRIMARY CARE TRUST (PCT)

The PCT is responsible for ensuring that you get the services you need and may be contacted for details of other services in the area. Contact details are:

The Bramber Building
9 College Lane, Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 6FX

Tel: 01243 770770