Practice Charter

Our Responsibility To You

• We endeavour to provide a friendly and efficient service with patients treated in a professional and helpful manner by all members of staff.
• Practice premises will be kept clean, safe and tidy. Wheelchair access is available. Disabled toilets are available.
• Patient confidentiality will be observed by all members of staff at all times.
• Any request for an urgent visit will be passed to the duty doctor for clinical assessment and appropriate action. Less urgent visits will be seen on the day of request or later by agreement with the patient.
• Patients with an urgent problem will be offered a consultation the same day, although not necessarily with their doctor of choice.
• Patients attending the surgery will be seen as near to their appointment time as is possible. We believe an appointment system with a flexible approach is, on balance, the best method of arranging consultations for patients and doctors. However, patients do present with a wide variety of problems which can sometimes be complex and time consuming. Where there is undue delay patients will be informed and an explanation given.
• Telephone calls will be answered with the minimum possible delay and the name of the staff member given if requested. Telephone lines are busiest before 11.00am, especially on a Monday morning. For non-urgent matters it will be easier to get through to the surgery after 11.00am.

Your Responsibility To Us

• Help us to help you.
• Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
• Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot attend as our doctor appointments are in great demand. Your appointment can then be offered to another patient.
• Home visits should only be requested for patients who are seriously ill. 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.
• Many problems can be solved by advice alone; therefore patients should not always expect medicines to be prescribed at every consultation.
• We ask that patients treat the doctors and staff with courtesy and respect.
• Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.