Our Patient—GP Charter defines our functions and helps patients and staff to understand how we will conduct ourselves. This is our promise to you and we expect our patients will act in such a way as described in return.
What the Patients can expected from the practice:
The practice will ensure it meets the appropriate doctor-to-patient ratio to ensure we can provide the best service to our patients.
The practice will be efficiently managed, ensuring it maintains sufficient staff across all areas
The leadership team will work hard to provide a vision of patient-centred innovative healthcare to the local area.
The practice will provide promptly answered and appropriately manned phones at all times, signposting patients towards other methods of contact at peak times (online services).
The practice will provide a website that is current, containing essential information and effective sign-posting.
To provide the tools for patients to contact the practice in various ways: phone, text, email and online choices.
The practice will provide availability of sufficient appointments within appropriate timescales
Staff will be courteous at all times, displaying empathy and sensitivity to patients needs
The practice will adhere to confidentiality and data protection guidelines at all times and submit an IG Toolkit each year.
Cancer referrals will be completed the same day of the appointment; Urgent referrals will be within 3 working days, and non-urgent referrals between 7-10 working days.
What the practice can expect from patients:
We expect that patients attend in enough time for their appointment.
We expect that patients inform us with enough notice if they cannot attend for an appointment. Patients understand that failure to attend appointments on a number of occasions may result in warnings issued by the Practice.
Patients understand that there are ’peak’ times for phone calls and patients requesting results or with queries should avoid calling during these times.
Patients are expected to actin a polite and courteous manner with practice staff. Patients understand that the practice has a Zero Tolerance policy when it comes to aggressive behavior’s and this type of behaviour may result in sanctions being put in place or removal from the practice list.
Patients understand that using social media inappropriately against practice and staff counts as part of the Zero Tolerance Policy and sanctions may apply.
Patients will use the approved complaints procedure for addressing any issues.
Patients understand that the Practice Nurses and Doctors require necessary information needed on occasion prior to the patient appointment and staff may request this.
Patients will embrace new communication technologies to improve the patient experience, wherever possible.