Practice Charter

We aim to provide our patients with the best standard of care within the resources available to us and to deal quickly and efficiently with any problems that may arise. Patients will be treated with respect at all times in a confidential manner. All new patients will receive a practice booklet and copies will be made available in the waiting areas.

Patient's Rights to General Medical Services
As a patient of this practice you are entitled to:

• Be registered with a GP.
• A clear explanation of any treatment proposed for you.
• Be supported by a relative or friend if you want one.
• Privacy and confidentiality.
• Respect for your religious and cultural beliefs.
• Courtesy from the staff.
• Emergency care at any time through a GP.
• Be offered a health check on joining the practice.
• Be given an appointment the same day if you need to see a GP urgently.
• Be referred to a consultant when your GP thinks it necessary and to be referred for a second opinion if both you and your GP agree that this is desirable.
• Have access to your medical records, subject to any limitations in the law, and know that those working for the NHS are under legal duty to keep the contents confidential.
• Choose whether or not you wish to take part in medical research or medical student training.
• Be given detailed information about local family doctor services through your Health Board's local directory.
• Receive a full and prompt reply to any complaints about the services provided by the practice.
• Expect your medicines to be reviewed regularly if you are receiving repeat
prescriptions.

Help Us to Help You
As a patient of this practice we expect you to:

• Treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy.
• Be punctual for appointments.
• Give as much notice as possible if you are unable to keep an appointment.
• Make more than one appointment if more than one person needs to be seen.
• Be prepared to make further appointments if you have numerous or complicated problems.
• Be patient if appointment times are running late as it may be you who needs the extra time on another occasion.
• Only ask for a home visit if you are unable to attend the surgery due to illness.
• Only contact an out-of-hours doctor if your medical complaint cannot wait until the next working day.
• Be prepared to see another doctor if your own is unavailable.
• Be very careful to follow treatment prescribed by your doctor.
• Make constructive comments, suggestions or complaints to the practice manager.

Confidentiality
The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act. Therefore we uphold the ethics of the medical profession that information held and the disclosure of such information should only be made in accordance with the strict code of professional confidentiality. All staff are trained in and are aware of the importance of patient confidentiality. No information about yourself will be released without your consent unless it is within the confines of the NHS, by legal requirement or it is in the public interest.

Comments & Complaints
We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. We operate an informal in-house complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patients' grievances. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes we have made. This procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability or compensation. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Health Board.
Your complaint should be addressed to the practice manager, who will ensure that it is investigated thoroughly and as speedily as possible. Please note that the practice must ensure strict adherence to the rule of medical confidentiality. We cannot provide confidential information without appropriate authority if you are not the patient in question.