The New Surgery |
BBC | Health News 2.0RSSBBC News | Health | UK EditionUpdated every minute of every day.'A little too much drink' warningDrinking "just a little more than they should" puts people at risk of serious illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, the government is warning.Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:39:22 GMThttp://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-16869618Health bodies reject NHS reformsPhysiotherapist leaders have joined the Royal College of GPs in calling for the health bill in England to be scrapped, increasing pressure on the government.Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:23:39 GMThttp://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-16861672Malaria toll 'is twice as high'The number of deaths worldwide from malaria has been underestimated, according to data published in the medical journal the Lancet.Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:07:13 GMThttp://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-16854026
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 Practice Charter GPs AND PRACTICE STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times. You have the right to be treated confidentially. Respect for religious and cultural beliefs will be honoured. Normally we will answer the telephone promptly and courteously. You have a right to information about your own health (illness and treatment, possible side effects, prevention or recurring illness etc). We will offer medical advice and information for promotion of good health. You have the right to see your own medical records subject to the limitations of the law. A charge may be made. Home visits will be made when requested and if a doctor feels that you are not well enough to attend the surgery. The final decision rests with the doctor. We may give you test results when you telephone the surgery for them, or you may be asked to make an appointment with the doctor to discuss them. On registering as a new patient, you will be offered a health check with a GP. If your doctor believes that you need a second opinion, then they will arrange this. You will be given a time to see a doctor in accordance with the system used in this practice. If there is a substantial delay for any reason, you will be given an explanation.(Sometimes this is beyond our control. We apologise in advance for this.) Repeat prescriptions will normally be ready within 24 hours from the surgery, or 48 hours collection from a local pharmacy following your written request arriving at the surgery. Routine referral letters for hospital appointments will normally be dispatched within three working days of the referral being agreed with the doctor. Urgent referrals for hospital appointments may be faxed, telephoned or provided as a handwritten note for the patient to take to the hospital. PATIENTS' RESPONSIBILITIES We ask that you treat our doctors and all practice staff with courtesy and respect. The first hour of the morning can be extremely busy. Please keep telephone calls brief. If possible, leave routine calls till later in the day. Let us know immediately if you change your address or name and remember to give your phone and contact number and postcode. Please speak to a member of the practice staff if you wish to see your medical records. This can then be arranged with your doctor. There may be a fee payable. Please contact the surgery between 8.00 and 10.30am for a home visit during the day. If tests are ordered for you, please ask your doctor or a member of staff about receiving the results. Please read the rest of practice booklet to get the best out of the services available. You can discuss any medical matter with the doctor, including asking for a second opinion. Please let us know promptly if you are unable to keep an appointment. We can then offer this appointment to someone else. Please check our patient information booklet for the procedure for getting repeat prescriptions. Where an appointment or acknowledgement of a routine referral for a hospital appointment is not received within six weeks, contact the medical secretary at the surgery. Complaints And Compliments We are very happy to receive compliments, constructive comments and suggestions for improving our service to patients. Please write or speak directly to our practice manager/deputy. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive general medical care of high quality, but there may be times when you feel that this has not happened. We have a practice complaints procedure. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems you have identified (or mistakes that have been made). If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Buckinghamshire PCT. 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 the practice manager. Full details will be taken and a decision on how best to undertake the investigation with your agreement. Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly. Occasionally it may take longer than expected but we will keep you informed throughout. We will try to address your concern, provide an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed. If you wish to meet with the practice manager to discuss your complaint this can be arranged. Staff Protection A zero tolerance policy towards violent, threatening and abusive behaviour is now in place throughout the National Health Service. At no time will any violent, threatening or abusive behaviour be tolerated in this practice. If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our practice list. Freedom Of Information Act Publication Scheme The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. We comply fully with this. Confidentiality We ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team. Prescriptions and some of the consultation records are run purely on computer. This enables us to analyse various aspects of health care and to offer better care to our patients. |
