This Practice aims, always to provide the best possible standard of health care for our Patients. We provide a complete range of services through primary care and take every opportunity to expand the range so that you will always have the maximum care available.
GENERAL
- We will treat you with respect and courtesy and help you to make the best use of our service.
- Any advice on treatment will be based on clinical need. We will always be willing to explain our findings and the advice we give including choices of treatment.
- We will maintain strict confidentiality over your details and will not divulge information even to a family member without your consent.
In return we ask you to
- Treat all of us with respect and courtesy.
- Accept that your health is your responsibility, which we can help you with but cannot take over for you.
- Learn from us how to deal with common ailments that do not need professional attention and how to lead a healthy life-style.
- Notify us of any changes of address.
TELEPHONE ACCESS
- Calls will be answered and dealt with as quickly as possible during normal working hours. In emergencies, when the surgery is closed the answering machine will give you the Doctors’ contact number.
In return we ask you to
- Remain patient and keep calls as brief as possible.
- Avoid calling at peak times for non-urgent matters.
APPOINTMENTS
- An appointment system is in operation and have spaces every day for those who need to be seen urgently.
- You may choose which doctor you prefer to see, which does not have to be the doctor you are registered with. If you have seen one doctor with a problem it is usually better to follow it up with them.
- In an emergency your details will be assessed by a doctor and you will be seen as soon as is necessary. We aim to achieve the Government target of patients being seen by a health care professional within 48 hours.
In return we ask you to…
- Request appointments before 10:00am if you wish to be seen the same day.
- Cancel appointments you cannot keep as early as possible so that the time can be made available to someone else.
- Request emergency or urgent appointments only when absolutely necessary.
- Observe the ‘one patient, one appointment’ rule and not to compromise the Doctor by asking him to treat other family members at the same time.
WAITING TIMES
- We would normally expect that patients are seen within 30 minutes of their appointment time and we will always try to keep patients informed if we are running late so that you can re-book your appointment if necessary.
In return we ask you to…
- Appreciate that waiting times may be beyond our control, for example if the doctor is called out on an emergency, or at times of peak demand.
- Attend morning surgeries whenever possible.
- Attend punctually for appointments.
- Appreciate the exact time of consultations cannot be assured
- Avoid calling for home visits immediately before or during evening surgery times except in an emergency.
- Cancel if you are unable to attend and re-book your appointment if desired.
OUT OF HOURS SERVICES/HOME VISITS
The medical centre is the best place for us to see anyone. Sometimes we may need to see you at home. A doctor will assess every request for a home visit. We allocate some time for visits each day but concentrate on providing surgery appointments so that more people can be seen throughout the day. The practice provides full medical care to all of its patients. The Doctor who attends night visits may be in the following day conducting normal surgery.
In return we ask you to…
- Not request a home visit unless the patient is too ill to be brought to the surgery.
- Ensure that requests for home visits are made before 10:00am
- Only request night visits for problems that really cannot wait until the next day’s surgery.
PRESCRIPTIONS
- Patients may order their repeat prescription by delivering/posting the counterfoil to the surgery. Prescriptions will normally be available within two working days of order.
In return we ask you to…
- Give reasonable notice when ordering repeat prescriptions.
- Not to ask for routine repeat prescriptions during general consultations with the doctor.
- Not to expect a prescription every time you visit the Doctor.
INVESTIGATION/RESULTS
- Any test undertaken will be dealt with promptly and you will be advised of the usual length of time before we could expect results. Please contact the surgery in due course and one of our receptionists will pass on any message or instructions relating to your test results that the doctor has left for you. .
In return we ask you to…
- Telephone the surgery after 11:00am when ever possible to enquire about results.
REFERRALS
- From time to time it may be necessary to refer patients to a consultant for further care. In such cases we will do our utmost to ensure referral letters are sent promptly from the practice. You are entitled to copies of these letters.
In return we ask you to…
- Ensure that you keep the practice informed of any changes of address and/or name so that hospital mail will reach you at the correct address.
- Recognise that there may be some delay before you receive an appointment.
COMMENTS/COMPLAINTS
- Comments are always welcome and may be made to the Practice Manager. All comments are considered and, where appropriate, responded to on an individual basis.
- Complaints should be made through the Practice Manager. Complaints will be treated seriously and acknowledged usually in writing, within five working days of receipt.
- If you feel your complaint has not been resolved the patient advisory liaison service is accessible by contacting County Durham PCT on :- 01207 523623
In return we ask you to…
- Recognise that problems can usually be rectified within the practice and we would like you to provide us with the opportunity to do this. Address complaints to the Practice Manager.
ACCESS TO RECORDS
- In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Access to Health Records Act 1990 – patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests are by appointment and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will ever be released without your consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
In return we ask you to…
- Ensure that your written consent accompanies any request you have authorized for medical information.
SICK NOTES
- Your doctors’ responsibility is to provide a sick note after the first week of absence if there is a medical need.
In return we ask you to…
- Not request sick notes for the first seven days of absence and to appreciate that the doctor has a responsibility to the DSS to justify sick certificates. Self-certificates are available from your employer.
REVIEW/MONITORING
We undertake to review and monitor the services we provide. This ongoing procedure will ensure that our commitment to high quality patient care remains constant. Your views are important to us, as is your co-operation in achieving these aims and will help us to judge whether we are meeting these standards.
PARTNERS IN HEALTH
The care of our patients is fundamental to the service we provide and, as a partner, it should be recognized that the patient has responsibility in part for his or her well-being. We may prescribe treatments to aid a particular complaint or condition and may make recommendations to changes and/or modifications in lifestyle to promote the patient’s well-being.
In return we ask you to…
- Comply with any treatment recommended or prescribed.
- To try to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible and ask for help and advice if necessary.