Practice Charter Standards

These are the local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice.

Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you.

Please ask us questions if you are unsure about anything.

Our Responsibilities To You

We are committed to giving you the best possible service.

Names: People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery should be well signposted and the doctors' or nurses' names indicated on their surgery rooms.

Waiting Time: We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay.

Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this.

Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, you can obtain your results by telephone, 10 days after the tests. Please phone after 10.30am when more staff are available to deal with your request.

Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.

Information: We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive that information which directly affects your health and the care being offered.

Health Promotion: The practice will offer patients advice and information on:

• Steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness.
  
• Self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the
  case of minor ailments.

Health Records: You have the right to see your health records, subject to any limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your Responsibilities To Us

Help us to help you. Please let us know if you change your name, address, email address or telephone number.

Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot. Otherwise, other patients may have to wait longer.

Please ask for home visits by the doctor only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.

Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during peak morning time for non-urgent matters.

Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so. Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.

We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect. Any patient who is rude, abusive or violent towards any member of staff will receive a warning, and may be removed from the practice list.

Please read our practice booklet. Along with this website it will help you to get the best out of the services we offer. It is important that you understand the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

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.

Please ask if you wish to see your doctor.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All patients' computer records are confidential. Information is not disclosed to any third parties without the formal, informed consent of the patient. Any information requested by the Primary Care Trust or Department of Health is supplied in an anonymous format.

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

We welcome written comments and suggestions from our patients and carers. You can leave these at reception or ask for alternative communication methods. If you would like a response please provide your name and preferred contact method and details.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened.

The following information explains our in-house complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances.

Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Outer North East London, Primary Care Trust, Becketts House, 2-14 Ilford Hill, Ilford, Essex IG1 2QX, 020 8478 5151.

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 our practice manager. Full details will be taken and a decision made by the practice on how best to undertake the investigation.

We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly so, where a complaint cannot be resolved straight away, you will be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss the details within seven days. Occasionally it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting. We will try to address your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

This is a small group that represents patients and feeds their views to the practice on the overall functioning of the practice, the health of our patient population, the way local healthcare is provided and other pertinent local issues like social care.. The group operates independently of the practice, as it must truthfully reflect the voice of the patients back to the practice. Please ask at reception if you would like to apply to join the group.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – PUBLICATION SCHEME

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the 'classes' of information the practice intends to routinely make available.

This scheme is available from reception.