Practice Charter – Wordsworth Health Centre

Practice Charter

All members of the Wordsworth Health Centre primary care team dedicated to a quality policy to achieve the highest standard of health care which meet the patients’ requirements.

Patient’s Rights to NHS Primary Care Services:

To be offered a health check on joining a doctor’s list for the first time.
To have appropriate drugs and medicine prescribed.
To be referred to a Consultant acceptable to them when they and their GP thinks it is necessary, and to be referred for a second opinion if they and their GP think it is advisable.
To have access to their health records, subject to any limitations of the law, and to know that those working for the NHS are under a legal duty to keep those records confidential.
To choose whether to take part in research or medical student training.
To receive a copy of their doctors practice leaflet, setting out the services that he or she provides.
To receive a full and prompt reply to any complaints they make about the care they receive at the Wordsworth Health Centre.

Philosophy

Our aims are to offer the highest standard of health care and advice to our patients, with the resources available to us. We have a team approach to patient care and endeavour to monitor the service provided to patients, to ensure that it meets current standards of excellence. We are dedicated to ensuring that Practice staff and clinicians are trained to the highest level and to provide a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to work.

Our Practice Charter

You will be treated with courtesy and respect by all Practice personnel.
An urgent appointment with a clinician will be available on the same day.
Our standard is to see 80% of patients within 30 minutes of their appointment time. If you have waited longer than this please ask the Receptionist for an explanation.
We aim to answer the telephone as soon as possible.
Requests for repeat prescriptions will be dealt with within 48 hours.
All comments and suggestions about the service are welcome. Please use the box provided in the entrance foyer.
If you have a complaint please speak to any member of staff. Your complaint will be dealt with in a professional and efficient manner.
We wish to make the Wordsworth Health Centre as accessible as possible. If you have hearing, visual or physical difficulties please let the receptionist know so that we can enable you to fully use our services.

Patient’s Responsibilities

If you are unable to attend for an appointment please let us know so that we can offer it to someone else.
If you are late for your appointment you may be asked to rebook at another time. Try to let us know in advance if you are going to be unavoidably delayed, so that we can make alternative arrangements to help you.
A home visit should only be requested for those who are unable to come to the surgery because of serious illness or infirmity. Please ring the surgery before 11.00am if at all possible.
An urgent appointment is for an urgent medical problem. Please speak to the Receptionist if you require a sick note or repeat prescription.
We would ask you to be patient if the Doctor is running late. This is often due to unforeseeable emergencies but please ask for an explanation from the Receptionist.
Make a separate appointment for each patient that needs to be seen. This allows the Doctor enough time to treat each patient with the time that they deserve.
Please act in a responsible and courteous manner whilst on the Practice premises for the safety and comfort of others.
Please treat all surgery staff, fellow patients, carers and visitors politely and with respect. Violence or verbal harassment will not be tolerated or accepted, you may be asked to register at another surgery if this behaviour occurs.

Zero Tolerance:

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone who attends the surgery and abuses the GP’s, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises. We will send zero tolerance letters to patients and if a patient receives a 3^rd zero tolerance letter, they will be removed from the list.

REMOVING PATIENTS FROM THE PRACTICE LIST

Assaults and abusive language to any member of staff will result in the immediate removal of the patient. The PCSE (primary care support England, From 1 September 2015, Primary Care Support England (PCSE) took on responsibility for the delivery of NHS England’s primary care support services.) will be informed. Repeated rudeness from the patient’s will result in a written warning and failure to improve will result in the removal from the practice list. In all other instances where the doctor/patient relationship has broken down, the practice will write to the patient explaining the reason for the patient’s removal.

GDPR (GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION)

We understand how important it is to keep your personal information safe and secure and we take this very seriously. We have taken steps to make sure your personal information is looked after in the best possible way and we review this regularly.

Please read our privacy notice on our website for more information.

https://www.wordsworthhealthcentre.nhs.uk/patient-info/privacy-policy/