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Practice Charter
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 of anything.
Our Responsibility 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 are indicated on their surgery doors.
Waiting Time: We run a walk-in surgery and a pre-bookable system in this practice.
You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see
you.
Access: You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency. We will
arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill or infirm to be
brought to the surgery.
Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there
are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor
by telephone.
Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-ray ordered by the practice, we
will inform you of the results at your next appointment. If no further appointment
needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to obtain the results.
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 the 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 limitations
in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.
Your Responsibility To Us
Help us to help you.
Please let us know if you change your name, 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.
We need help too. 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 the 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.
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 unsure of anything.
Remember, you are responsible for your own health and health of your children.
We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.
Information Technology
As we strive towards full computerisation within the practice, confidentiality
remains of the utmost importance to us. The computer is used for storing medical
information, repeat prescriptions and health check reminders such as immunisations
and cervical smears, and allows us to provide a better service, particularly
in the field of preventative medicine.
Data Protection/Confidentiality
Confidentiality
The sensitivity of patient information is well-understood within the NHS. As a patient of this practice your medical records are confidential, and are accessible only to the members of the Primary Health Care Team involved in your care. All our staff are trained to respect their duty of confidentiality to you, and have this written into their Contracts of Employment. We keep paper and electronic records securely to prevent unauthorised access or misuse. Whenever practicable we remove references to personal details such as your name and address, and often restrict this further to reduce the chances of anyone identifying a record as relating to you. There may be occasions when medical visitors require access to ensure high standards of care are being maintained by the practice. You should be reassured that all persons who have access to your medical records are bound by the same rules of absolute confidentiality as members of the Primary Health Care Team.
All our patient records are kept on computer, and we can assure patients of complete confidentiality. We are registered in the Data Protection Register and your rights are protected by the Data Protection Act.
All members of the primary health care team in the course of their duties
have access to your medical records. They all adhere to the highest standards
of maintaining confidentiality. As our reception area is a little public, if
you wish to discuss something of confidential nature please mention it to one
of the receptionist who will make arrangements for you to have the necessary
privacy.
Information Sharing
The practice complies with both the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access
to Health Care Record Act (1990). Identifiable information about you will be
shared with others in the following circumstances:
* To provide further medical treatment for you eg from district nurses and hospital
services.
* To help you access other services eg reports for insurance companies, solicitors,
etc. This will require your written consent and you have the right to see and
alter any report before it is forwarded to any second party to help you get other
services eg from the social work department. This requires your consent.
* The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 aims to increase openness and
accountability for information held by public authorities. We in the practice
are obliged to help anyone who proposes to make a request for information. We
will deal with written requests within 20 working days. NHS Tayside may charge
for handing a request. However, there will be a maximum limit on the cost charged
to patients.
* When we have a legal duty to inform others eg in child protection cases.
Anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level
to help the Health Board and Government plan services eg for diabetic care. If
you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please
let us know.
Access To Medical Records
Under the Access to Health Records Act (1998) patients are allowed to view their
medical records. Copies of such records can also be requested, in writing, for
which we make a charge. We hold patient information on computer and comply with
the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Comments, Suggestions and Complaints
The doctors and staff at Bridge of Earn Surgery strive to give our patients the highest possible standard of care, and to act quickly if problems arise. If you have any comments, suggestions or complaints on any aspect of the service we provide, please bring this to our attention as soon as possible to allow us the opportunity to address your concerns and, if necessary, conduct a full investigation.
Complaints Procedure
We always try to provide the best service 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. 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 Health Board. 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 complaint, please telephone or write to our practice manager. Full
details will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake the investigation.
We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will be offered
an appointment for a meeting to discuss the details within 28 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.
Zero Tolerance
We strongly support the NHS policy of zero tolerance. Anyone attending
the surgery who abuses the GPs, 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.
Primary Care Trust
The address and telephone number of your PCT is:-
Tayside NHS Board, King's Cross Hospital, Clepington Road, Dundee DD3 8EA
Tel: 01382 818479
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