We will:
- Treat you with respect and understanding
- Offer you a health check on joining the practice
- Enable you to see a doctor on the same day if it is medically urgent
- Treat your problems and medical records with total confidentiality
- Prescribe all appropriate drugs and medicines
- Give you the choice about taking part in the teaching of medical students
- Refer you for a second opinion if you and your doctor agree that this is appropriate
- Endeavour to process your repeat prescriptions within two working days
- Give you the opportunity to make comments, suggestions and complaints.
In return we expect you to:
- Treat all staff with respect and courtesy at all times
- Request home visits only when you are too ill to come to the surgery
- Cancel your appointments if you are unable to keep them
- Understand that even the best planned systems are disrupted occasionally by emergencies
- Attend your health checks when requested by the clinical team.
Practice Mission Statement
To provide our patients with high quality, safe, accessible care in a responsive,
courteous manner
Complaints Procedure
We always try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel that 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 Primary Care Trust or the Healthcare Commission.
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 on how best to undertake the investigation.
We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so we will endeavour to acknowledge your letter within three working days, and an offer to discuss the matter in person will be given. We will keep you informed of potential timescales and a full response will follow as soon as reasonably practicable.
Comments and Suggestions
We accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients in respect of the service we offer. Please present your views in writing at reception or use our suggestion box.
Confidentiality
We ask for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment. We keep this information, together with the details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again.
We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example; to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow’s clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.
Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth. The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The register does not contain clinical information.
The Summary Care Record is information about your medication and allergies that may be passed to other NHS services when you are requiring treatment. This ensures that the NHS can provide you with a seamless service. You are able to Opt-Out of this record if you do not wish this information to be shared, ask at reception for an Opt-Out form.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
Zero Tolerance
The practice supports the NHS policy of zero tolerance with regard to violence or abuse to the doctors, staff or others on the practice premises or other locations where treatment may take place.
Persons abusing this policy may be reported to the police and removed from the practice list.
Freedom of Information
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.
Accessing Your Medical Records
You may request access to your medical records by writing to the Practice Manager.
CCTV
Closed circuit television (CCTV) is installed at the practice premises for the purposes of staff, patient and premises security. Cameras are located at various places on the premises, and images from the cameras are recorded.
Please click the following link to read Forest House Surgeries CCTV Policy and Code of Practice
CCTV Policy and Code of Practice