The Surgery, Great Massingham

Practice Policy

This practice aims to provide quality healthcare to the communities around its Great Massingham and Docking surgeries. The formal terms of service the doctors provide are determined by the Department of Health, but we would like to outline some of the informal aims and expectations of the relationship between the patient and the provider of this service.

The patient can expect:

• Courteous and attentive care.
  
• Confidentiality.
  
• Routine access by appointment to a doctor or nurse of their choice.
  
• 24-hour availability of urgent service.
  
• Provision of treatment and referral as deemed appropriate.
  
• Explanation of conditions and treatment.
  
• Provision of advice on health promotion and disease prevention.
  
• Access to their medical records made after 1 Nov 91 (subject to statutory conditions).
  
• To have criticisms/complaints investigated and to receive a written response.
  
• To move their care to another practice freely.
  

The doctors and members of the health care team can expect:

• Patients to use the services in a thoughtful and responsible way, mindful of the needs of others.
  
• Patients to accept urgent care from the available appropriate person.
  
• Patients to attend for appointments unless genuinely unable to do so.
  
• To receive requests for non-urgent visits by 10.30am.
  
• To receive 48 hours' notice (ie two working days) for repeat prescriptions.
  
• To reserve the right to ask patients to find alternative care.
  
• To carry out their duties in an environment where abuse or violence directed towards the doctors, staff or other patients will not be tolerated.

We hope our aims meet patient expectations, and that patients aim to meet our expectations, thereby leading to a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship.

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 Health Services Authority. 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.

PRACTICE PARTICIPATION GROUP

The surgery has a Patient Participation Group (PPG) to work with the practice to improve communication and to assist with health campaigns. The PPG is run, as part of a Government initiative, by a small committee of patients and practice staff with the aim of encouraging a positive relationship between patients and surgery.

If you are interested in getting involved, then leave your details with Ruth Harris at the surgery, who will inform the chairman of the PPG - Mr Graham Coombes.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

THE PROTECTION AND USE OF PATIENT INFORMATION

Information may need to be shared with others involved in your care, eg a hospital consultant, community nurse, social services. Information may also be used for research purposes and in this case you will be approached to see if you would like to take part.
Information given will be anonymous and we will remove details which can identify you by name where appropriate.

USE OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION

We have a requirement to make available personal health information when producing audits of diseases to outside agencies, as part of the General Medical Services (GMS) Contract. The information given is anonymous.

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 information can be accessed on the home page.

YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You have a right to be seen by a GP within 48 hours and a practice nurse within 24 hours. In meeting the timings set out above we will not be able to guarantee that you will be able to be seen by the doctor of your choice.

While you have rights of access to a GP or other health professional within a specific time limit, you also have a responsibility to keep any appointments that you make, or to let the practice know in sufficient time (where practicable) that you are unable to keep your appointment so that your appointment can be given to another patient.

Keep your appointment or cancel it!

VIOLENT OR ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR

The NHS definition of violence is:

'Any incidence where a GP or a member of the practice staff is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, involving an explicit, or implicit, challenge to their safety, wellbeing or health.'

The practice operates a 'zero-tolerance' policy towards violence in the workplace, and such behaviour will not be tolerated. We work in close liaison with the Norfolk Primary Care Trust, the police and other agencies. Any of our patients using or implying violence or verbal abuse towards any doctor or member of staff will be removed from the practice list.