PRACTICE CHARTER
THE VILLAGE SURGERY PRACTICE CHARTER - OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU The Practice is dedicated to a quality policy to achieve the health services which meet the requirements of our patients. In particular: Patients have a right to be greeted in a welcoming manner in all circumstances. Patients have a right to confidentiality. Patients should usually be seen within 20 minutes of their appointment time. Where there is likely to be a delay, patients have a right to be informed. Patients have the right to be treated with courtesy by GPs, employees and other providers of health services, both inside and outside the Practice. Patients have the right to information about their own health, particularly: any illness and its treatment; alternative forms of treatment; possible side-effects of treatment; duration and development of illness; likelihood of recovery; how to prevent or avoid the illness recurring; any other information the patients deem to request from any GP, Consultant or other doctor in the Health Service; above all, patients have the right to ask questions and have them answered. The Practice will offer advice and seek to inform patients of: steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness; advice on self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments. WITH THESE RIGHTS COME RESPONSIBLITIES AND FOR PATIENTS THIS MEANS: Where an appointment has been made, a patient is responsible for keeping it or giving adequate notice to the Practice that they wish to cancel. A doctors’ time is limited and he or she has many patients to see. It is the responsibility of patients not to delay the doctor unnecessarily and to be aware of other patients’ needs to consult. Delays can be reduced by remembering that an appointment is for one person only. Where another member of the family needs to be seen, even if it is regarding childhood ailments or if their symptoms are the same as the first persons’, another appointment needs to be made. A doctor can see many more patients in surgery than when out visiting. It is therefore a responsibility of patients to come to the surgery for appointments when not prevented by serious illness or infirmity. There are some patients who need long consultations because of the nature of their illness. A doctor does not know in advance who they might be. Patients in the waiting room should take this into consideration because, on another occasion, that long consultation might be them. As the Receptionist should treat the patients with courtesy and friendliness, so the patients should treat the Receptionists. It is not the Receptionists’ fault if the doctor is delayed. Each person is responsible for their own health and should take appropriate action with, where necessary, advice on how to prevent ill-health, for example by not smoking.
Last updated on 26 June 2012.
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