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Patient Charter

As a patient of the Practice, you have a right to:-

• Be treated as an individual, with courtesy, respect and dignity at all times.
  
• Be given the names of people involved in your care.
  
• Be offered a health check appointment on registering with the practice.
  
• Be seen, under normal circumstances, within reasonable time of your appointment or to be given the reason for the delay and have the right to make another appointment.
  
• Be given, under normal circumstances, an appointment within 24 hours with an appropriate health professional.
  
• Receive advice or action you can take to promote good health.
  
• Be given the most appropriate care by suitably qualified people and no care or treatment will be given without your informed consent.
  
• Be referred to a consultant acceptable to you when a clinician feels such a course of action is necessary.
  
• Have access to your health records subject to any limitations in the law.
  
• Expect a complaint to be treated in accordance with health service guidelines and to receive a leaflet describing the process.
  
• Receive a copy of the practice leaflet from reception which will give you details of all practice services etc., which are available to you.

What we expect from you:-

• To telephone the surgery prior to attending for urgent treatment for which you do not have an appointment.
  
• To attend the surgery instead of requesting a house visit, when at all possible, to gain benefit from facilities available. Home visits will normally be made only in true emergency situations, where for medical reasons the patient is unable to attend the surgery. Please note that under current NHS regulations, should the doctor consider that the most clinically appropriate place for assessment is at the surgery or our out-of-hours centre, then a home visit will not be made.
  
• To be on time for an appointment or let us know as soon as possible if you cannot attend.
  
• To treat the staff with courtesy and understanding. If you fail to do this or act aggressively or violently towards any members of staff, the police will be called and you will be removed from our patient list and we will ask the Vale LHB to make other arrangements for you to have access to services.
  
• To use the out-of-hours and emergency services appropriately. Asking for emergency/night medical attention only when it is truly necessary and attend the emergency treatment centre if requested.