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 an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 15 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay.
Access
You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency; 24 hours in cases of urgency; and otherwise within two working days. 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 and answer the phone promptly and to ensure there are sufficient staff available to do this. If you need to speak to your doctor or the practice nurse and they are unavailable, the receptionist will take your name and number and the doctor or nurse will call you back.
Administration Tasks
If you or someone on your behalf has requested an administration task which needs to be completed by one of our GP's or clinicians, please allow up to 28 days for this to be completed.
Respect
Patients will be treated as individuals in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious or cultural beliefs.
Information
We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure you receive that 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.
Infection Control
The practice takes the risk of cross-infection very seriously. If you feel that you may have an infectious condition please let the staff know so that they can make arrangements to limit the risk of spreading the infection. Most cross-infections, including flu and respiratory conditions, are dramatically reduced by simple handwashing with soap and water.
Health Records
You have the right to see your medical records subject to any limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times. If you wish to have photocopies of your records, this will incur a charge.
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.
- Please ask for home visits only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery. When you request a visit the doctor may call you back to discuss the visit further, please make sure we have the correct contact number.
- 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 and please phone after 2.00pm for results. 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. This will help you 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 are unsure of anything.
- Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.
- Please ask if you wish to see your doctor.
Zero Tolerance Policy
This practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and aggressive comments, bad language, physical contact and aggressive gestures.
No abuse of staff, doctors or other patients is acceptable whether verbal or physical. All abuse will be reported to the practice manager who will keep a log of all incidents.
Physical abuse of any of our staff by our patients is reported to the police. The patient will then be removed immediately from our list. If the police are not informed, the Health Authority will inform the patient of the need to register with a new doctor.
In these circumstances, the general practitioners are still obliged to see the patient if they come into the surgery within the next seven days.
South Kent Coast Integrated Care Board
The South Kent Coast Integrated Care Board is a group of clinicians working in practices in Deal, Dover and Shepway. The ICB is a Clinician led organisation and the majority of the board members are local GPs.
The ICB aims to have a "bottom led" approach, asking the patient what they would like to see in their local area. The ICB can be contacted via email: kmicb.kentandmedway@nhs.net or on 03000 424700.
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 scheme is available from reception.