Leigh View Medical Centre

Practice Charter

PATIENTS’ RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• As a patient you have the right to access practice services as available.
• You have the right to be treated with respect by all members of the practice team.
• The practice team has the right to be treated with respect by all patients and their representatives.
• It is the patient's/representative's responsibility to contact the surgery to cancel unnecessary appointments.

VIOLENT / AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

The practice has a policy of ZERO TOLERANCE of violent or aggressive behaviour towards any member of the practice team.

Should an incident in any way threaten a member of the practice team the police will be asked to attend.

Any patient deemed to have used violent or aggressive behaviour towards any member of the practice team shall be removed from the practice list with immediate effect.

ACCESS TO RECORDS - CONFIDENTIALITY

The practice maintains patients' medical records on a computer database, in addition to the pre-2002 hand-written Lloyd George NHS record file.

GPs/practice nurse team/administrative staff have the right to access patient records in the course of their daily working responsibilities - patients are assured that ALL staff are bound by a confidentiality code.

If the practice team receives a request about a patient from a member of another medical team in the course of their clinical duties, the contact details are checked by the practice team and passed to a GP who, following consideration of the patient's ethical/medical need, will decide whether or not to disclose the information.

Patients who wish to see their records should apply in writing to their usual doctor. There is a statutory fee of £10.00 for access to records.

Any information requested by a non-medical third party eg solicitor, insurance company, needs the patient's written consent. It is important to realise that such consent will relate to the whole life-long record, unless stated otherwise.
Patients are entitled to see a report before or after it is sent.

The practice always seeks to ensure that patient records remain confidential.

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.

MISSION STATEMENT

We aim to develop and maintain good quality individual patient care, providing all standard core primary care services and developing a range of enhanced services that are consistent with modern general practice.

We aim for all members of the practice to work in a harmonious environment where they feel valued, respected and mutually supported.

We aim to be a respected practice in the community where patients see us as conscientious, trustworthy and reliable. We also aim to be respected by other local healthcare professionals (clinical and managerial).

We aspire to work in a developing, well organised and efficient practice which is run as a business but remembers its role as a public healthcare provider.

We will continue to improve practice financial viability by creating an environment where the needs of the practice are considered before those of the individual partners within it.
(January 2011)

If you would like to offer any positive, constructive or general feedback on any aspect of the practice, please email the Practice Manager - Miss Victoria Allen - and this will be passed on to the Partners and individual team members.                     
Email us: vallen1@nhs.net

PALLIATIVE CARE

End of Life Care Patient Charter (downloadable PDF)