Willow Street Medical Centre

Practice Charter Standards

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 responsibilities 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 rooms.

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 30 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; within half a working day in cases of urgency. 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 to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone.

Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of the results at your next appointment. If no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to obtain the results.

Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.

Information: We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that 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.

Health Records: You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your responsibilities 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.

We need help too. Please ask for home visits by the doctor only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.

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. Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.

We operate a zero tolerance policy on violence or abuse to doctors and practice staff. Any patient who is abusive or commits an act of violence will be removed from the practice patient list.

We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect.

Please read our practice booklet. Along with this website it will help you to 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.

PROTECTION AND USE OF YOUR INFORMATION

We ask for information about you so that you can receive the best possible care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, to ensure that your doctor or nurse has accurate and up-to-date information. It also may be needed if we see you again.

We only use or pass information about you to people which have a genuine need for it. Whenever we can we shall remove details that identify you as an individual. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality about patient information.

If at any time you would like to know more about how we use your information you can speak to the practice manager.

For further information please refer to the leaflet held in Reception entitled 'Reassuring Patients about Confidentiality'.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Please do not ask any of the staff for confidential information about members of your family. This may include: whether they have an appointment, test results, whether they are on the premises. The staff are not allowed to tell you.

Comments and Suggestions

We are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients.

Complaints Procedure

We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

If you have a complaint, please contact the practice manager by telephone or in writing.

Primary Care Trust

Our practice is part of the Shropshire County PCT. They can be found at Mytton Oak Road (tel: 01743 261300). The North Area office for the PCT is located within the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Gobowen (tel: 01691 652100).