Patients Rights and Responsibilities

We aim to provide the best possible service to our patients and hope you will feel that we achieve that aim. The care of your health is a partnership between yourself and the Primary Health Care Team. The success of that partnership relys on co-operation between us.

Our Responsibility To You:

• You have a right to confidentiality.
• You have the right to see your medical records, subject to the limitations of the law.
• If your problem is urgent we will see you on the same day
• For non-urgent problems one of our clinicians will see you within two working days. It can take longer to see a doctor or Clinician of your choice.
• We will inform you if there will be a delay of more than 20 minutes for your appointment.
• We will inform you when a doctor has to attend an emergency.  We will give you the opportunity to book another appointment or, see another doctor.
• We will refer you to a consultant when your GP thinks it necessary. We will make an urgent referrals within one working day.
• You have the right to receive appropriate drugs and medication.
• We will provide the result of any test or investigation on request or at your next appointment.
• Your repeat prescription will be ready in 2 working days of your request.
• We will provide a response to a complaint within 10 working days.

Your Responsibility To Us:

• Please treat all surgery staff with respect.
• Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself.
• Tell us of any change of name or address.
• Only request an urgent appointment if appropriate.
• You should only request a home visit if you are too ill to attend surgery. 
• Out-of-hours requests should be for emergencies only.
• Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend.
• An appointment is for one person only.  If another member of the family has a medical problem you will need to book a separate appointment.
• Please be punctual. 
• Be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency.
• Please allow enough time for your consultant's letter or the results of any tests to reach us.
• We will tell you the usual length of time to wait.
• Use the tear-off slip to request your repeat prescription whenever possible. Please attend for review, when asked, before your next prescription is due.
• Do let us know whenever you feel we have not met our responsibility to you.
• We would, of course, also be pleased to hear when you feel praise is due!