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CHARTER
Rights And
Responsibilities Of Patients
• Do what you can to look after
your own health and follow advice on a healthy lifestyle.
• Care for yourself when appropriate. You can, for example, treat yourself
at home for common ailments such as coughs, colds and sore throats.
• Listen carefully to advice on your treatment and medication.
• Keep your appointment. If you need to cancel it, advise reception.
• Return equipment that is no longer needed.
Please note - patients who are rude or abusive will be removed from the practice.
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.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Doctors and staff maintain patient confidentiality at all times. Patient confidentiality
is of the utmost importance and all members of staff work according to the guidelines
issued to them at the commencement of their duties with the practice; they also
sign a declaration of confidentiality. If a patient indicates they wish to speak
in confidence to a staff member, then we will do our best to comply with that
request.
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
We are happy to accept and consider
comments and suggestions from our patients. Please present your views in writing
at reception or by post (to our practice manager).
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We always try to provide the best
services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened.
The following information explains our in-house complaints procedure, drawn up
to respond to patient grievances. Our practice procedure is not able to deal with
questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use the complaints
procedure to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that
you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure
it will not affect your right to complain to the Stockport Primary Care Trust.
Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and
a patient's consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient
in person. If you wish to make a complaint, please telephone or write to our practice
manager. Full details will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake
the investigation.
We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will be offered
an appointment for a meeting to discuss the details within seven days. Occasionally
it may take longer, but we will keep you informed throughout. We will try to address
your concerns, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may
be needed.
Please note that many different health professionals work from the health centre
and not all of them are employed by our practice. If you wish to make a complaint
against the dressings clinic nurse or receptionist, district nurses, health visitors,
school nurses, podiatrists, physiotherapists, counsellors, speech therapist, or
midwives, then it is important not to write to the practice manager (Gillian Evans),
but rather it is advisable to contact the relevant health professional or, alternatively,
write to their manager at Stockport Primary Care Trust at Regent House, Heaton
Lane, Stockport SK4 1BS.
If there is a query abut any member of staff employed by this practice (this includes
all the doctors, practice nurses, healthcare assistant, receptionists and administration
staff), then the person to contact is the practice manager (Gillian Evans).
VIOLENT PATIENTS
The practice supports the Government’s
NHS Zero Tolerance campaign. Violence and abuse is a growing concern. GPs and
their staff have the right to care for others without fear of being attacked or
abused. Violent patients on the practice premises will be reported to the police
and struck off the GPs' list. We ask that all patients treat GPs and practice
staff properly - without violence or abuse.
www.nhs.uk/zerotolerance
PRIMARY CARE TRUST
Details of general medical services
in the area may be obtained from Stockport Primary Care Trust, Regent House, Heaton
Lane, Stockport SK4 1BS - telephone (0161) 426 5000.
The Trust employs staff who work from our health centre. Please note that we do not organise or employ them and if you would like to provide any feedback then please write to the Trust directly. The staff concerned include the dressing clinic nurse, district nurses, health visitors, podiatrists, counsellors, physiotherapists, speech therapists, school nurses and the Wednesday morning family planning clinic staff and the clinic administrator.
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