Claremont Medical Practice

PATIENT'S CHARTER AND USER GUIDE

Our aim is to provide continuing high quality personal medical care to all of our Patients. With this in mind, we have produced a Charter setting out the standards of service you should expect, and a User Guide to help us give you the best possible service.

1. You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems.

2. In return we also expect all Doctors and our staff to be treated courteously at all times.

3. Our aim is that any patient can access a healthcare professional within 24 hours and a GP within 48 hours.

4. You will be seen by a Doctor for URGENT conditions on the same day you request assistance.

5. You will not be kept waiting to see your Doctor for longer than 20 minutes, without being given an explanation of unavoidable delay, and an offer, if necessary, of another appointment.

6. Repeat prescriptions will be available for collection within 48 hours of your request.

7. Out of hours, ie out of normal opening hours, in an emergency, if you telephone the practice you will be given the Out-Of-Hours service Devon Doctors On Call telephone number, 0845 6710 270. Alternatively, you can seek advice from NHS Direct, a 24 hour Nurse-led service. Telephone 0845 4647.

8. All aspects of your visit will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and you will have complete privacy if this is required.

9. All Practice staff will have a badge so that their name is known to you.

10. The results of routine tests will be available within one month. Routine smear results will be available within three months.

11. Details of all health promotion programmes will be widely advertised in the Practice.

12. All team members are committed to, and fully involved in, continuing postgraduate education and training generally.

13. All of our staff are committed to maintaining good communication with other members of the Primary Health Care Team.

14. Access to and around the building for the elderly and disabled will be easy, and facilities will be provided for children.

15. These standards will be advertised widely to all Patients.

HELP US TO HELP YOU

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be achieved together. Please help us to help you.

1. You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention you receive.

2. Following discussion you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent.

3. You have the right to see your health records, subject to any limitations in the law, which will be kept confidential.

4. Information about the services we offer will be made available to you. Every effort will be made to ensure you receive the information which directly affects your health and the care being offered.

5. People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. Please let us know if you change your name or address.

6. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. 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.

7. We need help too. Please ask for a night visit only when you feel it is truly necessary and home visits by the Doctor only when Patients are too ill to visit the Surgery.

8. Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot, and be ready to tell us details of your past illnesses, medication, Hospital admissions and any other relevant details.

9. We want to improve services, and will therefore welcome any comments you have on the services we provide, including ways you think it could be improved.

We can be contacted on Exmouth 273666.

PRACTICE EQUIPMENT FUND

The Practice has an account funded by patient donations for the purchase of equipment. If you wish to donate to this, please contact our Practice Manager, Hazel Hunt.

SUGGESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

Claremont Medical Practice aims to give a friendly and professional service to all our patients. However, if you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS complaints system which meets national criteria. Complaints should be addressed to Mrs Hazel Hunt, Practice Manager, alternatively you may ask for an appointment with Mrs Hunt to discuss your concerns.

If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, you may contact NHS Devon, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QL. Anyone wanting help or advice regarding a complaint can contact The Patient Advice & Liaison Service known as PALS on 01392 402093 nor alternatively ICAS, the Independent Conciliatory Advice Service on 0845 1203782.

RESEARCH PRACTICE

We are a Research Practice for the NHS Primary Care Research Network and participate in several research studies annually. In addition the Practice contributes anonymous data to a database(s) used for health care research purposes. The data collection scheme has been approved by the South East Multicentre Research Ethics Committee. This Committee oversees all research conducted on the data. The database holds anonymised data on millions of patients, and no patient will be traceable to anyone outside the Practice.

In addition, we contribute anonymised records to a data base known as The Health Improvement Network (THIN). This database is managed by a company outside the NHS which does not have access to your personal details, only to anonymous medical records. The data is used for research into such topics as drug safety, disease patterns, prescribing patterns, health economics and public health.

If anything to do with the research would require that you provide additional information about yourself, you will be contacted to see if you are willing to take part; you will not be identified in any published results. If you would like to opt out of this data collection scheme, please let your doctor know and no data from your records will be collected for use in research. This will not affect your care in anyway.

If at any time you would like to know more, or have any concerns about how we use your information, please contact Hazel Hunt, Practice Manager, on 01395 273666.

DATA PROTECTION

Patients' records are held on the computer in accordance with guidelines of the Data Protection Act and strict confidentiality is maintained. Patients are entitled to request a copy of their records. There may be a charge for this.

PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible advice and care.

This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.

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.