CHARTER RESPONSIBILITIES
For our part, we will:
* Ensure our patients
have 24-hour access to medical advice.
* Aim for you to have access to
a suitably qualified medical professional within 48 hours of your initial contact
during surgery hours, or in urgent cases, the same day.
* Work in partnership
with you to achieve the best medical care possible.
* Involve you and listen
to your opinions and views in all aspects of your medical care.
* Advise
and inform you of the steps you can take to promote good health and a healthy
lifestyle.
We
would respectfully ask that you:
* Let us know if you intend to
cancel an appointment or are running late.
* Treat staff with courtesy
and respect. Reception staff may have to ask some personal questions to assist
us in providing you with the best service.
* Inform the practice staff
of any alterations in your circumstances, such as change of surname, address or
telephone number. Please ensure that we have your correct telephone number, even
if it is ex-directory.
As patients, you are responsible for your own health
and that of any dependants. It is important that you take heed of any information
and adhere to advice given to you by health professionals, and co-operate with
the practice in their endeavours to keep you healthy.
AUDITS
We are continually looking at ways
to improve our service to you, the patient, and in order for us to do this we
monitor and audit different aspects of practice activity. From time to time we
may ask you to complete a short questionnaire
to help us. Your assistance at these times would be appreciated.
COMPLAINTS
AND SUGGESTIONS
We make every effort to give the
best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. However, we are aware
that things can go wrong which might result in a patient feeling that they have
a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to
be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible. Simply contact the practice
manager, Ann Masey, and she will set all the necessary wheels in motion. Further
written information on the complaints procedure is available from reception.
We
are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would
be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
We are fully computerised. The computer
is used for storing medical information, repeat prescriptions, and health-check
reminders such as immunisations and cervical smears and allows us to provide a
better service, especially in the field of preventative medicine. Confidentiality
is of vital importance to us.
Data Protection
Act: The practice complies
with the current legislation as laid down in the Data Protection Act 1984.
RECORDING OF CONSULTATIONS
From time to time the doctors may
wish to make a video recording of their consultations for training purposes. You
will be asked for your written consent before any recording is made, and you have
the right to have the recording erased at the end of the consultation if you so
wish. These recordings will ONLY be seen by other general practitioners.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Information
Sharing
The practice complies with the Data Protection
and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you
will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
* To provide
further medical treatment for you eg from district nurses and hospital services.
* The
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 aims to increase openness and accountability
for information held by public authorities. We in the practice are obliged to
help anyone who proposes to make a request for information. We will deal with
written requests within 20 working days. NHS Tayside may charge for handling a
request; however, there will be a maximum limit on the cost charged to patients.
* To
help you access other services eg reports for insurance companies, solicitors,
etc. This will require your written consent and you have the right to see and
alter any report before it is forwarded to any second party.
* When we have
a duty to others eg in child protection cases.
Anonymised patient information
will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and government
plan services eg for diabetic care. If you do not wish anonymous information about
you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PUBLICATION SCHEME
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force on 1st January 2005 and enables any person requesting information from a public body to recieve that information, subject to certain exemptions.
The practice publication scheme document is available to view. Please contact the practice manager for more information.
ZERO
TOLERANCE TO VIOLENCE
The practice considers aggressive
behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, bad language,
physical contact and/or aggressive gestures.
The practice will request
the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive
towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.
All
instances of actual physical abuse inflicted on any doctor or member of staff,
by a patient or their relatives, will be reported to the police as an assault.
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