Communication And Information
We believe that effective communication and information channels are essential for providing you with the best possible care and advice. All practice staff will offer a high standard of advice and assistance in a courteous manner. This is irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious beliefs, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems.
1. Staff identification: We believe it is important when dealing with patients that all members of staff clearly identify themselves. When dealing with telephone calls, practice members will always give their names when asked, or if they believe the patient will have to contact the surgery again regarding the same matter.
2. Waiting: Waiting times at the reception desk will be kept to a minimum. On arrival at the surgery patients will be informed of any delay to their booked appointment time. If a surgery is running more than half an hour late, the reception staff will notify all patients waiting to see the doctor or nurse in question.
3. Languages: We can offer an interpreting service if required. Please notify the surgery in advance if you believe a member of your family requires an interpreter. For the most commonly used languages (such as French, German, Italian) the surgery requires 48 hours' notice. However, for some less frequently used languages a longer period of notice may be needed.
4. Information: We will give full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to give you all the details which directly affect your health and care. It is our job to give you advice and treatment. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information you are being given. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.
We provide a range of health education leaflets and will be happy to give you advice or provide you with alternative information wherever possible.
5. We perform regular patient surveys, audits and encourage feedback from patients on all aspects of the practice. When changes need to be made we aim to implement them quickly and effectively, and keep you fully informed.
6. Privacy: Patients' privacy will be respected at all times; all medical records are confidential and will not be passed to any outside body without prior consultation with the patient. You have the right to see your health records, subject to any limitations in the law and at the GP's discretion.
Please note: We have a room next to the reception desk for confidential/sensitive conversations between patients and reception staff.
7. Advice and suggestions for treatment should be valued and respected, although you have the right to reject the advice or ask for a second opinion if you so wish. 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.
The Patient: Your Responsibilities
We are here to help you, but to do this we sometimes need your assistance. Here we explain the ways in which you can help the surgery provide a better service for all patients.
1. Patients should respect their health and therefore seek to maintain a healthy lifestyle and minimise their health risks.
2. Patients should value the members of the practice team as professional advisers. This includes extending the same courtesy and politeness as they would expect to receive.
Zero tolerance to violence: The practice is determined to ensure that no member of staff is subjected to intimidation and violence. ‘Violence’ means any incident where staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, wellbeing or health. Every violent incident, including verbal abuse, will be dealt with seriously and, where appropriate, reported to the police. Violence against fellow patients will be dealt with in the same way.
3. No smoking: We are committed to a policy of promoting good health and preventing disease. There should be no smoking on the premises so as to ensure a smoke-free environment.
4. Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made in good time to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. Requests should be made using the computer-generated right side of your prescription or alternatively a request may be made in writing to the surgery. For safety reasons requests for repeat medication will not be taken over the telephone.
5. Requests for help or advice for non-urgent conditions should be made within normal surgery opening hours. The out-of-hours service operated by Thamesdoc should only be used in the case of urgent medical conditions and not for routine problems or enquiries.
6. The patient should do everything possible to keep appointments. The surgery should be notified as soon as possible if you are unable to attend, so that the appointment can be given to another patient. Failing to turn up for appointments without notifying the surgery in advance could stop possible urgent cases from receiving earlier medical attention.
7. Whilst privacy is respected by all staff, it would be helpful if patients would indicate the nature of the appointment ie blood tests, vaccinations, smears, etc, so that we can advise on the best member of the team to consult.
8. Home visits should be regarded as a service for the genuinely housebound or seriously ill. They are time-consuming and their misuse would disadvantage those in genuine need.
9. If you are a new patient please be ready to tell us details of your past medical history, including illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and other relevant details. Make sure you have registered all members of your household.
10. If you move house or are planning to in the near future you should notify the surgery of your new address as soon as possible. Remember that in case of emergency we may need to contact you urgently.
11. Due to the importance the surgery places on effective use of resources, patients found repeatedly failing to attend appointments without prior notification, abusing the home visits or Thamesdoc out-of-hours service, or repeatedly phoning in to request repeat prescriptions will have their registration status reviewed.
Confidentiality
Patients have a right to expect that information about them will be held in confidence by their doctor. Whilst we shall continue to presume you are happy for us to share relevant details to those to whom you agree to be referred, we can assure you that private medical information will never be released to non-medical third parties (such as your insurance company), without your signed consent.
If we are asked to provide information about patients we will:
• Seek their consent to disclosure of information wherever possible, whether or not we judge that patients can be identified from the disclosure.
• Ensure that the person given access to records will be subject to a duty of confidentiality
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.
Kingston Primary Care Trust
The practice works in contract with Kingston Primary Care Trust (KPCT). For further information about the role of KPCT please visit their website www.kingstonpct.nhs.uk or contact them at the address below:
Kingston Primary Care Trust, Hollyfield House, 22 Hollyfield Road, Surbiton KT5 9AL
Switchboard: 020 8339 8000 Fax: 020 8339 8100
Zero Tolerance
We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.