Practice Charter Standards

These are the local standards set within this practice for the benefits of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all of the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Our Responsibility To You:
We are committed to giving you the best possible service.

Names: People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery should be well signposted and the doctors' or nurses' names are indicated on their surgery doors.

Waiting Time: We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay.

Access: You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency; on the day in cases of urgency; and otherwise within two working days. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone.

Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice, we will inform you of the results at your next appointment. If no further appointment needs to be arranged, we will advise you when and how to obtain the results.
Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.

Information: We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive the information which directly affects your health and the care being offered.

Health Records: You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your Responsibility To Us:

Help us to help you.

Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.

Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot. Otherwise, other patients may have to wait longer.

We need help too. Please ask for home visits by the doctor only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.

Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for non-urgent matters.

Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so. Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital, should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.

We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect.

Please read our practice booklet/ Website. This will help you to get the best out of the services we offer. It is important that you understand the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.

Please ask if you wish to see your doctor.

Complaints Procedure
We Are Only Human!
Here at Horsmans Place Surgery we aim to provide a happy, friendly medical practice.

We know that life is not perfect and we know that sometimes we fail in our hopes.

If you are not happy with any aspect of our service we want to know.

We have an in-house complaints procedure to deal with any comments, suggestions or complaints about any of the services we offer. If you wish to make use of the procedure please arrange to see our practice manager Mr Tony Mulville.

You will normally be offered a meeting to discuss the problem within 10 days. You are entitled to bring along a friend or relative to this meeting. Please note that we have to respect patient confidentiality, therefore if you are complaining on behalf of another person, their written consent is required.

We are not able to deal with questions of legal liability. We will try to deal with your concerns, give you an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed. We hope that at the end of the meeting you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly.

If you use our in-house complaints procedure it does not affect your right to complain to the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust. You can write to them at Gravesham Community Hospital, Bath Street, Gravesend, Kent DA11 0DG or call them on 01474 360500.

Confidentiality
We ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. This practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team.