Confidentiality

The practice complies with 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 e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. 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 e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Suggestions & Complaints

Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We will always be willing to hear if there is any way that you think that we can improve the service we provide.

Making a Complaint
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice please let us know. We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.

If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

• Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• Provided that is within 12 months of the incident.

Anny Wells will be pleased to deal with any complaint. She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your complaint:

• In person – ask to speak to Anny Wells, Practice Manager
• In writing – some complaints may be easier to explain in writing, please give as much information as you can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of Anny Wells, the Practice Manager as soon as possible.

What shall we do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible. We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 25 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.

When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
• Make sure you receive and apology, where appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again

At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.

Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

What you can do next
We hope that if you have a problem you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.

However this does not affect your right to approach the local Primary Care Trust if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the way we are dealing with your complaint. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service based at Surrey PCT provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns you may have about the care we provide, guiding you through the different services available from the NHS. Telephone 01372 227300

If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complain you have the right to ask the Healthcare Commission to review your case. The Healthcare Commission is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide service. You can contact them on 020 7448 9200 or write to them at:

Healthcare Commission (Complaints Team)
Peter House
Oxford Street
MANCHESTER
MI 5AN
www.healthcarecommission.org.uk  

Help us to get it right We constantly try to improve the service we offer. Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.

We regard the care for your health as a partnership between yourself and the Doctors and Staff. The success of this partnership depends on co-operation and a shared responsibility. In this Charter we set out what our mutual responsibilities are to achieve a high standard of care.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU

• All patients registering with the Practice will be given a practice booklet which details the services available and a brief description of the doctors.
• We will offer an urgent consultation on the same day in an emergency situation.
• We aim to see you within 20 minutes of your booked appointment time. You will be given an explanation for any delay of more than 30 minutes.
• Emergency care is available 24 hours a day. 365 days of the year.
• Patients will be referred for a specialist opinion when appropriate and referred for a second opinion if the specialist and GP agree this is desirable.
• Urgent referrals to other health and social care agencies will be made within one working day of the patient consultation. Non-urgent referrals will normally be made within 7 working days of the patient consultation or the doctor’s decision to refer.
• Medication will be prescribed as appropriate by the GP.
• Our aim is to have repeat prescriptions ready within 48 working hours. For further details please see the appropriate section in the practice booklet.
• When a doctor or nurse arranges for an investigation or test to be carried out they will explain to the patient how to obtain the results.
• You have the right to access your medical record. For further information please see the appropriate section in the practice booklet.
• Confidentiality is of the utmost importance and practice staff are under a legal duty to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• When medical records are requested for transfer by the Health Authority they will be dispatched within 5 days and within one working day when the record is requested urgently.
• Your constructive comments and suggestions on our services will be welcome. A suggestion box is available for this purpose.
• Any complaints will be dealt with as swiftly as possible. For further details see either the appropriate section in the practice booklet or the poster displayed in Reception.
• Practice procedures are constantly under review and any changes that affect patients will be clearly explained.
• Doctors and staff are involved in continued education and training.
• You have the choice whether or not to participate in research or medical student training.
• You will be received and addressed with courtesy and respect.

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YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO US

• Inform us of any change in name, address or telephone number.
• Be punctual for appointments and let us know in good time if you are unable to attend.
• Please make an individual appointment for each person to be seen.
• Check in at reception on arrival.
• Only request a home visit if you are too ill to come to the surgery. A Doctor can see 4-5 patients in the time it takes to visit you at home.
• Out of hours visits should be for emergencies only.
• You are responsible for your health. Please act upon our advice and take medication as prescribed.
• Request your repeat prescriptions in good time (minimum of 48 hours). Do not wait until you run out of medication.
• We believe we have the right to bring to your attention if you have made inappropriate use of our services.
• We expect you to treat our staff and Doctors with the same courtesy and respect.

NHS Training Practices in Kent, Surrey & Sussex

Information for Patients

Oxshott Medical Practice has been accredited to train doctors intending to become general practitioners.

Oxshott Medical Practice needs to be regularly inspected and only doctors approved for this purpose will carry out the assessment.

Sometimes the doctor may wish to video record their consultations and patients may therefore be asked to sign a letter of authorisation to permit this.

Your permission will always be requested beforehand and you do have the right to decline.

Medical Students

Oxshott Medical Practice also undertakes the training of final year medical students from St George's Medical School. Usually, the medical student will sit in with one of our doctors so please tell the doctor you are seeing if you wish to be seen without the medical student present.

The Practice is firmly committed to ensuring that the Partners and staff are free to go about their daily work without fear or threat from violence, aggression and intimidation.

For this reason the Practice has adopted a policy of zero tolerance and patients who are violent or abusive will be removed from the practice list.

Oxshott Medical Practice is committed to providing a high quality health service to meet the needs of our patients.