Practice Charter

Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will only be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you, eg from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services, eg from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• 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 NHS Wirral and the 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.

If you are a carer or are yourself cared for by someone not registered with this practice, please ask to go on the 'Carers Register' so that we are able to update relevant contact details.

Suggestions & Complaints

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 resulting 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. Contact the practice manager and he will set all the necessary wheels in motion. We will ensure that any comment or complaint is taken seriously and confidentially investigated. We are continually striving to improve our service; any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and for that reason a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

Medical Records Access

Access to your medical records will only be made with your written consent. You have the right to view your medical records and application is to be made to the practice. (There may be a charge for this.) For further details, please ask at the reception desk.

Violent Or Abusive Behaviour

We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respective way. We will not tolerate violent or abusive behaviour directed towards staff, doctors and other persons on the premises. Violent patients will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist they will be reported to the police and removed from the GP's list. We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance.

Freedom Of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2008 obliges all medical practices to produce a Publication Scheme. This is a guide to the 'classes' of information that the practice makes routinely available. The scheme is available from the practice manager.

Private Fees

Some services provided by the doctors are not covered by the NHS and therefore you may be asked for a fee. Typical examples would include: insurance claim forms/private medicals/pre-employment medicals etc. A full list of fees is available in reception.

Carers

If you look after someone who is ill, frail, disabled or mentally ill, please ask at reception to go on our carers register. This is to enable us to support you, retain your contact details and offer any advice we can.