Your Rights and Responsibilities

Help us to help you

We aim to provide the best possible service to our patients and hope you will feel that we achieve that aim.

The care of your health is a partnership between yourself and the primary health care team. The success of that partnership depends on an understanding of each other’s needs and co-operation between us.

Doctor’s Responsibilities

  • You will be greeted courteously
  • You have a right to confidentiality
  • You have the right to see your medical records subject to the limitations of the law
  • You will be seen the same day, if your problem is urgent
  • You will be seen by your doctor whenever possible
  • You will be informed if there will be a delay of more than 20 minutes for your appointment
  • You will be referred to a consultant when your GP thinks it necessary
  • You will be given the result of any test or investigation on request or at your next appointment
  • Your repeat prescription will be ready for collection 48 hours after your request
  • Your suggestions and comments about the services offered will be considered sympathetically and any complaint dealt with quickly

Patient’s Responsibilities

  • Please treat all surgery staff with the same respect – we are all just doing our job
  • Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself
  • Tell us of any change of name or address, so that our records are accurate
  • Only request an urgent appointment if appropriate. Home visits should only be requested if you are too ill to attend the surgery and night visits should be for emergencies only – the doctor on-call will be at work as usual the next day
  • Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend
  • Please be punctual but be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency
  • Please allow sufficient time for your consultant’s letter of the results of any tests to reach us
  • You will be advised of the usual length of time to wait
  • Use the tear-off slip to request your repeat prescription whenever possible. Please attend for review when asked, before your next prescription is due
  • Do let us know whenever you feel we have not met our responsibility to you
  • We would, of course, be pleased to hear when you feel praise is due