Horley Health Centre

PATIENTS' CHARTER

There is a leaflet which is available at reception which outlines our Patients' Charter; we do have a commitment to help our patients as much as possible and to continue to try and improve the service we provide. There is not room here to outline all the points in the Patients' Charter but we urge you to obtain a copy of this charter so that you can understand our commitment to you as patients and your responsibility to the team at the health centre enabling us to provide the best possible service to all of our patients.

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS POLICY

We are proud of our practice and our staff. Nonetheless, we recognise that problems may occasionally arise with the services we provide. Should you wish to make a complaint about us or our work, we give you the following undertakings:

1. We will endeavour to resolve minor complaints by the end of next working day.

2. Written unresolved complaints will be acknowledged within three working days including an offer to discuss the management of the complaint and timing of response.

3. We will offer you the opportunity to discuss your complaint with our practice manager, Mrs Christine Earwaker, in private.

4. If your complaint involves a doctor, we will offer you the opportunity to discuss it with the nominated doctor.

5. If, despite our efforts, you feel your complaint has not been dealt with adequately, we will advise you how you may pursue it.

6. We would welcome comments, suggestions and enquiries - these should be addressed to the practice manager who will be happy to try and help.

A copy of our complaints procedure is available in reception.

COMPUTERS

This practice is committed to computerisation. We are, of course, fully registered under the Data Protection Act. No personal medical information is released to any third party without express written consent.

THE PROTECTION AND USE OF PATIENT INFORMATION

We ask you for information about yourself so that you can receive proper care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again. You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can, we shall remove details which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law. The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a GP. It does not contain clinical information. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

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.

CODE OF CONDUCT/VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION

It is the aim of the practice to provide a safe a pleasant environment in which patients and visitors may receive healthcare and staff may carry out their work.
To assist in providing this, all persons accessing the services of the practice are expected to observe the Practice Code of Conduct.

This Code of Conduct states:

Persons attending the practice whether in person or by telephone should behave in a manner that respects the rights of others and the practice environment.

The following behaviour violates the Code and is therefore considered to be unacceptable:

• Excessive noise which is obtrusive to others in the vicinity
• Use of threatening/abusive/obscene language
• Offensive remarks of racial, sexual or personally derogatory nature
• Damage to property
• Theft
• Spitting
• Inappropriate behaviour involving alcohol/substance misuse

Any person acting in an unacceptable manner will be asked by a member of staff to stop behaving in such a way and to observe the practice Code of Conduct.

If a person repeatedly fails to observe the Code of Conduct, the Primary Care Trust will make alternative arrangements for the patient to receive his/her healthcare. These arrangements will be advised to the patient in writing by the Primary Care Trust.

Violent behaviour is never tolerated and will result in police prosecution of the aggressor and the direct and immediate removal of the patient concerned from the practice list.

PALS

Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) coordinator is Carol Rowley who can be contacted at St John's Court, 51 St John's Road, Redhill RH1 6DS (telephone number 01737 214842).

EAST SURREY CARERS SUPPORT ASSOCIATION

If you are caring for someone at home and need support, the association is an independent organisation managed by carers, working with and for all carers.

Their contact details are as follows: 01883 745057 or www.escsa.org.uk.

PRIMARY CARE TRUST

Our responsible Primary Care Trust is:

Surrey Primary Care Trust
Cedar Court
Guildford Road
Leatherhead
Surrey KT22 9RX