New Chapel Street Surgery

Patient Charter

All members of the primary care team are dedicated to a quality policy to achieve health services, which meet your requirements

Practice Leaflet

All new patients will receive a copy of our practice leaflet and copies will be available at the reception desk.

Surgery Premises

Our surgery building will be welcoming, easy for patients to find their way around and appropriate to the needs of users, including the disabled.

Patients’ rights to General Medical Services

Patients have the rights to:

  • Be registered with a General Practitioner
  • Change doctor if desired
  • Be offered a health check on joining the practice
  • Receive emergency care at any time from the practice
  • Receive appropriate drugs and medicines
  • Be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and the GP agrees
  • Have the right to view their medical records, subject to the Acts and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential.

Changes to Procedures

When changes are introduced to practice procedures that affect you, we will ensure that these are clearly explained, on our website, the waiting room notice board or individual leaflets, giving as much notice as practicable.

Repeat Prescriptions

To ensure the best possible knowledge of your personal health, these will be signed by your usual GP wherever possible.

Referrals

  • Urgent referrals to other health and social care agencies will be made within one working day of the patient consultation. Where requested, our GPs will refer you to a private health provider.
  • We will normally process non-urgent referrals within five working days of the your consultation or the doctor’s decision to refer.

Test Results

When a doctor or nurse arranges a test you will be informed how to obtain the result.  (Results are normally available after 2 pm the following day.)

Transfer of Medical Records

The Practice will endeavour to dispatch any medical record required by the Health Authority within seven working days and same day if the request is urgent.

Privacy and Confidentiality

We will respect your privacy, dignity and confidentiality at all times.

Appointments: With a Doctor

For routine consultations we will endeavour to offer you an appointment within two working days of the request.    For medically urgent requests, we will offer an appointment on the same day.

Appointments: With a Practice Nurse

For routine appointments we will offer an appointment within five working days.

If there is a delay in the appointment wait (when you arrive) of more than 20 minutes we will let you know.  We are happy to update you on any delay situation if you feel that you have been waiting too long.

Home Visits

The decision to home visit will be at the doctors’ discretion.  We are unable to guarantee a specific doctor will visit you as this depends on availability and other factors.

Out of Hours Emergencies

We will do everything possible to ensure that our system for contacting the duty doctor is easy to follow, reliable and effective.

Waiting Times

  • Surgeries will normally start on time
  • We expect you to be seen within twenty minutes of your appointment time, and in the event of a delay we will offer an explanation
  • When a doctor is called away on an emergency we will inform you and give you an opportunity to book an alternative appointment, or if preferred, to be seen by another doctor.

With these rights come responsibilities and for you this means

  • Courtesy to the staff at all times – remember they are working under doctors’ orders
  • Responding in a positive way to questions asked by the reception staff
  • Attending appointments on time or giving the practice adequate notice that you wish to cancel. Someone else could use your appointment!
  • An appointment is for one person only – where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made and the Medical Record be made available
  • You should make every effort when consulting the surgery to make best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience
  • You are asked to give 48 hours notice for repeat prescriptions, as it is to allow for accurate prescribing
  • Out-of-hours calls (e.g. evenings; nights & weekends) should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary

Date published: 14th August, 2020
Date last updated: 19th January, 2023