Practice Charter

The Patient: Your Responsibilities

We are here to help you, but to do this we sometimes need your assistance. Here we explain the ways in which you can help the surgery provide a better service for all patients.

• Patients should respect their health and therefore seek to maintain a healthy lifestyle and minimise their health risks.
• Patients should value the members of the practice team as professional advisers. This includes extending the same courtesy and politeness as they would expect to receive.
• Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made in good time to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. Requests should be made in writing to the surgery and where possible be deposited by the patient in the repeat prescription box on the reception desk at our Denbigh Street site. In the case of emergencies or for those that are housebound, requests will be taken over the phone.
• Requests for help or advice for non-urgent conditions should be made within normal surgery hours. This includes the Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster out-of-hours doctors service which should only be used in the case of urgent medical conditions and not for routine problems or queries.
• The patient should do everything possible to keep appointments. The surgery should be notified as soon as possible if you are unable to attend, so that the appointment can be given to another patient. Failing to turn up for appointments without notifying the surgery in advance could prevent possibly urgent cases from receiving earlier medical attention.
• Whilst privacy is respected by all staff, it would be helpful if patients would indicate the nature of the appointment ie blood tests, vaccinations, smears, etc, so that we can advise on the best member of the team to consult.
• Home visits should be regarded as a service for the genuinely housebound or seriously ill. They are time consuming and their misuse would disadvantage those in genuine need.
• If you are a new patient please be ready to tell us details of your past medical history, including illnesses, medication, hospital admissions and other relevant details. Make sure you have registered all the members of your household.
• If you move house or are planning to in the near future you should notify the surgery of your new address as soon as possible. Remember that in the case of an emergency we may need to contact you urgently.
• Due to the importance the surgery places on effective use of resources, patients found repeatedly failing to attend appointments without notifying the surgery in advance, abusing the home visits or KCW night service or repeatedly phoning in to request repeat prescriptions will have their registration status reviewed.

Accessibility

It is important that all patients have access to the services we offer. For this reason the surgery believes it is important to provide adequate facilities and outline minimum standards of service, that provide all patients, regardless of age, race, or disabilities, the means by which to exploit our services.

Facilities

We will ensure that clean, comfortable and accessible surgery premises are available and maintained in line with current modern practice. This includes facilities for the disabled and children; such as proper access to our premises for all patients; disabled toilets; a range of toys and books for children and specially designated areas for prams. These facilities are available at both our Denbigh Street and Vincent Square sites, although access for disabled patients is better at the latter.

Contacting the Surgery

We aim to answer telephone calls as promptly as possible. There is always at least one member of the practice team that is available to answer the telephone at all times during normal surgery hours. A doctor/nurse will be available to give telephone advice each working day, by arrangement via the reception staff. While urgent calls will be dealt with immediately, patients with non-urgent problems are expected to call between 8.30 and 9.15am or 12 noon and 12.30pm. If you think you may require a home visit please call before 11.30am.

Appointments

We offer a range of flexible appointment times to suit the needs of the population served. We aim to offer our patients with work commitments at least 24 surgeries a month that run between 5.00 and 8.00pm.

On weekdays, wherever possible, patients with non-urgent problems will be able to consult a doctor within one working day or a nurse within two working days.

Wherever possible patients with non-urgent problems will be offered the chance to consult with a specific doctor or nurse within three working days.

The surgery is committed to seeing all patients once they have been allocated an appointment time with one of the doctors or nurses. In the unusual event of an appointment having to be cancelled, the surgery, where possible, aims to provide all patients with a new appointment time that is within 24 hours of their original appointment time.

Patients with urgent medical problems will be given priority and will be seen as soon as possible at the surgery or at home if a visit is required. If patients require urgent medical attention outside surgery hours they should contact our 24 hour emergency service - KCW Doctors On Call.

Waiting Room

Waiting times at the reception desk will be kept to a minimum. On arrival at the surgery, patients will be informed of any delay to their booked appointment time. If a surgery is running more than half an hour late, the reception staff will notify all patients waiting to see the doctor or nurse in question. The practice aims to meet the following standards in relation to surgery waiting times:

All patients will be seen within one hour of their allotted appointment time.

95% of patients will be seen within half an hour of their allotted appointment time.

60% of all patients visiting the doctor and 70% of all patients visiting the nurse will be seen within 15 minutes of their allotted appointment time.

Average appointment times should be no more than 10 minutes for each doctor and 15 minutes for each nurse.

Medical Treatment Within The Practice

All members of the practice team are available to offer you professional advice and assistance. Remember it is our aim to provide you with the best treatment we can. The surgery premises should be conducive to promoting and maintaining good health and it is our intention, at all times, that you should be treated as a partner in the care and attention you receive.

Immunisations

All children should be fully immunised. These are carried out by the health visitors. Parents should book an appointment for their children as soon as possible after birth.

Travel vaccinations are done by the nurses. Please make an appointment at least three weeks before you plan to leave the country.

Written Information

We provide a range of health education leaflets and will be happy to give advice or provide you with alternative information wherever possible.

Advice and Treatment

Advice and suggestions for treatment should be valued and respected, although you have the right to reject the advice, or ask for a second opinion if you so wish.

Following discussion, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent.

Medication

Where repeat prescribing is agreed by the doctor, this will be dealt with as quickly as possible. We aim to provide all repeat prescriptions within one working day. A repeat prescription will only be given where a doctor believes it is clinically indicated.

When your medication is due for annual review, we will put a note on your prescription to this effect. Please ensure that you make an appointment for review before you run out of your medication.

In-house Services

We are committed to providing a wide range of in-house direct-assess services, so as to cut your waiting time and provide better co-ordination between primary and secondary care. Go to our section on in-house services for additional information. The following are the standards they aim to maintain:

Community Psychiatric Nurse. Our CPN works from our Vincent Square site. Initial contact with the patient will normally be by letter or telephone within two days of receipt of the referral. Referrals are designated as either "essential" or "desirable" according to urgency. Essential referrals are offered an appointment or visit within one week, while desirable referrals are offered an appointment or visit within four weeks. If a patient on the CPN caseload requires urgent treatment they will receive attention the same day as our CPN is notified.

Health Visitors. They visit all new babies within 14 days of birth as long as the child has been discharged by the midwife. Any under fives that register with the surgery will be contacted to arrange an appointment within two weeks, as well as being offered access to our weekly baby clinics. Please note they are not an emergency service, visits are by appointment only.

Dietician. We aim to offer a first appointment within four weeks of referral by one of the partners.

Health Clinics. These include asthma, diabetic, chronic bronchitis and smoking cessation. Minor surgery clinics cover rheumatology injections and cryotherapy of skin lesions. These clinics are held by the doctors.

Mental Health Workers. We have access to a Clinical Psychologist and a Psychotherapist for those patients requiring talking therapy.

Treatment By Outside Agencies

One would obviously prefer it if one's family or oneself never required specialist medical care. However, over time we know that most people are likely to require some form of outside advice or treatment. For this reason when we refer patients to outside agencies, we believe that it is vitally important that you receive the same standard of care that you receive within the practice.

Referrals

Any referrals to other agencies, specialist medical or other services, will be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Our aim is that all written referrals will be dispatched within three working days.

We believe in the importance of obtaining fast, quality care for all our patients when they are referred to outside agencies for specialist care. We utilise the national 'choose and book' system for referrals. This allows you to choose any hospital or consultant in the UK for your treatment and we can give you an idea of waiting times and help with getting your appointment.

We keep accurate up-to-date records of waiting times at all our main providers, and hold periodic surveys so you can provide us with your opinions on the care that you have received.

Obtaining Information From Outside Agencies

Both the doctor and the patient should come to a clear understanding of the procedure to be adopted for following up the results of referrals, treatments and tests, and the means of communicating the results. We aim to provide patients with test results within two working days and x-ray results within nine working days. In most instances this information will be passed on by the reception staff, unless it is believed that consultation with one of the doctors is required.

If you have not received test results, confirmation of a first appointment, or any other relevant information by the time you were told they would be available, then contact the practice which will try and provide you with the information within 24 hours.

Communication and Information

We believe that effective communication and information channels are essential to providing you with the best possible care and advice. All practice staff will offer a high standard of courtesy, advice and assistance. This is irrespective of your ethnic origins, religious beliefs, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems.

Staff Identification

We believe it is important when dealing with patients that all members of staff clearly identify themselves. When dealing with telephone calls, practice members will always give their name when asked, or if they believe the patient will have to contact the surgery again regarding the matter.

Languages

We can offer an interpreting service if required; please notify the surgery in advance if you believe a member of your family requires an interpreter. For the most commonly used languages (such as French, German, Spanish) the surgery requires 24 hours' notice. However, for some less widely used languages up to three days' notice may need to be given.

The surgery believes it is important to assess the needs of our practice population and provide the information that will be of greatest assistance. Where possible this includes providing written information in a range of languages that reflects the needs of our patients.

Information

We will give full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to provide you with all the information which directly affects your health and the care you are being offered. It is our job to give you advice and treatment. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information you are given. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

We perform regular patient surveys and audits and encourage feedback from patients on all aspects of the practice. When it is indicated that changes are desirable we aim to implement them quickly and effectively.

We use a large variety of flexible information sources to provide all patients with the most up to date surgery news. We use posters in both our waiting areas to pass on general health information, practice procedure and news on clinics and services that are currently available. Presentation files pass on results of practice audits and patient surveys, as well as general practice information.

Privacy

Wherever possible we will set aside an area for confidential conversations between patients and reception staff.

A patient's privacy will be respected at all times; all medical records are confidential and will not be passed to any outside body without prior consultation with the patient. You have the right to see your health records, subject to any limitations in the law and at the GP's discretion.

Computers And Records

The practice is fully computerised. All records are protected by the Data Protection Act and a copy may be obtained by arrangement with our Practice Manager. Paper records may be inspected by agreement with the doctor.

Confidentiality

All the staff are aware of the need for total confidentiality of consultations, records and results. This may mean that they are unable to disclose information, even to partners or close relatives, without permission of the patient.

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A publication scheme is guide to the 'classes' of information the practice intends to rountinely make available. This scheme is available from reception.

Complaints and Suggestions

We will provide all our patients with information and assistance about how to make suggestions or complaints about the care that we offer. For detailed information on our "Complaints and Suggestions" procedure please click here. If you have any questions please discuss them with the practice manager Dixie Coombs or one of the secretairies.

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

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 rountinely make available.

This scheme is available from reception

Zero Tolerance

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.