Practice Polices and Service Information

All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that disabled people have access to information that they can understand and any communication support they might need.

If you or your carer(s) have any communication or information needs relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss, we will try to respond to those needs.

We want to make sure that we are communicating with you in a way that is easy for you and that you can understand.   This could be as simple as using a larger font for any letters we send you or organising a Sign Language interpreter for your appointments.

Please don't wait for us to ask if you do have any communication  or information needs - just let us know.

How we can help?

There are a variety ways to help you access information including, but not limited, to:

• Signing up for online access to book appointments, order prescriptions and see your record all online.
• Using the 'TypeTalk' textphone service simply by dialing a prefix (18002 from a standard phone, 18001 from a textphone) before the number being called. Registration is no longer required.
• we have an induction loop at reception to help those with hearing devices
• our reception team will happily answer or ask questions in writing at the reception desk
• organising an interpreter or advocate
• providing large font leaflets and letters.
• providing braille translations (where possible)
• we are also open to using alternative communication methods such as, for example, email for those with text to speech software.

Do you have a suggestion on other ways we can help?

Can we improve what we already offer?

Please let us know: Complete a Friends and Family Test online or in reception or just tell us next time you are in.

Further Information

Accessible Information Standard on the NHS England

It is helpful to know if you have a Carer (someone who takes on an unpaid caring role) or if you are a Carer for someone else. We have an established Carer's policy and a Carer's information pack available from Reception. Also see Carers Information.

The practice is committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment where patients and staff are confident that best practice is being followed.  

Patients are entitled to ask for a chaperone for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel they prefer to have a chaperone.  

The practice will endeavour to provide a formally trained chaperone upon request, but patients would help us by requesting a chaperone when booking an appointment where a chaperone is required.  This may mean rescheduling appointments in order to meet this need.

A doctor, nurse or other health care professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.

Although we endeavour to give you the best possible service, there may be times when you feel you have received less than this. If you have any concerns regarding the service you have received, or simply require more information, please ask to arrange an appointment or speak with the Practice Manager.

We have to respect our duty of confidentiality to our patients and if you are complaining on behalf of someone else we do need their consent. Our reception staff can provide you with a consent form. Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide as much details as possible in the letter giving us consent as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be within 12 months of the incident or within 12 months of you discovering the incident.

We look to settle complaints as soon as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into the matter within 10 working days. Occasionally if we have to make a lot of enquiries it may take up to 4 weeks to get back to you with a reply, but we will keep you informed. We will carry out a full investigation of the matter and reply in writing or offer you a meeting to discuss the complaint, investigations and our findings if you so wish.

We hope that at the end of our investigation you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with your complaint thoroughly. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.

The contact details are:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Telephone 0345 0154033

A copy of our complaints information leaflet is available from reception.

All practices, in line with government guidelines, have a 'Zero Tolerance to Violence' policy. This means that any violent or abusive behaviour or perceived threatening behaviour, whether verbal or otherwise to staff or members of the public on practice premises will not be tolerated. We can refuse to provide a service, report the incident to the Police and request that the patient and their family be removed from their Practice list.