THE PRACTICE AIMS
To provide a professional, friendly service.
Respect patient’s dignity and privacy.
Respect and protect confidential information.
Provide help and information to access other healthcare services.
See all urgent cases within half a day.
Provide routine appointments within 24 working hours.
Maintain a high standard of out of hour’s services.
Provide a high standard of nursing care.
Maintain continuity of care with the same GP.
Examine and respond to all patient complaints.
ACCESS
Reception and Names
A named staff member will greet you promptly and courteously.
The surgery is well signposted. Doctor’s names are displayed on their doors.
Help us to help you
Please treat staff as they treat you. If you change address or telephone number please inform us as soon as possible.
Telephone
The telephone will be answered promptly. Our aim is to answer the telephone within three rings.
If we need to ask you to hold the line and you do not wish to do so you may leave your number and we will return your call as soon as we are able.
Help us to help you
Please try to avoid telephoning the surgery for results, non-urgent repeat prescriptions, routine enquiries and appointments before 10.30am.
Please be patient if we ask you to hold during busy periods.
Appointments
If you need to be seen urgently (if you are in pain or feel that your problem cannot wait for a routine appointment), we will see you within half a working day.
Routine appointments will be offered within 24 working hours wherever possible.
Help us to help you
Your appointment is for one person. If you need a longer appointment please ask the receptionist.
If you are unable to keep your appointment please let us know. If you need to be seen urgently please try to telephone the surgery as near to 8.30am as possible and be prepared to attend at short notice.
It helps us to accommodate all our patients if you telephone to organise an urgent appointment.
If you attend without an appointment it mean a prolonged wait, not just for yourselves, but also for other patients.
Home visits
The doctor will visit you at home if: -
You are too ill to attend the surgery.
If you have just been discharged from hospital and are not yet fit to leave the house.
Within 24 working hours of discharge after having a new baby. Help us to help you.
If you need a home visit please telephone the surgery before 10.00am.
Please remember that the doctor can see several patients at the surgery in the time it takes for one home visit.
Be prepared for a telephone call from the doctor before his visits. This will help to prioritise visits so that the most urgent cases are visited first.
Be aware that the doctor always prefers to examine patients at the surgery, where the most appropriate equipment and facilities are available to them. This will help them to undertake a thorough examination and make an accurate diagnosis.
Please do not ask the doctor to visit because you do not have a car.
Telephone calls to the Doctor.
If you have a problem or query, and do not wish to visit the surgery, you may speak to you on the telephone: -
By telephoning the surgery and speaking to the receptionist to request a telephone call from the doctor.
The doctor will usually return your call at the end or morning surgery, if you telephone before 10.30, or at the beginning of afternoon surgery, if you telephone before 3.45pm.
Where possible, the doctor will return your call within 2 hours.
In urgent cases the receptionist will put your call through to the doctor in surgery, or ask the doctor to return your call between patient consultations. If the doctor is out of the building the receptionist will contact the doctor and ask that your call be returned immediately.
If the receptionist is unable to contact the doctor they will always try to connect you with another health professional, such as the Surgery Health Visitor, Practice Nurse or Community (District) Nurse.
Help us to help you
Always give the receptionist the correct telephone number of the place where you will be when the doctor telephones you (not forgetting the STD code if you are out of the area.
Please tell the receptionist if there is a time that you may need to pop out whilst awaiting the call.
Remember that a Pharmacist, Nurse, or Health Visitor may be able to answer queries by telephone as well as the doctor. If in doubt please ask the receptionist.
Waiting times.
If there is an unavoidable delay in the time you may be asked to wait at to be seen for your appointment you will be given an explanation.
If the delay is more than 30mins. you will be given the opportunity to re-book your appointment. We will make every effort to make this at your convenience.
Help us to help you.
Please remember that if you are late for your appointment it may mean that other patients will have to wait longer than necessary.
Out of Hours Emergencies.
When the surgery is closed you will be connected to the practice deputising services (Currently Dorset Doctors on Call) by telephoning the normal surgery telephone number.
You will not, in normal circumstances, be greeted by an answering machine at the practice that asks you to telephone another number.
Help us to help you.
Please use the out of hour’s service sensitively: -
Where possible, and if you are not sure of the urgency of the situation, please remember there are other services available to help. These include: NHS direct (a telephone advice and helpline service run by the NHS and staffed by qualified nurses) and your local pharmacy.
SERVICES.
Repeat prescriptions.
It is our aim to make it as easy as possible to order your regular medication. To order a routine repeat prescriptions you can: -
Telephone the surgery.
If you request your prescription by telephone or in person, before noon it will be ready for collection on the same day. Or we will post it to you if you provide us with a supply of SAE’s.
Post your repeat prescription slip (found on the opposite side of your prescription) to us.
If you post your prescription request and enclose an SAE we will return it by post on the day of receipt.
If we do not have your prescription ready for collection within the stated times we will send it by first class post.
Help us to help you.
Please keep the computer-generated slip to order your repeat medication. This avoids confusion, as some drugs are not supplied by the chemist under the same name as are stored on our computer.
Results.
The doctor or nurse will advise you on how to obtain test results at the time they are ordered.
If you are unsure of the type of tests being undertaken or the amount of tests you are having the doctor or nurse will give you a list of the tests that have been ordered.
When your test results are back we will contact you by telephone or letter if you need further action i.e. an appointment with the doctor or the test/s repeated.
Help us to help you.
Please try to tell the receptionist of the type of tests you have had when phoning or calling in for results. It is helpful if you know how many tests you have had in order to ensure that you receive all results.
Please ensure that we have your correct telephone and address in order to contact you regarding your result/s should it be necessary.
COMPLAINTS
The practice takes complaints very seriously. If you have a complaint it is important that you make your complaint as soon as possible after the event in the following way: -
By asking for an appointment with the practice manager or doctor to voice your complaint verbally.
Following this you will receive written acknowledgement of the meeting together with an account of the investigation into your complaint and notice of any action taken as a result of this.
However you may use the practice complaints procedure to voice your complaint as follows: -
Ask for a complaint form at the reception desk or telephone the surgery and ask for one to be sent to you by post.
Fill in and return the form to the Practice Manager. If your complaint is concerning the Practice Manager you may return the form to your doctor.
Your complaint will be acknowledged within seven working days of receipt.
You will either receive a written explanation, apology, and information of any action taken resulting from your complaint within one calendar month.
Alternatively, you will be contacted by the Practice and invited to attend a meeting for an initial discussion. You may request that any person involved in the complaint is or is not present at the meeting.
By the time of the meeting you may expect the Practice to have fully investigated your complaint. You may also expect that, by this time, the practice is able to inform you of the outcome and action taken in response to your complaint, and advice for you to take the matter further if you remain unsatisfied.
