You and your general practice

The guide below tells you what to expect from your general practice (GP) and how you can help them, so you get the best from the National Health Service (NHS). More details can be found through the link below.

NHS England » You and your general practice – English

Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases Anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the CCG and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Chaperone

If you would like a chaperone present during consultation, pelase inform reception, who will be more than happy to arrange this for you.

Violence Policy

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

Did Not Attend (DNA) Policy

A DNA (Did Not Attend) occurs when an appointment is not attended and the Patient has not contacted the Practice in advance to cancel it, or, where the cancellation is so late as to make it impossible to allocate that time to another Patient who needs treatment.

The Practice will code this ‘DNA’, and this will prompt a retrospective check on the number of DNAs recorded against that person. Whilst we are primarily concerned with our own appointment observance, consideration may also be given to any hospital appointments where we have been notified that a Patient has failed to attend. A re-referral on the part of the GP (more GP time) will often be required by the hospital department so that the Patient can be recalled.

Compliments, Suggestions & Complaints

We strive to give the best possible care and treatment to our patients, and if you receive good treatment, please tell us!

All patients will be treated with respect, kindness and dignity, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion or cultural beliefs. We believe in continuity of care and you will be registered with a named doctor who will assume responsibility for overseeing your needs.

If, for whatever reason, you are not happy with any service we provide we would love to hear from you. Please either ask at reception as to how to put your concern in writing, or email us on NEHCCG.princesgardenssuregry@nhs.net. Your comments are valuable to us and will only help us to improve the quality of care and the service we provide.