• Treat you as a partner in the care and attention you will receive
• Treat you as an individual with courtesy and respect at all times
• Following full discussion, provide you with the most appropriate treatment and advice, given by people who are suitably qualified. No care or treatment will be given without your Informed consent
• Give you full information about the services we offer and in particular anything which directly affects your health and care
• Encourage health promotion and education in the community
• Give you access to your health records, subject to the requirements and limitations of the law, treating them always as strictly confidential

• Treat the medical centre staff with the same courtesy and respect given to you
• Please enquire if you have doubts about or don't understand anything to do with your treatment
• Take the medication and advice offered to you, but contact your doctor if the medication appears to be unsuitable
• Keep us informed of any significant change in your circumstances
• Help us by only asking for "Out of hours" visits when necessary and only asking for a home visit when the patient is too ill to get to the surgery
• Cancel any appointment you no longer need or cannot attend. Somebody else is always waiting
• Be ready to give us full information about past illnesses, medication, hospital treatment or anything else relevant to your health and welfare
• Share with us your opinions and suggestions, either via reception, your Doctor, any member of the practice Patient Participation Group or this website       Comments >>>
• Tell us if we fail to meet these standards so that we can put things right. Do this by telling reception, by writing to the Practice Manager or by contacting your own Doctor at the Medical Centre

In general, you have a right to expect:

• To be offered a health check on first joining the practice and to receive a health check, at your request, if you are aged between 16 and 74 and have not seen your doctor in the past three years
• Emergency care at any time through the practice
• That appropriate medicines will be prescribed and appropriate treatment provided
• To be referred to a consultant acceptable to you when your own doctor considers it necessary
• To be referred for a second opinion if it is agreed that this is necessary
• A quick and efficient response to any complaints you may have
• That the practice endeavour to resolve complaints within ten working days

More specifically we undertake to provide these levels of service:

• We will aim to provide a non-urgent appointment within three working days with the doctor of your choice (subject of course to the constraints of leave, in-service training etc.). If we are unable to meet this target due to unforeseen circumstances, we will explain why
• We will ensure that you see a Doctor on the same day for urgent problems
• We will aim to provide a consultation within half an hour of your agreed appointment time. If delays occur as a result of emergencies, you will be kept informed and offered the chance to book another appointment
• We will provide repeat prescriptions as soon as possible; in practice this might take two full working days
• We will deal with emergency cases in order of urgency, based upon clinical judgement, as soon as is practically possible
• Whilst general first aid is always available to casualties presenting themselves to the Practice, hospital attendance will be encouraged where appropriate to ensure the best possible treatment
• In handling emergencies: during working hours we will answer the telephone within half a minute; out of hours there will be a simple system to enable you to speak to a Doctor with no more than two telephone calls. May be the Doctor will need to call you back.

• Try to be certain that your condition or problem warrants an urgent appointment before you ask for one
• Do not call out-of-hours unless there is a clear emergency
• Try to be clear, concise, accurate and factual on the telephone
• Make your request for a home visit before 10.30 am so that the Doctors can plan their visits for the day
• Request your repeat prescriptions in good time, repeats take 48 hours to process. Please use the paper repeat slips rather than telephoning the surgery for a repeat request.
• Do not expect a prescription every time you visit the surgery - good advice is often the best treatment.
• Please remember that you can find basic health information elsewhere - for example your local Pharmacist and NHS direct.
• Please remember that doctors are only human - they cannot solve all your problems and some illnesses cannot be cured.
• Make it clear whether your appointment is required for more than one member of your family; this will assist in preparing the patients' records for the consultation and allocating the appropriate amount of time.
• Take advantage of the opportunity to hold a brief telephone call with your Doctor. Please call the surgery on 01628 524646 and leave your number and a doctor will call you back. This will often avoid a visit to the surgery and save time for both the Doctor and yourself.
• Consider whether your problem or condition could be handled effectively by one of the medical professionals in the practice other than a Doctor. For example, health advice or treatment could be provided by the Practice Nurses, Health Visitors or District Nurses.