The Patient’s Charter sets out Patients’ rights in the NHS and the standards of service they can expect to receive in areas addressing among others, waiting times; information about services, treatment; and privacy and dignity of the patient.
All members of the Edenbridge Medical Practice team are dedicated to a quality policy to achieve the health service which meet the patient’s needs.
Practice Leaflet:
All new patients will receive a copy of our practice leaflet and extra copies are available at the reception desk on request.
Surgery Premises:
The Edenbridge Memorial Health centre will be welcoming, easily navigated and appropriate to the needs of users, including the disabled.
Patients’ rights to General Medical Services:
Patients have the rights to:
• be registered with a General Practitioner
• change doctor if desired
• be offered health checks
• receive urgent care from the practice
• receive appropriate drugs and medicines
• be referred to specialists or a second opinion if they and the GP agree
• have access to view their medical records, subject to the Acts and associated procedure, and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential.
Privacy and Confidentiality:
We will respect our patients’ privacy, dignity and confidentiality at all times. All Clinical and Admin staff are CRB/DBS checked.
Home Visits:
We are unable to guarantee a specific doctor will visit you as this depends on availability and other factors. The decision to home visit will be at the doctors’ discretion.
With these rights come responsibilities and for the patients this means :
• Courtesy to the staff at all times – remember they are working under doctors’ orders.
• Responding in a positive way to questions asked by the reception staff.
• To attend appointments on time or give the practice adequate notice that they wish to cancel. Someone else could use your appointment!
• An appointment is for one person only – where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made and the Medical Record be made available.
• Patients should make every effort when consulting the surgery to make best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.
• When patients are asked to give 4 days’ notice for repeat prescriptions, please give us this time as it is to allow for accurate prescribing.