Practice Charter

Help Us To Help You

Here are a number of ways in which you can help us to help you:

Changes Of Name, Address, Telephone Number

If you move house within the area, please inform us as soon as you can, including the names of all those who have moved with you, together with your new address, postcode and telephone number. Patients moving too far from the surgery may be asked to register with another, nearer practice.

Confidentiality

All patients' records are treated with the strictest confidentiality and we comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. Clinicians and staff have access to patient records on a 'need to know' basis only in order to perform their duties/tasks appropriately.

Suggestions And Complaints

We welcome your suggestions as to how we may improve our service or as to any new services which you feel that we should consider providing. Likewise, complaints help us to identify our weaknesses. Please put them to your doctor, to the practice manager, or in the suggestions box in reception. All items will be treated confidentially. We run an NHS-approved complaints and suggestions procedure. Details may be obtained from reception.

Keep Your Appointment Times

Please try to arrive promptly for appointments. Each late arrival delays all those whose appointments follow yours. Although we try our best to keep to appointment times, emergencies do occur and some appointments take longer than our allotted 10 minutes. On these occasions, your appointment may be delayed. If the delay is appreciable you will be informed by the receptionist. We apologise for those occasions on which this is the case, but are sure you will appreciate that one day it may be you that needs the extra time. If you cannot attend please let us know so that we can give the appointment to someone else.

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.
This scheme is available from reception.

Violence And Verbal Abuse

The NHS has a zero tolerance policy to verbal abuse and violence. We will call the police to deal with any patient who is verbally or physically abusive. The police also have a zero tolerance and any abusive patient will be arrested.

Offenders will also be removed from our list and will need to find another doctor.

Patients’ Participation Group

Unfortunately, this group has disbanded due to lack of interest. However, if anyone is interested in helping us to start it up again, we should be very pleased to hear from you.

Voluntary Car Service

If you need transport to the surgery, either from an address in Tetbury or from an outlying village, Tetbury Volunteer Bureau will be able to help you for a small charge.
Please phone them on (01666) 502514.