Named Accountable GP

As part of our GMS contract, we are required to allocate a named, accountable GP to all of our patients, including children. All patients at this practice are allocated a named, accountable GP. When you are next at reception or contact us by telephone please ask who your named GP is, the receptionist will be able to give you this information. If you wish to change the name of your named, accountable GP to another GP we will do our best to accommodate your request. Please be aware that this does not restrict you to that named GP, you are free to see whichever GP you wish.

Publication of GP Net Earnings

NHS England requires that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below. However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in this practice in the last full financial year was £64,349 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 4 full time GPs, 3 part time GPs and one locum GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Chaperone Policy

Cruddas Park and Hillsview surgeries are committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present at any consultation, examination or procedure. The chaperone may be a family member or friend or if you prefer a formal chaperone to be present you can request a trained member of our staff.

Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking your appointment so that your appointment is not delayed in any way.

Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.

Download our complete Chaperone Policy Document

Complaints Procedure:

We always try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house complaints procedure for patients' grievances. If you wish to make a complaint, please write or telephone our practice manager, Susan Wheatley. Full details will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake the investigation.

Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that you have identified or mistakes that have been made. This will not affect your right to complain to the Health Service Authority.

Please be aware because of patient confidentiality we will require the patient's written consent if the complaint is made by a third party.

Comments and Suggestions

We are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients. Please present your views in writing and put it in our suggestion box at the reception.

Practice Charter

These are the local standards set within this practice for the benefit of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Our responsibility to you:

• Names: People involved in your care will give you their name and ensure you know how to contact them.
• Waiting time: We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay.
• Access You will have access to a doctor within two days. In the case of an emergency you will be seen on the same day. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.
• Telephone: We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there is sufficient staff available to do this. You should be able to speak to a doctor by telephone.
• Test Results: If you have undergone tests or x-rays ordered by the practice we will inform you when and how to obtain the results. If a doctor would like to see you to discus your results we will inform you by letter, phone or at your next appointment.
• Respect: Patients will be treated as individuals, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs.
• Information: We will give you full information about the services we offer. Every effort will be made to ensure that you receive that information which directly affects your health and the care being offered by leaflets, posters and our notice board.
• Health Promotion: The practice will offer patients advice and information on: steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness; self-help which can be undertaken without reference to a doctor in the case of minor ailments.
• Health Records: You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your responsibility to us:

• Help us to help you.
• Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
• Please do everything you can to keep appointments. Tell us as soon as possible if you cannot. Otherwise, other patients may have to wait longer.
• We need help too. Please ask for a home visit by the doctors only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery.
• Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for non-urgent matters.
• Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so.
• Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital, not the practice.
• We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect.
• Please read our practice leaflet and browse this website. This will help you to get the best out of the service we offer.
• It is important to understand the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure of anything.

Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice. Please act upon it.

Confidentiality

We ask you for personal information so that you can receive the appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all member of the practice team. We are a multi-disciplinary team therefore it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team.

Zero Tolerance

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patient’s be it verbal, physical or any threatening manner, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may call the police to remove offenders off the practice premises.