Your Rights and Responsibilities

Your Doctor’s Responsibilities

  • To treat you with respect and courtesy at all times.
  • To treat you as an individual, and to discuss with you the care and treatment we can provide.
  • To give you full information on the services we offer.
  • To give you the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff.
  • To provide you with emergency care when you need it.
  • To refer you to a consultant acceptable to you when necessary.
  • To give you access to your health records, subject to any limitations in the law.

Your Responsibilities As A Patient

  • To treat all staff with respect and courtesy at all times.
  • To tell us if you are unsure about the treatment we are offering you.
  • To ask for a home visit only when the patient is unable to attend the medical centre through illness or infirmity.
  • To request such a visit if at all possible before 10:00.
  • To ask for an out-of-hours visit only when necessary.
  • To keep your appointments and contact the practice in advance if you cannot.
  • To be punctual for appointments and to make a separate appointment for each member of the family wishing to see the doctor.
  • Not to expect a prescription from every consultation with a doctor. There may be other options for treatment.
  • To take medicines according to the instructions and to only ask for a repeat prescription if you really need one.
  • To let us know when you change your address or telephone number.

Help Us To Help You

Our aim is to offer our patients a fast, efficient and friendly service. However, to enable us to do this we require some help from yourselves.

Please do not request home visits unless you are housebound or genuinely too ill to attend the surgery.

If you have several problems you wish to discuss with the doctor, please ask for a longer appointment. Hurried consultations are unsatisfactory for both doctor and patient alike

The out-of-hours service is for emergencies and urgent problems which cannot wait until the following day to be seen. Please do not abuse this service.

If you are unable to attend an appointment, please cancel as early as possible, as this frees the appointment for someone else.

We always welcome suggestions as to any changes we can make to improve patient care and the services we offer. If you have any suggestions, please let us know by putting your idea in writing to the practice manager.