The Apples Medical Centre

Our Practice Charter is displayed in the Reception Waiting Area.
This tells you about the standard of service you may expect from us and our main responsibilities to you. It also gives examples of your responsibilities to us.

OUR RESPONSIBILITES
We will treat you with courtesy and respect. Your confidentiality is our priority

We do our best to be accessible. We aim to offer an appointment with a Doctor within two working days.

You will always be able to see a doctor the same day if your problem is URGENT.

We will try to see you within 30 minutes of your appointment time. We will offer you an explanation if we exceed this.

We will strive to ensure that your repeat prescriptions are accurate and ready for collection at the agreed time.

When we order tests or X-rays, we will tell you how and when to obtain the results.

We will visit you at home if you are too unwell, or infirm, to be brought to the surgery.

We will maintain accurate medical records.

We all try hard to get things right, but welcome your suggestions and complaints if we don’t succeed.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
We ask that you treat the doctors and all practice staff with courtesy and respect.

Please understand that a particular doctor may not always be available due to other commitments, study days, holidays etc.

Do not ask for urgent appointment for non- urgent matters. Facilities for examination and treatment are better at our medical centre.
The less time we spend travelling, the more time we have for seeing patients. Please do not ask for a home visit unless it is strictly necessary.

If we are running late please be understanding. On another occasion it may be you that needs the extra time.

Remember to order your repeat prescriptions before you run out of medication.

Please remember to tell us if you change your name, address or telephone number.

We constantly strive to give you the highest possible standard of service and we welcome suggestions, compliments and complaints. If, for any reason, you are not happy with our service, please tell us. We try to deal swiftly and effectively with any problems that may occur. Our practice manager can give you further information if necessary.

We offer an informal in-house complaints procedure We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems you identify or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Primary Care Trust if you so wish.
This does not deal with questions of legal liability or compensation in law.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR COMPLAINT
You can either telephone or write to our practice manager, Ms Jayne Ashworth, who will take the details of your complaint and discuss how best to proceed with the investigations. If you prefer, you can obtain a complaints form from reception, which tells you what to do. Your complaint will be acknowledged within two working days.

COMPLAINING ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BEHALF
Please note that if the complaint is not made by a patient in person then the patient’s signed consent will be necessary. Details are on the complaints form. If the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, the Practice Manager, will notify the patient, or the person acting on their behalf. The patient’s signed consent will also be necessary if the investigation is to involve disclosure of information contained in the records to a person other than the patient e.g. Solicitor.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS SWIFTLY
You will normally be offered to take part in a meeting within seven working days. Occasionally, if we have to make a lot of enquiries, it may take a little longer, but we will keep you informed. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting. Where possible we will provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed. We hope that by the end of the meeting, you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly. However, if this is not possible and you wish to take your complaint further we will direct you to the appropriate authorities who will be able to help you.

The details of our P.C.T. are :

Dorset PCT
Forston Clinic
Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 9TB Tel: 01305 361300

All staff have a legal duty to respect patient confidentiality, verbal and written, including data held on the computer system.

All staff, including attached staff, working at the practice are bound by confidentiality clauses in their contracts of employment, which prevents release of any information about you to any party.

Information about you can only be given to outside bodies, with your signed consent, which will be held in your records.

The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act. Information is held for practice/NHS use only.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

The practice will comply with legislation laid out in the Freedom of Information Act.