Rights and Responsibilities of Patients

Our Practice Quality Standards (our commitment to you)

  • To be treated as an individual with courtesy and respect.
  • To have the right of support from Marin, friend, patient advocate or any other individual if you choose.
  • To offer consultations with health professionals taking account of personal requirements.
  • To advise you when surgeries are running more than 30 minutes late, or if a doctor has to attend an emergency out with the practice.
  • To be referred to a consultant acceptable to you when GP thinks it is necessary and to be referred to a second opinion when you are not the GPs think it desirable.
  • To be asked whether you wish to participate in training or research. Your decision to refuse will be respected.
  • To be guaranteed confidentiality of information relating to your care.
  • To be invited to comment on services and help us make improvements in existing and future services.
  • If you feel that we have not met our guarantees, you have the right to ask for and 
    receive an explanation. 

Help Us to Help You

As a patient we expect you to:

  • Treat the doctors and staff with courtesy.
  • Treat other patients and users of the health centre with consideration and courtesy just as they should treat you.
  • Ensure that your contact details including telephone number are up to date at all times.
  • Attend your appointments on time.
  • Give us as much notice as possible if you can keep your appointment.
  • Be patient if appointment times are running late remember, next time it might be you who needs more time. you will be seen, or if you prefer, offered an alternative appointment.
  • Ask for an urgent appointment of the problems that cannot wait. This way doctors can deal with urgent problems as soon as possible.
  • Ask for a home visit only illness prevents you from attending the surgery.
  • Contact the doctor out of the surgery hours only in an emergency which cannot wait until the next working day.
  • Be prepared to see another doctor in the practice when your own is unavailable.
  • Plan ahead when ordering repeat prescriptions.
  • Follow the treatment prescribed by the doctor. 

Zero Tolerance

Aggressive behaviour includes any personal, abusive or threatening commands, bad language, physical contact and aggressive gestures.

As in the rest of the NHS we operate a 'Zero Tolerance' policy with respect to the protection of all staff, which enables the practice to remove the patient from the list. Please read our practice Zero Tolerance Policy.

Compliments, Comments, Suggestions and Complaints

We endeavour to provide the best possible service to our patients and are always glad to receive feedback. We welcome your comments and suggestions on the quality and type of service provided by the practice . There is a suggestion box at reception or you can write to our Practice Manager.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time that they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted this way and you wish to make a complaint, please contact our Practice Manager either in person or in writing or by telephone. We have a practice complaints procedure that meets the standards nationally by the NHS. We have a leaflet explaining the details, which you can obtain from reception.