Forest Practice
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Forest Practice Patient Charter

The practice is committed to giving you the best service possible. In return we would appreciate your co-operation and understanding.

What you can expect from us:

  1. To treat you with courtesy and respect at all times.
  2. To treat you as a partner and discuss with you all the options of care and treatment available, including referral to relevant consultants.
  3. To advise you of all services and facilities on offer.
  4. To provide you with emergency care.
  5. All urgent cases will be seen the same day.
  6. Patients with a routine appointment will be notified on arrival if there is likely to be a delay of more than 30 minutes.
  7. We will maintain confidentiality.
  8. We have a complaints procedure - if you are not happy with the service we provide, please tell us.

What we expect from you:

  1. Treat us with courtesy and respect at all times.
  2. Help the receptionist to help you. Please do not give misleading information in order to secure an urgent appointment when a routine appointment will suffice.
  3. Please ask for visits only when medically necessary. Please do not call out the duty doctor after hours for routine/non-urgent matters.
  4. Do not request a home visit, unless you are unfit to travel to the surgery. If you really need a visit please request the visit before the end of morning surgery.
  5. If you are unable to attend any appointment, telephone reception to cancel the appointment. We have a cancellation line on the normal surgery telephone number just follow the prompts.
  6. Let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
  7. If things are not proceeding to your satisfaction please do not blame the reception staff - they act on the direct instructions of the GPs.
  8. We would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have, as we are always looking at ways to improve our services.

Please remember that appointments are for 10 minutes.
Generally this is sufficient time to cover one problem only.


Complaints

The Forest Practice welcomes any suggestions for improvement to our service. Our practice manager will be pleased to meet you at a pre-arranged appointment to discuss any concerns or suggestions you may have. The practice operates a complaints procedure in accordance with latest NHS recommendations.

Data Protection

The Data Protection Act 1998 which came into force on 1 March 2000 allows you to find out what information about you is held on computer and in certain manual records. This is known as 'right of subject access' and applies to your health records. The records held by this practice are confidential to you and will not be disclosed to a third party without your written consent under any circumstances.

Child Protection

We as a practice are aware that there are vulnerable patients and to this end we will work closely with other agencies to give them the protection they need.