Policies and Procedures

The Practice is committed to provide relevant information to people who use its services and the following methods will be used to provide this information:

• During their consultation;
• Information Leaflets;
• Posters displayed in patient communal areas;
• Information and health promotion boards within the patient waiting areas i.e. local advocacy services;
• Practice booklet / leaflet;
• Patient waiting areas television / Health Promotion TV Screens;

If you require information on a specific topic and are unable to find it, please ask our Reception Staff, who will do their utmost to help you.

The Practice has a Carer’s Register for people who care for a relative/friend.

There is a Carer’s Board in the Waiting Room.

The practice has a formal complaints procedure. As of 1st April 2009, if you feel you have the need to complain, please put the complaint in writing and send the complaint addressed to ‘Dr Dhody’ or the Practice Manager, Naurin Akhtar and mark the envelope ‘Private and Confidential’.

Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS)

PALS is a confidential service that has been created to help patients, their families and carers and find answers to questions or concerns. They act upon your behalf and liaise with staff, managers and, where appropriate, other relevant organisations, to negotiate speedy solutions and to help bring about changes to the way those services are delivered.

Patient Advice & Liaison Services (SWB CCGPALS)
Telephone Number: 0121 612 4110 .

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly when they arise and with the person concerned. For example, by requesting a face-to-face meeting to discuss your concerns.

If your problem cannot be sorted out this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible. By making your complaint quickly, it is easier for us to establish what happened. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

• Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

Complaints should be addressed to the GP surgery team verbally or in writing to the Practice Manager. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the GP surgery to discuss your concerns. They will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure your concerns are dealt with promptly. Please be as specific as possible about your complaint.

What we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We will aim to have investigated your complaint within ten working days of the date you raised it with us. We will then offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved, if you would like this. When we investigate your complaint, we will aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong.
• Make it possible for you to discuss what happened with those concerned, if you would like this.
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We take medical confidentiality seriously. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

Complaining to NHS England

We hope that you will use our Practice Complaints Procedure if you are unhappy. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our GP surgery.

However, if you feel you cannot raise the complaint with us directly, please contact NHS England. You can find more information on how to make a complaint at https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/.

Unhappy with the outcome of your complaint?

If you are not happy with the way your complaint has been dealt with by the GP surgery and NHS England and would like to take the matter further, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England. It is an independent service which is free for everyone to use.

To take your complaint to the Ombudsman, visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website or call 0345 015 4033

Need help making a complaint?

Alternatively, POhWER is a charity that helps people to be involved in decisions being made about their care. Call POhWER’s support centre on 0300 456 2370 for advice.

All staff in the Practice are bound contractually to maintain Patient confidentiality and any proven breach of this will be treated extremely seriously.

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. Confidentiality also extends to Patients’ family members. Medical information relating to you will not be divulged to a family member or anyone else, without your written consent.

As we are a computerised Practice, all our patient records are kept on computer and can assure patients of complete confidentiality. Your rights are protected as we are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998.

It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible advice and care.

However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the practice team. The patient‘s rights in relation to disclosure of such information are covered by the Practice‘s registration under the Data Protection Act and we follow the guidance issued by the GMC in ‘Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information’ which explains circumstances in which information may be disclosed. This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.

You have a right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records, please speak to Naurin Akhtar. We can provide you with a more information regarding this issue. Please see our patient leaflet on: Issues on Confidentiality and Sharing Information.

Where it is considered appropriate by parents, or where an adolescent does not wish the presence of an adult, a child may give the legal consent to their own treatment.

Under these circumstances, the clinician must be satisfied that the child has a full understanding of the advice and treatment being provided.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the Practice to produce a Publication Scheme.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became law on 24th May 2016. This is a single EU-wide regulation on the protection of confidential and sensitive information. It enters into force in the UK on the 25th May 2018, repealing the Data Protection Act (1998).

For further information regarding GDPR please contact the practice or ask a member of staff for a leaflet.

NHS England require 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 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 The Victoria Surgery in the last financial year was £87,988  before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 3 part time GP’s and  locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

We allow mobile phones to be used within the surgery building, but please ensure you turn them off before going into the doctor’s consulting room.

All patients now have an ‘allocated GP’ whose name will be attached to your record at the practice. This doesn’t mean that this is the only GP you can access, and it won’t stop you accessing the GP you prefer to use.

If you would like to know who your named GP is, please ask at the surgery.

All patients registered at The Victoria Surgery have a named GP.

Your named GP will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides to you. This does not prevent you from seeing any GP as you currently do.

Ensure that patients over 75 years of age have access to a health check if requested, which is already a requirement of the GP contract regulations.

If you would like to know your named GP, please ask a member of the team when you next contact the practice.

The Practice will ensure that there is a named accountable GP assigned to each patient.

New patients will be allocated a GP at the time of registration.

Please note: there is no need to telephone the practice for further information.

This does not prevent you from requesting to see any GP or nurse for your appointments.

Prams and Bicycles

Prams and bicycles may be left in the outer foyer of the main entrance to the Practice at your own risk.

Dogs

All dogs, with the exception of assistance dogs, should be left outside the building.

Smoking & Food

The building is a non-smoking building and we request that this be honoured.

We would also request that patients do not eat or drink whilst waiting for their appointments, a cup of water may be obtained from reception on request.

These are local standards set within this Practice for the benefit of our patients.

Our Responsibilities to you

• You will be treated with courtesy and respect by all Practice personnel.
• You have the right to book the appointment with choice of GP, please tell the receptionist when booking appointment.
• An urgent appointment with a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner will be available on the same day.
• Our standard is to see 80% of patients within 20 minutes of their appointment time. If you have waited longer than this please ask our Reception Staff for an explanation.
• We aim to answer the telephone within six rings.
• An appointment with a Practice Nurse will be available within three working days.
• Requests for repeat prescriptions will be dealt with within 48 hours.
• All comments and suggestions about the service are welcome. Please use the box provided in the waiting area.
• If you have a complaint please speak to any member of staff. Your complaint will be dealt with in a professional and efficient manner.
• We wish to make the Practice as accessible as possible. If you have hearing, visual or physical difficulties please let our Reception Staff know, so that we can enable you to fully use our services.
• Further information can be found in the ‘Practice and Patient Charter’.

Patient responsibilities

• To arrive on time for you appointment.
• Inform the practice if you cannot make your appointment or your appointment is no longer necessary.
• If you are late for your appointment you may be asked to rebook at another time. Try to let us know in advance if you are going to be unavoidably delayed, so that we can make alternative arrangements to help you.
• Understanding that an appointment is for one person only and that other members of your family require separate appointments.
• A home visit should only be requested for those who are unable to come to the surgery because of serious illness or infirmity. Please ring the surgery before 10:30am if at all possible.
• An urgent appointment is for an urgent medical problem. Please speak to our Reception Staff if you require a sick note or repeat prescription.
• We would ask you to be patient if the Doctor is running late. This is often due to unforeseeable emergencies but please ask for an explanation from the Receptionist.
• Please ask for out of surgery hours or night visit only when you feel it is fully necessary and patient cannot wait until next normal surgery opening time.
• Please act in a responsible and courteous manner whilst on the Practice premises for the safety and comfort of others.
• Please treat all surgery staff, fellow patients, carers and visitors politely and with respect. Violence or verbal harassment will not be tolerated or accepted.

If you are violent or abusive, you will be warned to stop your behaviour. If you persist, we may exercise our right to take action and have you removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients and asked to register at another surgery. In some cases, where necessary, the Practice will involve the police.

The Practice participates in studies and surveys to improve Patient Care and we are also externally evaluated as a training Practice and for re-accreditation of nationally recognised quality awards.

Qualified assessors come into the Practice and are bound by the same stringent rules of confidentiality as are all members of the NHS.

You may be asked to complete questionnaires from time to time but you have our assurance that these will be handled in an entirely confidential manner, as is all Patient-related data.

Your participation in any aspect of external evaluation or re-search is optional.

Patients are free to consult whichever doctor they choose, irrespective of the doctor with whom they are registered. However, it is best if some continuity can be maintained by seeing the same doctor for each problem.

If you have a preference for a particular doctor, please inform our Reception Staff when booking your appointment.

All GPs are registered with the General Medical Council.

Name of GP:

Dr. Amarjit Kaur Dhody (Female)
MBBS, D Obstetrics, MRCOG

Dr. Tara Ahluwalia (Part-time Partner) (Female)
MBChB(Hons) MRCGP DFFP DRCOG

Dr. Jastinder Pal Singh (Male)
MBBS MRCGP DFFP DRCOG

We will treat our Patients with respect, courtesy and will not discriminate against them in any way on the grounds of age, sex, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin or disability, sexual orientation, religion or religious or philosophical belief.

Physical violence and verbal abuse is a growing concern. GPs, Practice Nurses and other Practice staff have the right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. We ask that you treat your GP and Practice staff properly – without violence or abuse.

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance.

Anyone either phoning or attending the Practice who abuses any staff member or patient, be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the Practice list.

In extreme cases we may summon the Police to remove offenders from the Practice premises.