Confidentiality

Here at Cheddar Medical Centre we safeguard all confidential information about you and your health. All staff are required to sign a confidentiality document when they start work at the surgery. This is to ensure that they are fully aware of the need to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.

So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share information about you with others in healthcare. We only ever use or pass on information about you if healthcare workers have a genuine need for it and it is in your interest. Wherever possible we will remove personal details that would identify you. 

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Complaints

We have our own complaints procedure and, if you need to make a complaint, please address it to the Practice Manager, Mrs Pauline Drummond who will take full details of your concerns and decide how to deal with the problem. Full details of our complaints procedure may be found in our complaints leaflet. 

We would be grateful for any suggestions you may have to improve the services we offer – please direct these to the Practice Manager. 

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

Rights & Responsibilities

You have a right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice and we will try at all times to provide the very best care possible within the resources available.

In order to assist you in this we require that you take full responsibility for ensuring that you do not abuse the service. For example, it is your responsibility to ensure that you keep medical appointments and follow the advice given.

Very occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation the patient may choose to register with a different practice.

The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.

Zero Tolerance

Patients who are verbally abusive, violent or threaten violence towards GP’s or their staff will be reported to the police and will no longer be able to use the services at this practice.