Our Practice
Compliments & Complaints
We value our patients opinions and welcome all comments and suggestions, verbal and written. You can contact us through our website, by email, in person at the surgery or you can write to us. We hope that you will be pleased with the services that we offer, so please let us know what we are getting right and wrong.
We know that sometimes you may feel we do not get things right, so we have a complaints procedure which meets NHS guidelines. An explanatory leaflet is available from our reception staff. We hope that most problems can be resolved easily and quickly, at the time they arise and with the person concerned. However, should you wish to make a complaint, please let us know as soon as possible after the problem occurs, this will help us look into the problem quickly and prevent it happening again.
Complaints
We try to provide the best service possible, but sometimes things do go wrong. We always try to learn and improve from complaints.
If you make a complaint, we will:
Acknowledge your complaint within three working days
Offer to discuss your complaint with you where appropriate and agree a timeframe for responding
Investigate and, where appropriate, respond to your complaint fully
You can find out more about our complaints process here Complaints Policy
Staff
You can meet our team here.
GDPR & Information Governance
Our GPs, nursing staff & administrative staff have access to both your written and computerised medical notes.
They are all governed by the same professional codes of confidentiality and will not disclose informaion without your consent.
We will normally share some information with other health care professionals involved in your care and treatment.
We may also be required to share information with the Health Authority and other NHS organisations.
Patients written consent will always be needed before any information is released to any other service Such as, Solicitors, courts of Law etc.
GP Earnings
Updating Your Contact & Consent Details
Please notify us if you have changed your name/telephone number or address, if we do not have upto date information we may not be able to contact you in an emergency.
For change of name we have to see a deed poll document or a marriage certificate, we cannot officially change your name without seeing these documents. If you are not legally changing your name, but are known as something other than your registered first name, please let us know as we can add a ‘Known as’ name to your notes, ie. using middle names rather than 1st names.
As from the 25th May 2018 if you have not consented to us sending text messages we will be unable to provide this service for you anymore – please fill in a consent form if you wish to continue receiving reminders and messages from the practice.
Viewing Your Notes
You are able to see your medical records if you wish or notes of a patient you are responsible for i.e parent, legal gaurdian.
Please ask at reception if you would like further details and our patient information leaflet.
Please state on the form the time period you would like to see or if you wish to see all of your notes.
An appointment may be required and in some circumstances a fee may be payable for photocopying if you wish to have copies of your notes not held on the computer system. Printouts of notes are not chargeable.
All such requests to view notes should be made in writing to: The Practice Manager.
GP2GP – Transfering Your Electronic Health Record
As your GP practice we hold copies of your patient health record electronically and in paper format, both contain healthcare information about you that your GP needs including your medical history, medications, allergies, immunisations and vaccinations.
If you have previously been registered with another GP in England, upon registering with us your electronic health record will, where possible, be transferred automatically from your previous practice through the use of an NHS system called GP2GP. This alows us to see important information about you quickly.
Sharing your Health Care Information
We keep your health information (your NHS care records) on a secure computer system. This means that Doctors, Nurses and other Health Professionals at the practice have the information they need to help them make decisions about your care.
If you consent we can share your health information securely between the NHS services you are registered with, such as different hospital departments. This means that clinical staff caring for you in those different departments can see your health information and are able to provide safer, quicker and better care for you. If there is a particular consultation that you not wish other services to see, you can ask the doctor to keep that private.
If you do not consent, we can not share your health information with the other NHS services providing your care. You will have to ensure that these other services have all important information they may need about you.
Summary Care Record
We keep your health information (your NHS care records) on a secure computer system. Doctors, Nurses and other Health Professionals at the practice have access to the information they need to help them make decisions about your care.
If you consent: This means that all clinical staff caring for you can see your health information and are able to provide safer, quicker and better care for you. If there is a particular consultation that you not wish other services to see, you can ask the doctor to keep that private, it will contain information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had to ensure those caring for you have enough information to treat you safely.
Your Summary Care Record will be available to authorised healthcare staff providing your care anywhere in England, but they will ask your permission before they look at it, unless this is imposible for example if you are unconscious. This means that if you have an accident or become ill, the doctors treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.
If you do not consent: we can not share your health information with the other NHS services providing your care. You will have to ensure that these other services have all important information they may need about you.
The Crookes Practice practice is supporting Summary Care Records and as a patient you have a choice.
If you choose not to have a Summary Care Record please complete the form below and had it to a member of staff:
Every patient will have a Summary Care record created unless they choose to opt out, you can change your mind at any time by informing us. If you do nothing we will assume that you are happy for us to create a Summary Care Record for you.
Children under 16 will automatically have a Summary Care Record created for them unless their parent or guardian chooses to opt them out.
New patients who have opted out at a previous practice still need to complete a form for their new practice.
Care Quality Commission
As you may know from April 2013 all GP practices had to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Practices and other primary medical services in England will be inspected to make sure that they are meeting the national standards of quality and safety and treating people with dignity and respect. They continually monitor information they hold about a service.
They register care services that meet the standards, check they continue to do so and take action when they dont. During inspections they ask patients about their experiences of receiving care,talk to care staff, check that the right systems and processes are in place and look for evidence that care isn’t meeting national standards.
CQC will give practices a maximum of 48 hours’ notice of these visits and during the time the inspectors are at the practice they will speak with staff and patients.
As soon as we know when our visit is scheduled we will let our patients know.
For more information please click:
You can give feedback to the CQC on our care here
Friends & Family Test
Complete the survey on our website, through your StystmOne login or in the surgery – we welcome all feed back.
High quality care for all, now and for future generations
The NHS Friends and Family Test is a new and important opportunity for you to give us your anonymous feedback on the care and treatment we provide to you. This feedback is important to us and will be used to review our services and enable us to make improvements in the care we provide to our patients.
We will use all feedback, good and bad, to make decicions that will make local services better for local people. We will publish the results and you will be able to see how Gp surgeries compare.
Please click on the link below to go to Our Friends & Family Survey page, login to SystmOne and complete or we have survey forms in our waiting areas:
Friends and Family Survey Page
For more information about the Friends & Family Test please click NHS Choices.
Patient Participation Group
If you are interested in joining the Patient Group please contact us by email; SHECCG.TheCrookesPractice@nhs.net or by telephone 0114 267 1280 or download the form below.
We have a patients group to help give feedback directly to us. The groups input will ensure that we offer services relevant to our patients’ needs and allow us to constantly look and listen to your ideas for improvement. We have a virtual group at the moment but would be happy to have face to face meetings if anyone in the group is interested.
Disclaimer & Availablity Information
This internet site has been developed with the intention of providing information only. Whilst all attempts will be made to maintain accuracy and validity, we accept no responsibility for events arising from use of the information provided. Although the advice for patients is as comprehensive and accurate as possible, it is only general and should not be used as a substitute for the patient consulting their own doctor.
We cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to this website, or the sites to which it links. We accept no responsibility for any damages arising from the loss of use of this information.
All links from this website are provided for information and convenience only. We cannot accept responsibility for sites linked to, or the information found there. A link does not imply an endorsement of a site; likewise, not linking to a particular site does not imply lack of endorsement.
Violent or Aggressive Behavour Towards Staff
As an employer, the practice has a duty to care for the health and safety of its staff. The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. All patients are expected to behave in an acceptable manner and violent or abusive behaviour towards staff or patients may result in removal from our practice list or even criminal proceedings. The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning Zero Tolerance.
The Practice has a policy of “zero tolerance” of verbal and physical violence towards GP’s, staff or other patients.
The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.
All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.
We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Any alteration of prescriptions is illegal and will not be tolerated.
If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient repeatedly ignores their responsibilities to the Practice, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.
Examples of Unacceptable Standards of Behaviour
Violence.
Excessive noise eg recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting.
Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offence remarks.
Derogatory racial or sexual remarks.
Malicious allegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors.
Offensive sexual gestures or behaviours.
Abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises.
Drug dealing on practice premises.
Wilful damage to practice property.
Threats or threatening behaviour.
Theft
Zero Tolerance
Our Staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times They should be able to do their jobs without being PHYSICALLY or VERBALLY ABUSED. Most people respect this. Anyone found abusing the staff in person or on the telephone will be asked to leave the practice. This behaviour will NOT be tolerated
Removal from the List
In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a doctor and his patient. If the breakdown is of a serious nature e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, the doctors may feel that the doctor/patient relationship has been compromised. Steps may be taken to have the patient removed from the doctor’s list. Where possible, conciliation would always be the preferred route. Reasons for removal will be given in writing.
Carers Corner
If you are a carer or a young carer please make sure you tell us so that we can support you.
We have a “Carer’s Corner” in the practice which has information and leaflets for you so please take a look.
Caring for someone can be a positive experience but we realise it can affect the carer’s physical and mental health, there can be many issues affecting your quality of life as a carer.
Please click here to be redirected to a site where you will find guidance on benefits, social service provision, breaks for carers, health and other matters to assist you find the local services and sources of help you need.
Please ask a member of staff for a carers registration form or follow one of the links below.
For more information click the links below;