Other Information

OTHER INFORMATION

Removal Of Patients From The Practice List
Central Surgery aims to provide the best possible health care for their patients. However, there may be circumstances when it would be considered reasonable, or in the best interest of the patient, to remove patients from the list. The situations which justify removal are:

Violence
The doctor can remove a patient from the list with immediate effect when a patient:

• is physically violent or threatening towards a doctor, practice staff or other patients on the practice premises

• causes physical damage to practice premises or other patients' property

• gives verbal abuse or makes threats towards the doctor, practice staff or other patients

• gives racist abuse verbally or physically

• is violent or uses or condones threatening behaviour to doctors (or some other members of the primary health care team) while visiting the patient's home.

The doctor can remove a patient from the list giving a maximum of 28 days' notice.

Distance
Where a patient has moved out of the desisignated practice area and has failed to register with another practice.

Embarkation
Where a patient has moved abroad for a period of three months or more.

Failure To Attend Pre-booked Appointments
Where a patient fails to attend pre-booked appointments on a number of occasions during a given period.

Irretrievable Breakdown Of The Doctor/Patient Relationship
Where a patient's behaviour falls outside of that which is normally considered reasonable and leads to an irretrievable breakdown of the doctor/patient relationship.

ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE
As many of our patients will recall, this practice introduced the Advanced Access system of appointments booking in June 2002.

It is our view that since that date there have been huge improvements in service provision and as a result patients are able to see a doctor within 24 hours.

However, this system has created new problems because in an attempt to maintain an adequate supply of appointments each day we offered a limited number of advance bookings. Clearly, this is a particular problem for people who want to organise their time ahead or whose need is less urgent.

Our patients, quite reasonably, expect both to be able to see a primary care practitioner quickly, and to have the opportunity to book an appointment in advance.

We have therefore introduced systems that ensure better access as follows :

• The continued opportunity to consult a GP of preference (if available) within 24 hours by ringing on the day.

• The opportunity to book appointments in advance. We will offer forward booking of appointment but these appointments may not be with your preferred doctor and will not be offered on our busiest days, Mondays and Fridays.

• The opportunity for the patient to consult their preferred practitioner. Patients can make arrangements to book an appointment with their preferred practitioner or receive a telephone consultation but must recognise that this may mean waiting longer.

We are confident that by introducing flexibilities into our appointments system our patients can be assured of a service that makes it easier to get care at the right time.

As a practice we need to be responsive to our patients' needs and for this reason we ask that you let us know what we are doing well or not so well. A letter to our practice manager will be dealt with in a constructive way and will help us to model our service in the future.

DISPENSING SERVICES
The practice undertakes dispensing of medicines for those patients who live outside the boundaries of Barton. Patients are signed up for dispensing services when they register with the practice or if they move to an address where dispensing services can be provided.

We employ a full team of trained dispensers and our hours of opening are Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm. We are closed Saturdays.

We aim to process repeat prescriptions within 48 hours of ordering (excluding weekends and bank holidays) and other prescriptions are processed whilst you wait.

If you require medicines urgently then please contact a member of the surgery’s dispensing team who can then arrange for this to be dispensed. However, if the urgent medicines are required out of hours then the contact number is Scunthorpe (01724) 290444 - the Out of Hours Centre.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – PUBLICATION SCHEME
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.
This scheme is available from reception.