Below is a list of guidelines of what you can expect from our Practice and what the Practice can expect from you (the patient).
Patient Guidelines
This is what you should reasonably expect from the doctors and Staff at Ashton Medical Group.
- You will be treated as an individual and with courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes etc.
- We will maintain your right to confidentiality at all times.
- We will strive to ensure you are seen within 30 minutes of your appointment time. Where this is not possible, you will be notified of the delay as soon as possible.
- You can see a doctor within 24 hours and a practice nurse within 48 hours if it is an emergency.
- Appointments can be made up to 4 weeks in advance.
- You have a right to a full explanation of your illness and any tests, investigations or consultations relating to that illness. You must tell us if you do not understand any explanation.
- When joining our practice you will be entitled to a free health check with the Health Care Assistant.
- You have the right to complain about our service, either verbally or written, to our practice manager when you will be guided through the complaints procedure.
Your doctor and staff at the practice reasonably expect from you as a patient:
- You should always treat the doctors and staff with the same courtesy and respect that you would expect to be treated with.
- Be open and honest with the doctors and staff. The receptionists work on the doctors’ instructions when asking certain questions in order that they can deal with your request in accordance with the policies set out by the doctors.
- If you are unable to keep an appointment please cancel your appointment in good time to enable someone else to be seen in your place.
- Please respect the doctors’ time and that of other patients, the doctor can only treat one problem within a 10 minute appointment slot, if you feel you need more time, please ask for a double appointment at the time of booking.
- We work on an appointment basis, please respect this.
- Do not always expect a prescription each time you see a doctor, they are not always necessary.
- Repeat prescriptions should be collected after 10:00am, 48 hours after the request.
- Before asking for a home visit, think if it is really necessary, many times you can be seen much quicker if you can get down to the surgery. If you do need a visit, please ring before 10:00am and be prepared to answer the receptionist’s questions, which are part of our policy to help the doctor prioritise emergencies and routine.
- You should only request a visit out of hours in an emergency situation and not for any illness or problem that can wait until the surgery is next open.
- Always follow your doctors’ advice and take the full course of any medication prescribed to you.
- Chaperones can be present at your consultation at any time, please ask the doctor or nurse who will be happy to arrange this for you.
Violent, Abusive or Aggressive Patients
We operate a Zero Tolerance Policy and any patient who is violent, abusive or aggressive to any person working in this surgery will be warned, removed from the list or reported to the Police dependant on the nature of abuse.