You can find a detailed report of our CQC inspection here.

Routine requests should be made before 10.30am by telephoning 01234 319991. Requests for visits are assessed by the visiting doctor of the day.

Please accept that this is a service for the truly housebound only and all other patients are expected to come to the surgery for assessment. A doctor can usually see up to five patients in the surgery in the time taken to do one home visit. We are also unable to access your full medical record when out of the building.

Please see our practice boundary here

You can meet our team here.

We currently have no vacancies.

We want you to have the best possible experience of care. The NHS Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service. Your feedback will help us learn more about what you think of your experience – what you like and what you think we could improve. Ultimately, you’re helping us to make changes that will ensure we can offer the best possible care.

This accessibility statement applies to Putnoe Medical Centre. This website is run by Putnoe Medical Centre. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

change colours, contrast levels and fonts

zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen

navigate most of the website using just a keyboard

navigate most of the website using speech recognition software

listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window

you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text

most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software

live video streams do not have captions

some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard

you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader

there’s a limit to how far you can magnify the map on our ‘contact us’ page

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

call: 01234 319992

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 7 days.

If you cannot view the map on our ‘contact us’ page, call or email us for directions.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

call: 01234 319992

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Compliance

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to ‘the non-compliances and exemptions’ listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:

This site may contain older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2

Disproportionate burden

Google Maps – There’s a limit to how far you can magnify the embedded Google Map on our ‘contact us’ page. The code for this map is supplied by Google and we are unable to make amendments to it.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 16/11/2023.

Site compliance was checked using a combination of manual testing and third party tools, including:

WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (https://wave.webaim.org/)

WebAIM Contrast Checker (https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)

HTML_CodeSniffer (https://squizlabs.github.io/HTML_CodeSniffer/)

Pa11y – Automated accessibility testing (https://pa11y.org/)

axe – Web Accessibility Testing (https://www.deque.com/axe/

Aim: To use the latest innovations in smartphone technology to help patients find and use apps to manage conditions and make better lifestyle choices in a way that is convenient for them.

The surgery is an integral part of the health care system and view the use of apps as a complimentary means of promoting patient self-help and support through digital tools. We want to encourage the patient to take an active role in managing their healthcare condition. We do not aim to use apps to replace the role of a qualified medical practitioner, nor to remove monitoring of chronic conditions from within the surgery setting. We do recognise that in the passage of time we may be able to directly use the information and data collected and stored by our patients through apps as part of their ongoing health plan.

Approved Apps

There are European regulations about medical apps and the assurance that an app meets essential criteria, we will endeavour to include only medical apps, including web apps which bear the CE mark. We will include on our website NHS Digital Apps showcased on the NHS Public Health Site as NHS approved or ‘being tested in the NHS.

The surgery (surgeries in cluster for voting purposes) will remain objective, impartial and even-handed in selection of apps listed in the app library. The surgery will make any such selection based on merit alone and will not directly benefit financially from apps for which a fee is charged. Any financial arrangement for use of apps is an agreement made between the patient and supplier and the surgery will not seek to influence any such decision for financial gain.

A medical app is one that diagnoses, supports diagnosis or clinical decisions, makes calculations to determine diagnosis or treatment, or are used for any medical purpose that are classed as ‘medical devices’. A medical app does not need to link to the patient’s records or capture the patient’s name or NHS number; if it uses patient specific information, it is a medical app and it needs a CE mark.

What is NOT a medical app?

Apps that have only administrative functions, eg to book an appointment or request a prescription. Apps that give general guidance or are not marketed as medical apps, such as generic calculators on mobile phone apps that do not provide personalised advice.

Consultation & Planning

The addition of new apps to the website will be by majority decision and will meet the criteria for medical apps as stated above. Review of website apps will take place three monthly, removal of apps will be by majority decision – except in exceptional  circumstances where content, information or advice is known to be incorrect, damaging and controversial or may be used for extortion.

Reporting issues or problems with apps

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are the body to report any known problem with apps used for medical purposes (such as calculation errors) and should be reported to MHRA online at www.mhra.gov.uk.

Disclaimer

The surgery or the approving body is not the owner, manager or supplier of the tools/apps listed on the website. The surgery or the approving body has set standards for reviewing the tools/apps as detailed in this policy, but this does not mean that we or the approving body has itself reviewed all aspects of the tool/app, or version of the same tool/app. The named supplier listed is the entity solely responsible for the tool/app. The surgery or the approving body is not responsible or liable for any advice, or any other information, services or products that you obtain through the use of the tool/apps listed on our website.

The Digital Apps on this website are intended to provide supportive relevant information only. They do not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way. If you have an urgent medical need you should call 111. If a life is at risk, call 999.

The Surgery prides itself in maintaining professional standards. For certain examinations during consultations an impartial observer (a “Chaperone”) may be requested by the clinician or patient.

This impartial observer will be a suitable qualified trained professional, who is familiar with the procedure and be available to reassure and raise any concerns on your behalf. If a chaperone is unavailable at the time of your consultation then your examination may be re-scheduled for another time.

You are free to decline any examination or chose an alternative examiner or chaperone. You may also request a chaperone for any examination or consultation if one is not offered to you. The GP may not undertake an examination if a chaperone is declined.

The role of a Chaperone:

Maintains professional boundaries during intimate examinations.

Acknowledges a patient’s vulnerability.

Provides emotional comfort and reassurance.

Assists in the examination.

What are cookies?

Cookies are files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.

They store information about how you use the website, such as the pages you visit.

Cookies are not viruses or computer programs. They are very small so do not take up much space.

How we use cookies

We use cookies to:

make our website work, for example by keeping it secure

remember which pop-ups you’ve seen

measure how you use our website, such as which links you click on (analytics cookies)

help show you relevant health campaigns on social media

Change your cookie settings

Some cookies, like those used to measure how you use our website, are not needed for our website to work.

These cookies can help us make our website better, but we’ll only use them if you say it’s OK.

Practice Complaints Procedure

If you have complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in our Practices, please let us know.  We welcome informal discussions about any concerns in the first instance.  However, if you wish to make a formal complaint this sets out the process.

We operate this procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. 

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  If for any reason it is not possible to notify us within a reasonably prompt timescale, we should receive your complaint in writing within 12 months of the incident.

Complaints relating to Putnoe Medical and Walk In Centre should be made in writing to

Mrs Jane Mason, Deputy Practice Manager in the first instance.

Please send to Putnoe Medical Centre, 93 Queens Drive, Bedford, MK41 9JE or email to putnoemedicalcentre@nhs.net for the attention of Mrs Jane Mason (Complaint).

Please see our complaints procedure for more information.

Complaints Procedure

The practice complies with the Data Protection Act.  All information about patients is confidential: from the most sensitive diagnosis, to the fact of having visited the surgery or being registered at the Practice. All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their permission except in the most exceptional of circumstances, when somebody is at grave risk of serious harm.

All members of the primary health care team (from reception to doctors) in the course of their duties will have access to your medical records. They all adhere to the highest standards of maintaining confidentiality.

As our reception area is a little public, if you wish to discuss something of a confidential nature please mention it to one of the receptionists who will make arrangements for you to have the necessary privacy.

Under 16s

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person. Young people aged under 16 years can choose to see health professionals, without informing their parents or carers. If a GP considers that the young person is competent to make decisions about their health, then the GP can give advice, prescribe and treat the young person without seeking further consent.

However, in terms of good practice, health professionals will encourage young people to discuss issues with a parent or carer. As with older people, sometimes the law requires us to report information to appropriate authorities in order to protect young people or members of the public.

Useful Websites

Confidentiality NHS Code of Practice

Confidentiality and Mental Health

Confidentiality Guidance

If you have any special needs please let our staff know so that we can help and ensure you get the same support in the future.

Wheelchair access

Where possible, a wheelchair will be made available for patient’s use, at their own risk, should you require one whilst visiting our premises.

Loop System

We have a loop induction system at the reception desk to assist the hearing impaired. For more information on the loop hearing system visit Hearing Link website.

British Deaf Association

The Deaf Health Charity – SignHealth

Action Hearing Loss

Royal Association for Deaf People

National Deaf Children’s Society

Blind/Partially Sighted

If you or family members are blind or partially sighted we can give you a CD or large print of our practice leaflet upon request. Please ask Reception for further information.

For more advice and support for blind people please access the following websites:

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RIND)

Action for Blind People

Blind.org.uk

British Blind Sport

Guide Dogs

Guide dogs are welcome at the surgery but we ask that you be aware of other patients and staff who may have an allergy or fear of dogs.

Further Information:

Guide Dogs

Other Disability Websites

BID Services

Disability Go

Disabled People, your Rights, Benefits, Carers and the Equality Act

Disability Rights UK

Living with a Disability NHS Choices

Disability Action

Mencap

Employee Privacy Notice

It is NHS policy to treat all patients and employees fairly and equally regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, age or disability.

Equality is based on the legal obligation to comply with anti-discrimination legislation. Equality protects people from being discriminated against on the grounds of group membership i.e. sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, belief, or age.

Diversity implies a wide range of conditions and characteristics. Diversity encompasses visible and non-visible individual differences. It can be seen in the makeup of patients and the workforce in terms of gender, ethnic minorities, disabled people, trans identity etc.

The Freedom of Information Act creates a right of access to recorded information.

The Act covers any recorded organisational information such as reports, policies or strategies, that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, however it does not cover personal information such as patient records which are covered by the Data Protection Act.

Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces.

The Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner who regulates both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.

Who can request information?

Under the Act, any individual, anywhere in the world, is able to make a request to a practice for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing, by the practice, whether the practice holds information of the description specified in the request and if that is the case, have the information communicated to them. An individual can request information, regardless of whether he/she is the subject of the information or affected by its use.

How should requests be made?

Requests must be made in writing (this can be electronically e.g. email)

State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence

Describe the information requested.

What cannot be requested?

Personal data about staff and patients covered under Data Protection Act. For more information see these websites:

Legislation GOV.UK

Information Commissioners Office

Your privacy is very important to us and we take our responsibility regarding the security of your personal information very seriously.

We are committed to protecting your personal information and to being transparent about the information we are collecting about you and what we do with it.

To reflect the new changes in the data protection law we are required by law to produce a Privacy Policy.  We appreciate that you put a great deal of trust in us for holding and processing information about you and your medical records and assure you that we hold this safely and securely, retaining your confidentiality at all times.

In order to ensure that the information we hold about you is up to date it is your responsibility to inform us if any of your personal information changes.  In particular, please let us know if you change your mobile telephone number in order for us to maintain your confidentiality.  This is imperative as failure to do so may result in us sending information about you to another person.

View our Privacy Notice

You can also request a hard copy from Reception.

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 Putnoe Medical Centre in the last financial year was £104,508 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 6 full time GPs, 5 part time GPs and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.

To view the document, please click on the link below:

https://www.putnoemedicalcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Putnoe-Medical-Centre-Infection-Control-annual-statement-Oct-2023-14.pdf

Translation and BSL for Consultations With Your Doctor or Nurse

The practice is able to make arrangements for an interpreter to join your GP consultation over the telephone, please advise reception when booking your appointment if an interpreter is required so that arrangements can be made.

If you require a sign-language interpreter this can be arranged in person provided sufficient notice has been given.

Interpreter Services

Using your computer and webcam, or the signvideo app on your smartphone or tablet, you can make a video call to a BSL interpreter. Please visit www.signvideo.co.uk for further information.

The interpreter telephones an NHS 111 adviser and relays your conversation with them. The NHS 111 adviser will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you straightaway to the local service that can help you best.

If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance they will immediately arrange one for you.

This service is available every day.

NHS Digital is developing a new system to support the national data opt-out which will give patients more control over how confidential patient information is used. The system will offer patients and the public the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether they wish their confidential patient information to be used just for their individual care and treatment or also used for research and planning purposes.

Patients and the public who decide they do not want their confidential patient information used for planning and research purposes will be able to set their national data opt-out choice online.

Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13. NHS Digital will never sell your data. There are strict rules about how NHS can use your data. It’s only shared securely and safely. Shared data helps the NHS. It has been used to find the first treatment for coronavirus and for vaccine research.

If you’re happy with your confidential patient information being used for research and planning you do not need to do anything.

Any choice you make will not impact your individual care. Please click on the link to find out more and opt out if you wish to do so.

https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/

For further opt-out information, please visit the NHS Digital site:

digital.nhs.uk/opt-out-programme

And if you would like to opt-out, you can follow the process using the link below;

www.nhs.uk/manage-your-choice

Our practice policy on this subject is available to review below:

National Data Opt-Out Policy

Local Data Opt-Out Program

If you wish to register a local data opt out with your GP practice before data sharing starts with NHS Digital, this should be done by downloading the Type 1 Opt Out form and retuning it to your GP practice. If you have previously registered a Type 1 Opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this.

What is non-NHS work and why is there a fee?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951 and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged.

Sometimes the charge is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, producing medical reports for insurance companies, solicitors or employers.

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients but not non-NHS work. It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS; they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc. – in the same way as any small business.

In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients are:

accident/sickness certificates for insurance purposes

school fee and holiday insurance certificates

reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise

private prescriptions for travel purposes

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies

reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with

disability living allowance and attendance allowance

medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions, for example a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients. Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

The British Medical Association (BMA) suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (i.e. work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, the fees suggested by them are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates they suggest.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time. Our GPs do non-NHS work out of NHS time at evenings or weekends so that NHS patient care does not suffer.

I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s ENTIRE medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.

If you are a new patient we may not have your medical records so the doctor must wait for these before completing the form.

What will I be charged?

It is recommended that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be. It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge.

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a signature by a doctor. We do not certify signatures on legal documents such as passports. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge. Read the information that comes with these types of forms carefully before requesting your GP to complete them.

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight: urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this may cost more. Usually non-NHS work may take up to 28 days to process.

You can find our privacy notice here.

New contractual requirements came into force from 1 April 2014 requiring that GP Practices should make available a statement of intent in relation to the following IT developments:

Summary Care Record (SCR)

GP to GP Record Transfers

Patient Online Access to  their GP Record

Data for commissioning and other secondary care purposes

The same contractual obligations require that we have a statement of intent regarding these developments in place and publicised by 30 September 2014.

Please find below details of the practices stance with regards to these points.

Summary Care Record (SCR)

NHS England require practices to enable successful automated uploads of any changes to patient’s summary information, at least on a daily basis, to the summary care record (SCR) or have published plans in place to achieve this by 31st of March 2015.

Having your Summary Care Record (SCR) available will help anyone treating you without your full medical record. They will have access to information about any medication you may be taking and any drugs that you have a recorded allergy or sensitivity to.

Of course, if you do not want your medical records to be available in this way then you will need to let us know so that we can update your record. You can do this via the opt out form. The practice confirms that your SCR is automatically updated on at least a daily basis to ensure that your information is as up to date as it can possibly be.

GP to GP Record Transfers

NHS England require practices to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers (not for temporary registration).

It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded on to your new GP via NHS England. It can take your paper records at least two weeks to reach your new surgery.

With GP to GP record transfers your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.

The practice confirms that GP to GP transfers are already active and we send and receive patient records via this system.

Patient Online Access to their GP Record

NHS England require practices to promote and offer the facility to enable patients online access to appointments, prescriptions, allergies and adverse reactions or have published plans in place to have achieved this by 31st of March 2015.

We currently offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments and also for ordering your repeat prescriptions and viewing a summary of your medical records on-line. If you do not already have a user name and password for this system – please register your interest with our reception staff, who will advise you of the identity requirements we need.

Data for commissioning and other secondary care purposes

It is already a requirement of the Health and Social Care Act that practices must meet the reasonable data requirements of commissioners and other health and social care organisations through appropriate and safe data sharing for secondary uses, as specified in the technical specification for care data.

NHS England have commissioned a modern data service on behalf of the entire health and social care system.  This involves the anonymised extraction of key clinical information to inform national trends and decision making around the commissioning of new services.  By default you are opted in.  If you would like to access further information please go to www.nhs.uk/caredata or telephone 0300 4563531. If you would like to opt out, please advise the reception team when you are next at the practice.

The Practice confirm these arrangements are in place and that we undertake annual training and audits to ensure that all our data is handled correctly and safely via the Information Governance Toolkit.

About your Summary Care Record

Your Summary Care Record contains important information about any medicines you are taking, any allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have previously experienced.

Allowing authorised healthcare staff to have access to this information will improve decision making by doctors and other healthcare professionals and has prevented mistakes being made when patients are being cared for in an emergency or when their GP practice is closed. Your Summary Care Record also includes your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS Number to help identify you correctly.

Healthcare staff will have access to this information, so that they can provide safer care, whenever or wherever you need it, anywhere in England.

FAQs

Who can see my Summary Care Record?

Healthcare staff who have access to your Summary Care Record:

need to be directly involved in caring for you

need to have an NHS Smartcard with a chip and passcode

will only see the information they need to do their job and

will have their details recorded every time they look at your record

Healthcare staff will ask for your permission every time they need to look at your Summary Care Record. If they cannot ask you (for example if you are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate), healthcare staff may look at your record without asking you, because they consider that this is in your best interest.

If they have to do this, this decision will be recorded and checked to ensure that the access was appropriate.

What are my choices?

You can choose to have a Summary Care Record or you can choose to opt out.

If you choose to have a Summary Care Record and are registered with a GP practice, you do not need to do anything as a Summary Care Record is created for you.

If you choose to opt out of having a Summary Care Record and do not want a SCR, you need to let your GP practice know by filling in and returning an opt-out form (PDF, 245.9kB). Opt-out forms can be downloaded from the website or from your GP practice.

If you are unsure if you have already opted out, you should talk to the staff at your GP practice. You can change your mind at any time by simply informing your GP practice and either filling in an opt-out form (PDF, 245.9kB) or asking your GP practice to create a Summary Care Record for you.

Children and the Summary Care Record

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16, you should make this information available to them and support the child to come to a decision as to whether to have a Summary Care Record or not.

If you believe that your child should opt-out of having a Summary Care Record, we strongly recommend that you discuss this with your child’s GP. This will allow your child’s GP to highlight the consequences of opting-out, prior to you finalising your decision.

Where can I get more information?

For more information about Summary Care Records you can

talk to the staff at your GP practice

phone the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 0300 303 5678

Read the Summary Care Record patient information

For information on Enhanced Summary Care Records, please see the attached:

NHS Summary Care Record with Additional Information

Summary Care Record Leaflet

Additional Information in SCR

The practice fully supports the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy. The aim of this policy is to tackle the increasing problem of violence against staff working in the NHS and ensures that doctors and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused.

We understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint. We ask you to treat your doctors and their staff courteously and act reasonably.

All incidents will be followed up and you will be sent a formal warning after the first incident or removed from the practice list after a second incident if your behaviour has been unreasonable.

However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or verbal/abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police will be contacted if an incident is taking place and the patient is posing a threat to staff or other patients, in which case this would result in immediate removal from the practice list.

Removal from the Practice List

A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of The Surgery, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.

Removing other members of the household

In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.

The above policy also applies to patients and visitors to the practice as well as staff.

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be achieved by working together. Help us to help you. You have a right to, and the practice will try to ensure that:

You will be treated with courtesy and respect

You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention that you receive

All aspects of your visit will be dealt with in privacy and confidence

You will be seen by a doctor of your choice subject to availability

In an emergency, out of normal opening hours, if you telephone the practice you will be given the number to receive assistance, which will require no more than one further call

You can bring someone with you, however you may be asked to be seen on your own during the consultation

Repeat prescriptions will normally be available for collection within two working days of your request

Information about our services on offer will be made available to you by way of posters, notice boards and newsletters

You have the right to see your medical records or have a copy subject to certain laws. If you wish to obtain a copy through a Subject Access Request, please contact our Admin team who will supply you with an application form and details of ID required. Alternatively sign up to online services by visiting any of our reception desks. Certain types of ID will be required.

If you require an interpreter, you must advise reception when you book your appointment of your requirements. Interpreters can usually be arranged for non-emergency appointments.

Patient’s Responsibilities

With these rights come responsibilities and for patients we would respectfully request that you:

Treat practice staff and doctors with the same consideration and courtesy that you would like yourself. Remember that they are trying to help you

Please ensure that you order your repeat medication in plenty of time allowing 3 working days

Please ensure that you have a basic first aid kit at home and initiate minor illness and self-care for you and your family

Please attend any specialist appointments that have been arranged for you or cancel them if your condition has resolved or you no longer wish to attend

Please follow up any test or investigations done for you with the person who has requested the investigation

Attend appointments on time and check in with Reception, or if available please use the check in screen.

Patients who are late for their appointment may not be seen.

If you are unable to make your appointment or no longer need it, please give the practice adequate notice that you wish to cancel. Appointments are heavily in demand and missed appointments waste time and delay more urgent patients receiving the treatment they need

An appointment is for one person only. Where another family member needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made

Patients should make every effort to present at the surgery to ensure the best use of nursing and medical time. Home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience

Please inform us when you move home, change your name or telephone number, so that we can keep our records correct and up to date

Read the practice leaflets and other information that we give you. They are there to help you use our services. If you do not understand their content please tell us

Let us have your views. Your ideas and suggestions whether complimentary or critical are important in helping us to provide a first class, safe, friendly service in pleasant surroundings.

NHS Constitution

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. For more information see these websites:

GOV.UK – The NHS Constitution for England

NHS Choices – NHS Constitution

The PPG has been active since 1996 and provide a vital source of advice, resource and patient centred feedback. The PPG aim to represent and link the whole patient community to the practice in a number of ways including regular meetings and opinion surveys.

They have developed an extremely successful series of walks for health groups and regular coffee mornings.

If you are interested in joining this Group that meets quarterly, or wish to register to participate in our annual Patient Survey, please complete our PPG Registration Form.

Virtual Patient Reference Group

Would you like to have a say about the services provided at Putnoe Medical Centre?

If so, we would like to hear your views and invite you to join our ‘virtual’ Patient Reference Group.

There will be no formal meetings but we will keep in touch occasionally via emails or the post to seek your views on surgery issues. If you are interested, please email us at PRG form.

If you need to update your information please go to General Enquiries/SystmConnect which you can access via the home page.