The charter informs you of what you can expect from your surgery and doctors, and, in return, your obligations as a patient to help ensure that these standards are maintained for you and other patients.

Appointment system

I can expect to be given an appointment to see a doctor or nurse on the day of request if I have an urgent problem; in this case there is no guarantee as to which doctor I can see and I may have a wait to be seen.

I can be informed of any delay, eg if a surgery is running late by asking a receptionist.

I will have the opportunity to consult another doctor, or be offered another appointment if preferred, if the doctor I have booked to see has to deal with an emergency, or is unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances.

If the doctor I wish to consult is not available on the day of my choice, then I will be offered an appointment with another doctor if available, or an alternative appointment with my chosen doctor.

Looking after my health

We place an emphasis on discussing with you ways of taking responsibility for maintaining your own health as far as possible and therefore:

• I can consult a doctor or nurse by appointment during routine surgery times to get advice about my general health
• I should receive an invitation to have a health check at the surgery if I have recently registered as a patient

Obtaining prescriptions

If I have a medical condition which requires a repeat prescription, it usually will be ready for collection in 48 hours.

Home visits

I can expect to receive a home visit if clinically necessary on the day of request, or on a subsequent day if appropriate. Requests should be made before 10.00am as far as possible. The doctor may call you to triage the request. There is no guarantee which doctor will visit me.

I understand that in the time it takes for the doctor to see one patient at home, he/she can see FIVE patients in the surgery, and so I must try to see the doctor in the surgery whenever possible.

My obligations as a patient

• I must make requests for repeat prescriptions in good time
• I accept that help and advice of non-urgent conditions should be dealt with during normal surgery hours
• I will respect advice on treatment, although I am free to reject the advice if, after consideration, I feel unable to accept it
• I should make every effort to be on time for appointments, and I should notify the practice in advance if I cannot keep the appointment or I if I am going to be late.
• I will not smoke in the surgery building
• I should treat all the staff at the practice with courtesy
• I understand that it is not the receptionist’s fault if the surgery is running late. This is usually due to patients having a problem which takes more time than usual to sort out, but sometimes due to patients turning up late and delaying other patients

Comments, suggestions and complaints

I can make a comment, suggestion or complaint by leaving a note with a receptionist.

When I visit the surgery

The surgery will be clean and well decorated, and I will endeavour to keep it this way for others.

My privacy and dignity will always be respected

The surgery will have facilities to help disabled people and for keeping children occupied.

I can always know to whom I am speaking when I telephone or visit the surgery.

My medical records

The practice team will keep my medical records confidential.

If I wish to see my medical records I must consult with the practice manager with a view to being informed about my rights under the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

As a patient I can expect

• To be registered with a doctor.
• To change doctors quickly and easily.
• To have emergency care available at all times.
• To have appropriate drugs and medicines prescribed.
• To be referred to an appropriate specialist acceptable to me when the doctor thinks it necessary and to be referred for a second opinion where I and the family practitioner agree that this is desirable.
• To receive a copy of the doctor’s booklet setting out the services the practice provides.

All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working at the surgery in the last financial year before tax and National Insurance was £85,768.This is for 2 full time GPs, 8 part time GPs and 4 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.

It should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

Your rights to information

The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to ask for information held by public authorities, such as the NHS, and including GP practices. The Act allows members of the public to see information about how public services are developed and delivered. We operate a publication scheme giving useful information about the practice.

In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about the practice under the NHS Openness Code 1995.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost and how decisions are made.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information about you. This can be done by contacting the practice manager in writing.

There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because it is confidential or commercial information, or the appropriate officer designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the conduct of the practice’s affairs.

Feedback

If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the Scheme, please provide us your feedback.

Classes of Information

All information at the practice is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines.

Our commitment to publish information excludes any information which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are e.g. the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme. The information on this Scheme is grouped into 7 broad classes

Class 1. Who we are and what we do

Ashton Medical Group at Glebe Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, OL6 6HD and Chapel Street Building, Chapel Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, OL6 6EW

Telephone: 0161 330 7747

Opening Hours

Partners

• Dr S Murray
• Dr R Mustafa
• Dr O Razzaq
• Mr J Rowlands
• Dr N Riyaz
  

The practice has a NHS General Medical Services contract and is contracted to provide medical services to registered patients, within Ashton-under-Lyne and the surrounding area. A list of the services is detailed below under Class 7.

The practice aims to follow National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and National Services Framework (NSF) guidelines and any other local guidance

The practice employs the following groups of staff:

• Salaried and Locum GP’s
• Practice Management
• Practice Nurses
• Administrative and Reception Staff, maintenance workers
• The practice provides accommodation to staff who provide health services to our patients for other NHS organisations such as Tameside Hospital, Tameside Community services, such as midwives and counsellors

Class 2. What we spend and how we spend it

The practice receives funding from NHSE NW, under a nGMS Contract the income we receive from the NHS is divided into the following broad categories:

• Global Sum
• Minimum Income Guarantee
• Aspiration Payment
• Enhanced Services
• Quality & Outcomes Framework

All NHS income is subject to audits and payment verification by our commissioners. Our practice accounts are audited annually by the practice accountants.

We incur expenditure on staffing, premises, consumables etc.

Class 3. What our priorities are and how we are doing

Our strategy is to deliver our contractual requirements to our patients whilst continually looking for improvement in terms of quality and productivity. Our performance against targets is monitored by NHS England, NHS Tameside and Glossop, CQC and other organisations as appropriate.

Class 4. How we make decisions

The practice partners have ultimate responsibility for the decisions of the practice. Consideration is taken from stakeholders such as other doctors, nurses, managers and staff of the practice.

The practice has an active patient reference group who are consulted on a wide range of issues affecting the practice

Class 5. Our policies and procedures

The practice publishes the following material:

• Practice Leaflet
• Fees for non NHS work
• Details regarding surgery times

The practice has the following published policies, available via our website:

• Confidentiality
• Data Protection
• Complaints Policy
• Zero Tolerance
• Chaperone

Class 6. Lists and Registers

The practice maintains lists and register of patients to assist with the delivery of health to specific groups of patients such as those with long term conditions or chronic diseases. Such registers include patient identifiable data and cannot be made available for inspection.

The practice can make the number of patients available on the register

Class 7. The services we offer

Please refer to our practice Leaflet or this website for full details about the practice. The range of services includes:

• General Medical Services
• Contraceptive services
• Antenatal and postnatal services
• Child Health Surveillance
• Well person checks
• Immunisation Services
• Chronic Disease management Services
• Cervical Cytology Screening
• Minor Surgery
• Smoking Cessation Services

Useful Resources

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
www.lcd.gov.uk
www.foi.nhs.uk

Publications:
NHS Openness Code: www.doh.gov.uk
FOI Act 2000: www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk
Code of practice under Section 45 FOI Act 2000: www.lcd.gov.uk

There is wheelchair access into the surgery and all the doctors and reception areas are on ground level. There are toilet facilities for the disabled. We have a portable wheelchair in the surgery, please ask reception if you would like to use it to transport a patient from a vehicle into surgery.

Accessibility

If your hearing is impaired and you would like any of our services, we have hearing loops at both reception desks.

You can also use the Text Relay service.

If you have any feedback or concerns about the service you have received from doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know. We have a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets the national criteria.

How To Complain

We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible, ideally within a few days.

This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem, or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.

Your complaint will be dealt with by the practice manager. The practice manager will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible. you can email your complaint to the following gmicb-tameside.amgmanagers@nhs.net

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.

What We Will Do

We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 working days and aim to have fully investigated it within 25 working days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish.

When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances; make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an appropriate response, and take steps to address any issues that arise as a result of the investigation.

You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations

Complaining To NHS England

By post to:

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net

If you are making a complaint please state: ‘For the attention of the complaints team’ in the subject line.

By telephone: 0300 311 22 33

Taking It Further

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP
Complaints Helpline: 0345 015 4033

To deliver the highest standard of medical services to our patients and strive to be the lead for modern day primary care making full use of the latest technology where appropriate while maintaining a traditional approach to general practice wherever possible.

To enhance the quality of life of individuals in the local community through the efficient use of all health care resources available.

To build a strong relationship and develop collaborative approaches, with the patient participation group and volunteers to ensure that the patients voice is heard.

Our values

• Trustworthy
• Respect & dignity
• Compassion
• Improving lives
• Everybody matters

Our aim is to be the very best that we can be.