Antibiotics
Our policy and why we should use them carefully.
Antibiotics are important medicines designed to treat bacterial infections such as meningitis, kidney infections and pneumonia. Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic so becoming “antibiotic resistant”. If this happens these valuable and lifesaving medicines will no longer work.
Antibiotics can also have side effects, for example, thrush and diarrhoea. They can even contribute to very severe infections, one of which is known as Clostridium Difficult which can make people really very unwell.
Most coughs, colds and sore throats are caused by viruses and antibiotics and do not work against infections caused by viruses. Autumn and early winter are just the time of year when some people begin to develop such coughs, colds and sore throats. We spend more time inside and therefore infections can be transmitted easily between us.
It is good practice not to prescribe antibiotics for such conditions. In this practice we try to only prescribe antibiotics when appropriate, so you may find your doctor or nurse discussing with you the reasons why he or she is advising against an antibiotic.
There are other things that can be done to relieve symptoms from coughs, colds and sore throats. However, they will usually settle after a few days. Paracetamol is taken regularly and plenty of fluids can help if the symptoms are irritating and intrusive. Alternatively, you can get advice or over the counter remedies from your local pharmacist.
Patients Charter
We aim to provide the best possible service to our patients and hope you will feel that we achieve that aim.
The care of your health is a partnership between yourself and the Primary Health Care Team here at Silloth Group Medical Practice. The success of that partnership depends on an understanding of each other’s needs and co-operation between us.
Our Responsibility to you
- You will be greeted courteously
- You have a right to confidentiality, privacy and dignity at all times
- You have the right to see your medical records subject to the limitations of the law
- You will be seen the same day if your problem is urgent
- You will be seen by your own doctor whenever possible
- You will be informed if there will be a delay of more than 20 minutes for your appointment
- You will be referred to a consultant when your GP thinks it necessary
- You will be given the result of any test or investigation on request or at your next appointment
- Your repeat prescription will be ready for collection within 48 hours of your request,72 hrs if collected from the local chemist.
- Your suggestions and comments about the services offered will be considered sympathetically and any complaint dealt with quickly
- Information contained in your health records is kept confidential at all times and only disclosed to others for purposes related to your health care (except when you have given permission)
- All staff working in the NHS have a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
Your Responsibility to us
- Please treat all surgery staff with respect – we are all just doing our job
- Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself
- Tell us of any change of name or address, so that our records are accurate
- Only request an urgent appointment if appropriate. Home visits should only be requested if you are really too ill to attend surgery and are not requested for social convenience.
- Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend as we could offer this appointment to someone who needs it
- Please be punctual, but be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an unexpected emergency
- Please allow sufficient time for your consultant’s letter or the results of any tests to reach us
- You will be advised of the usual length of time to wait
- Use the tear-off slip to request your repeat prescription whenever possible and put in the red box at the front of reception
- Please allow plenty of time for your repeat prescription to be prepared
- Please attend for a medication review, when asked, before your next prescription is due
- Do let us know whenever you feel we have not met our responsibility to you
- We would, of course, be pleased to hear when you feel praise is due as well
Complaints Procedure
We are always pleased to receive suggestions for improving our services and we like getting compliments as well. We hope you will never have cause for serious complaint but if you do, we have a complaints procedure aimed at the quick resolution of problems. Please initially either speak directly to your GP or write to the Practice Manager, Karen Thomas. The doctors and staff at Silloth Group Medical Practice strive to deliver high quality patient care at all times and in all areas of contact with the patient or patient’s representative, and are realistic enough to appreciate that there are times when less than efficient service may be given or instances where the patient is less than happy with the service he has received. In order to attain and maintain high standards of care, feedback is needed from those to whom the care is delivered; one mechanism is the complaints procedure.
- As a patient, you have a right to complain about any aspect of the service with which you are less than satisfied, and the Practice has produced this Complaints Procedure to assist you through this.
- Any complaint you wish to make can be accepted either in writing or verbally, and should preferably be addressed in either case to the Practice Manager. If you feel the doctor is the most appropriate person to approach, you are free to do so.
- If your complaint is written, you will receive an acknowledgement within five working days from receipt.
- If your complaint is verbal, you will receive written acknowledgement within five working days, with a factual statement of what is perceived to be the complaint.
- Any complaint you make will be investigated and you will receive a written report from the Practice as to the outcomes of the investigations and, where appropriate, the steps are taken to ensure the situation does not recur.
- If considered appropriate by all parties, you will be invited to attend the surgery to discuss the matter with the Practice Manager and, where appropriate, one or more of the doctors, following which you will receive a written statement from the Practice as to the discussion and the outcome.
- Where other parties are involved, you will be kept informed as to the steps being taken to obtain their statements.
- The Practice will strive to deal with complaints in a methodical and efficient manner in order to bring about an equitable conclusion.
It is sincerely hoped that any complaint you have about the Practice can be dealt with by those responsible for ensuring patient care and delivery of services within the Practice, but there are times when you may feel this is inappropriate or that you need some support. You have the right, therefore to complain NHS England (see attached guidance by clicking here)
If you are not happy with the results of the complaints procedure, you have the right to refer your complaint to:
Address:
The Health Service Ombudsman for England
11th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Practice Policies
Confidentiality & Medical Records
The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases Anonymised patient information will also be used at a local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation, we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Chaperones
If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation then please advise the receptionist when booking your appointment or when checking in.
GP Earnings
2021- 2022
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 Silloth Group Medical Practice in the last financial year was £84,170 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full-time GPs and 1 full-time salaried GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.
However, 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 for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with other Practices.
Fully Accredited Veteran Friendly Practice
This means that, as part of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, we have a dedicated clinician who has a specialist knowledge of military related health conditions and veteran specific health services. This is important in helping ex-forces to get the best care and treatment.
If you are ex-forces, please let your GP know to help ensure you are getting the best possible care.
WELL BEING SERVICE
