Patient Information & Practice Policies
Carers Direct
Are You a Carer?
If you are please let us know – we may be able to help you
There is a wealth of information on NHS Choices about carers and caring. Below are some links into the site that we hope you will find useful.
- Caring for a parent
Watch this video on: caring for a parent at home
- Telling people
Caring responsibilities can make it difficult to maintain friendships or develop new ones. Telling your friends you’re a carer is important so they understand and can support you.
- Taking a break
Caring for someone can be a full-time job, but it’s essential that you take time out for yourself too. Read our guide to accessing breaks and respite.
- Housing and carers
Do you know your tenancy rights as a carer? Are you aware of all your care at home options? Do you need tips on moving someone around the home?
Finance and Law
Help claiming benefits, looking after your bank balance and understanding the legal issues of caring.
- Benefits for carers
Directing carers to the benefits that can help them in their caring role
- Benefits for the person you care for
Advice and information on helping the person you look after get the benefits that they are entitled to
- Death and benefits
How your benefits maybe affected after the death of the person you look after and what happens to their benefits
- Managing someone’s legal affairs
Advice for when carers find they have to take over the legal affairs of the person they are looking after
- Other benefits
Advice for carers and the people they are looking after on claiming a whole host of other benefits unrelated to their disability or caring
- Personal and household finance
Advice on keeping a tight rein on household and personal finance for carers
- Social fund
- Tax credits
Information on claiming tax credits and whether you might be eligible
Contact Carers Direct
- Telephone
- 0808 802 0202
- Helpline Information
- http://www.nhs.uk/carersdirect/carerslives/updates/pages/carersdirecthelpline.aspx
- [email protected]
- Office Hours
- Lines are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.
- Online Enquiry Form
- http://www.carersdirectenquiry.nhs
Carers Resource
Please click here to view resources for carers http://www.carersresource.org/
Citizens Advice
Do you need advice?
If you need advice, on issues like benefits, debt, employment, housing, legal matters and much more, Wilsden Medical practice now hosts a weekly advice session provided by Windhill Advice Centre in our Wilsden surgery.
The weekly session is held from 1pm to 4pm on a Monday afternoon by appointment only. The appointment is totally confidential and free.
To book your appointment call us now on 01535 273227
Complaints
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Will the way I order my medication change?
A) No, you will still need to request your medication either directly at the practice, on-line or via fax//post.
Q) If I don’t get a paper prescription any more, I won’t get a repeat order form so how do I request my next prescription?
A) The pharmacy will give you a repeat order form when they give you your medication.
Q) How long will my repeat prescription take?
A) Please allow 2 full working days for us to process and send repeat prescriptions. Prescriptions are not processed at the weekend.
N.B. If an update or review is needed please allow more time as the doctor may need to see you before issuing more medication.
Q) If my prescription is electronic, how will you know where it is?
A) There is an audit trail on the computer so we can see if it is still at the practice awaiting approval or has been sent electronically to the pharmacy.
Q) Can all medication be sent using this electronic system?
A) No. Certain medications, such as as controlled drugs, must still be prescribed in paper format at present.
Q) I have prescriptions for catheters sent by post to the appliance company. What will happen to these?
A) These can still be printed and sent by post or you may nominate a Designated Appliance Company to receive them electronically.
Q) The pharmacy currently orders and collects my paper prescriptions. Will these automatically be converted to electronic ones?
A) No. If you wish to change to electronic prescribing, you will need to nominate your chosen pharmacy to receive your prescriptions electronically. If you do not wish to change, then paper prescriptions will still be produced for collection.
Q) My paper prescription is currently sent automatically to the pharmacy. Will anything change?
A) If you have nominated your pharmacy to receive electronic prescriptions as well as paper ones, then your prescription will be sent to them electronically in future.
Q) I use different pharmacies depending on where I am. Is this service suitable for me?
A) This service is more suitable for people who use the same pharmacy all the time, however you may be able to request a different pharmacy as a ‘one-off’.
Q) I was using one pharmacy all the time but now I want to change to a different one. How do I do this?
A) You can change your nominated pharmacy either by informing the old or new pharmacy or by informing the practice (forms available at reception).
Q) I have started using the Electronic Prescribing Service but find it does not suit me. Can I go back to paper prescriptions?
A) Yes. Please inform your pharmacy.
Q) I have moved here from another area which was already using the Electronic Prescribing Service. Will my nominated pharmacy be changed automatically to a local one?
A) No. When you register with the practice we will remove the existing nomination to prevent prescriptions unintentionally being sent to a pharmacy which may be many miles away. Please choose a new pharmacy that is convenient for you and let them know
Friends & Family Test
Would you recommend our GP surgery?
The Friends and Family Test
From 1 December, if you visit our GP surgery you will be asked about whether or not you would recommend our surgery to your family and friends, if they need similar treatment or care.
You can fill in a reply card at the reception in Wilsden or Cullingworth, or click here to give your feedback online.
More details
When you visit our GP surgery for care or treatment, you will be given the opportunity to give your feedback by answering a simple question about your experience:
“How likely are you to recommend our GP practice to friends and family if they need similar care or treatment?”
You will be asked to choose one of six options, ranging from ‘extremely likely’ to ‘extremely unlikely’.
Your response is anonymous and you will be able to post the postcard in a ballot box in our GP practice reception on your way out of the surgery.
If you are unable to answer the question, a friend or family member is welcome to respond on your behalf.
The information will give our GP practice invaluable feedback on what you think of the care and treatment you have received, which along with existing ways of gathering feedback, will help us to make improvements and improve the experience for our patients.
The Friends and Family Test has already been successfully rolled out in hospitals across the country and is proving to be valuable in obtaining patient experiences. For more information on the Friends and Family Test, please visit www.nhs.uk/friendsandfamily.
NHS commissioning Board (NHSCB)
Comments, Suggestions & Complaints
Suggestions, comments or complaints are welcomed and should be addressed to Susan Crowther, Practice Manager.
NHS Commissioning Board (NHSCB) 0300 311 2233.
The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.
So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The NHS Commissioning Board, known as NHSCB, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.
NHSCB also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.
What does NHSCB do?
In particular, NHSCB will:
- Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
- Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
- Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
- Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
- Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
- Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
- Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.
Patient Information Booklet
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 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 Practioners 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.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
Practice Survey Reporting
Publication of Earnings
Website Disclosure
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 Wilsden Medical Practice in the last financial year was £74,717 before tax and national insurance. This is for 10 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Wilsden Medical Practice Business Plan 2018-2021
2018-2021 Business Plan
Rights & Responsibilities
Patients who do not attend appointments create problems for other patients awaiting appointments. This currently equates to 120-150 missed appointments per month. Patients are requested to let us know as soon as possible if unable to keep an appointment.
This practice has a zero tolerance policy on abusive, aggressive or violent behaviour. In the case of violence, this will be reported immediately to the police and the patient concerned will be removed from the Practice list and will have to attend an alternative centre. In the case of abusive or aggressive behaviour, the first step will be a letter to the patient explaining that this behaviour is unacceptable. After a second warning the details of the patient will be sent to the tPCT who will find another doctor for the patient.
Text Message Reminders
You can now register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care.
If you wish to register for this messaging service please fill out the consent form.
New Data Protection Regulations from May 2018 (GDPR)
Under the new data protection regulations introduced from 25th May 2018, we will continue to contact patients via text messages regarding the delivery of care if they have provided consent to do so.
If practices are sending messages about recommended treatment for the management of a specific health issue, then this is defined as providing appropriate care for patients, not marketing purposes.
If you would like ot opt out of any future contact via text messaging, then please complete the form and indicate in the marked section.
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.