Your Rights & Responsibilities
On This Page
Your Rights
Your Responsibilities
Whitby Group Practice is dedicated to high
quality healthcare and to achieving services which meet the requirements
of our patients. We try to
use and support local services at
Whitby Hospital as much as possible.
Your Rights
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Patients have the right to be treated with courtesy by doctors, nurses and staff.
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For any urgent condition, you should have an appointment for the same day with a doctor or the Nurse Practitioners, perhaps after discussion over the telephone.
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You would normally be able to get an appointment for a non-urgent consultation with your own GP within the next 5 working days. If your own doctor is not available, e.g. on holiday, you may choose to wait or to see one of the other doctors.
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Ante-natal and Post-natal appointments can be booked up to 8 weeks ahead.
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Nurse appointments can be booked up to 8 weeks ahead through the receptionists.
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Patients will usually be seen within 30 minutes of their appointment time. Owing to our hospital commitments and emergencies there may be a delay in which case patients can expect to be informed on an individual basis.
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You can expect to be referred to a Consultant Specialist acceptable to you when your GP thinks it is necessary, and even to be referred for a second opinion if the patient and doctor agree this is desirable.
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Hospital referral letters will mostly be sent within 2 working days. This may be longer if we are waiting for results.
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A repeat prescription can be obtained by ringing, posting a request, internet ordering or calling at the dispensary at the surgery. At least 24 hours notice must be allowed before the prescription is collected.
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You have a right to ask questions and to have them answered. For example, you may want to know about your illness and its treatment, possible side effects etc.
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If through illness you are unable to get to the surgery, you can expect to receive emergency home visits at any time through the practice. Accident and Emergency cases will be seen at the Minor Injuries Unit at Whitby Hospital.
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You have a right to confidentiality and also right of access to your health records subject to any limitation in law.
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Patients will be offered a health check on joining a doctor’s list for the first time. Patients over 75 may ask for a yearly health check.
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The Practice encourages patients’ self help for minor ailments and encourages you to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
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The Practice will inform patients of development in the Practice by means of the Practice Newsletter or through this website.
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Patients can choose whether or not to take part in medical research or medical student training.
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Patients can make suggestions or complaints about the care we offer. We have a suggestion box in the waiting room and any problems can be taken up with Mrs. P. Rutland, our Practice Manager. We want to improve services; we therefore welcome comments.
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There is a structured complaints procedure whereby difficulties encountered by patients with doctors are addressed by other doctors and resolved within the Practice. Problems between patients and administrative staff are resolved through the Practice Manager.
Your Responsibilities
With these rights come responsibilities
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Please be courteous and understanding to our staff – it is not the staff’s fault if the doctor is delayed in his/her work.
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Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number, otherwise we will not be able to contact you when necessary.
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Please attend appointments on time or give adequate notice or cancellation. Lateness or non-attendance inconveniences other patients and wastes appointment time.
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An appointment is usually for one person only. When another member of the family needs to be seen, another appointment should be made.
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Patients should make every effort to consult at the surgery to make the best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable. Please request your visit before 10 am whenever possible. If elderly people routinely shop or attend the hairdressers then we ask that you attend the surgery for routine matters.
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Out-of-hours calls, for example evening, night and weekends, should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary.
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You are largely responsible for your own health. We encourage you to promote your own health by stopping smoking, keeping to a reasonable weight, taking regular exercise and living healthily. We also encourage you to manage normal minor ailments, such as colds, cuts and bruises, without medical help.
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There are some patients who need long consultations because of the nature of their illness. A doctor does not know in advance who they might be. Patients in the waiting room should take this into consideration because, on another occasion, that long consultation might be you.
