The practice has a chaperone policy which is designed to protect both patients and staff from abuse or allegations of abuse and to assist patients to make an informed choice about their examinations and consultations. As a patient you can always request to have a chaperone   present if you wish.

Weaverham Surgery’s complaints procedure complies with the “NHS complaints procedure”. We hope that the complaint can be resolved through our practice complaints procedure, by telephoning or writing to the Practice Manager. A leaflet is available at reception to explain the procedure in more detail. Your complaint will be acknowledge within 5 working days and you will receive a response within 28 working days or the timescale agreed with you.

The practice management team hope that if you have a problem, you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure.

Patients can either complain direct to the provider (GP practice) or to the commissioner (C&M ICB) but cannot complain to both and also can’t complain to one first then then the other.

However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, or you are dissatisfied with the response received from us, you can contact the following teams:

Patient Experience Team,

Cheshire & Merseyside ICB (replaces NHS England)

T: 0800 132 996 E-mail: [email protected]

Healthwatch Cheshire CIC

Healthwatch Cheshire CIC offers an NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS).

ICAS advocacy works within the NHS complaints regulations and can help you to use the NHS complaints process

to have your voice heard. Tel: 0300 323 0006 Email: [email protected]

Patients can either complain direct to the provider (GP practice) or to the commissioner (C&M ICB) They cannot complain to both and the can’t complain to one first then then the other.

The email address is [email protected]

Your records are kept mainly on the Practice Computer. The Practice Team may need to access your information but all NHS staff have a legal duty to keep your information secure and confidential.

Anonymous information is taken by outside parties for planning, statistics and public health matters. Under the Health and Social Care Act of 2012,

NHS England has the power to direct the HSCIC to collect information from all providers of NHS care, including general practices.

Please pick up a leaflet at reception for more information

The practice may ask you for consent depending on what procedure or treatment you may be having. Once

consent has been received this will then be documented on your consultation to protect both you as the patient and the clinician obtaining the consent.

Access to Health Records Click Here

Children’s Privacy Click Here

Privacy Leaflet Click Here

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised and the required disclosure is shown below.

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 to for any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparisons with other practices.

The average earnings for GPs working in Weaverham Surgery in the last financial year ending in 2021/22 was £108,806 before taxation and National Insurance.

This is for 3 full time GPs, 1 part time GP and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.

From 1 July 2023 the way members of the public make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.

 By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.

There are two ways you can make a complaint:

• You can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example a GP surgery or dental surgery.

• You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.

After 1 July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact NHS Cheshire and Merseyside integrated care board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

• Telephone: 0800 132 996

• E-mail: [email protected]

• Writing to us at:  Patient Experience Team, No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington, WA11QY.

If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023.

Members of the public with ongoing complaints received on/after 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is now handling their complaint with confirmation of their case handler.

Members of the public with any ongoing complaints received before 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that their complaint is being retained by NHS England with confirmation of their case handler.

Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service 

Be provided with services in a courteous, civil and co-operative manner.

Be given an explanation of, and advice on, their medical condition and proposed treatment.

Be referred appropriately to a specialist or other second opinion after discussion.

Have access to their own records via the Manager.

Our Patient—GP Charter defines our functions and helps patients and staff to understand how we will conduct ourselves. This is our promise to you and we expect our patients will act in such a way as described in return.

What the Patients can expected from the practice:

 The practice will ensure it meets the appropriate doctor-to-patient ratio to ensure we can provide the best service to our patients.

 The practice will be efficiently managed, ensuring it maintains sufficient staff across all areas

 The leadership team will work hard to provide a vision of patient-centred innovative healthcare to the local area.

 The practice will provide promptly answered and appropriately manned phones at all times, signposting patients towards other methods of contact at peak times (online services).

 The practice will provide a website that is current, containing essential information and effective sign-posting.

 To provide the tools for patients to contact the practice in various ways: phone, text, email and online choices.

 The practice will provide availability of sufficient appointments within appropriate timescales

 Staff will be courteous at all times, displaying empathy and sensitivity to patients needs

 The practice will adhere to confidentiality and data protection guidelines at all times and submit an IG Toolkit each year.

 Cancer referrals will be completed the same day of the appointment; Urgent referrals will be within 3 working days, and non-urgent referrals between 7-10 working days.

What the practice can expect from patients:

 We expect that patients attend in enough time for their appointment.

 We expect that patients inform us with enough notice if they cannot attend for an appointment. Patients understand that failure to attend appointments on a number of occasions may result in warnings issued by the Practice.

 Patients understand that there are ’peak’ times for phone calls and patients requesting results or with queries should avoid calling during these times.

 Patients are expected to actin a polite and courteous manner with practice staff. Patients understand that the practice has a Zero Tolerance policy when it comes to aggressive behavior’s and this type of behaviour may result in sanctions being put in place or removal from the practice list.

Patients understand that using social media inappropriately against practice and staff counts as part of the Zero Tolerance Policy and sanctions may apply.

Patients will use the approved complaints procedure for addressing any issues.

Patients understand that the Practice Nurses and Doctors require necessary information needed on occasion prior to the patient appointment and staff may request this.

Patients will embrace new communication technologies to improve the patient experience, wherever possible.

Download the Privacy Policy

Download Our Statement for Using call Recordings

Any violent or abusive behaviour to any member of staff or other patients will result in immediate removal from the practice.