Practice Policies & Patient Information
Understanding GP Partnerships
Understanding GP Partnerships A GP partnership is a collaborative arrangement where General Practitioners (GPs) come together to manage and operate […]
New Patient Registration
We are pleased to welcome new patients moving into our catchment area (please see map below). The practice reserves the right […]
Meet the Team
Update My Details
Comments and Complaints
At St Helens Medical Centre we aim to provide patients with the best care we can. We also appreciate that things do not always go to plan and want to work with you to resolve any problems you may experience. Many enquiries and complaints can be looked into and resolved quickly by discussing them directly with the person who is providing your care, or the Practice Manager. This is best done at the time you became aware of the problem, so that the people responsible for providing the service can help solve the matter for you straight away.
To pursue a complaint or to share your comments, please complete our Comments & Complaints Leaflet and return to:
St Helens Medical Centre
Upper Green Road
St Helens
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 1UG
Alternatively, if you feel your issue is still not resolved, you can contact the South East Complaints Hub who are responsible for handling complaints about GPs, dentists, pharmacists/pharmacies and optometrists/opticians within South East England. The contact details are:
South East Complaints Hub
NHS Frimley ICB
King Edward VII Hospital
St Leonards Road
Windsor
SL4 3DP
Phone number: 0300 561 0290
Email address: [email protected]
Website: https://www.frimley.icb.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaints-and-compliments
The Health Service Ombudsman in England
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website contains detailed information on raising a complaint about any aspect of the NHS in England.
Data Choices
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?
No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
Click here to Download a copy of the patient leaflet
GP Net Earnings
Click here to download our GP Net Earnings report 2022/23
Infection Control Annual Statement
Click here to read our Annual Statement
Named Accountable GP
All patients registered with St Helens Medical Centre have been allocated a named accountable GP.
From 1st April 2015 we are required by the Government, under the terms of the latest GP Contract, to allocate all patients a named accountable GP. This is purely an administrative exercise in order that patients can have a named responsible GP. This does not mean that they will be the only GP who will provide care to the patient. Patients are free to choose to see any GP in the Practice in line with current arrangements. If their preferred choice of GP is not available, an alternative will be offered.
The new contract requires the named accountable GP to be responsible for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each patient where required. However, this does not mean that they will be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient. These responsibilities will be carried out within the opening hours of the Practice and do not change the way you currently access care outside these hours. The allocation has been done for all existing patients, and all newly registered patients will be given a named accountable GP on registration.
Please be aware that you may still see any GP of your choice at the surgery and do not have to see your named accountable GP, nor does this mean that you will only be offered appointments with your named GP.
If you have not already been informed of the name of your accountable GP, please ask the receptionist when you are next in the surgery.
Practice Charter
Mission Statement
We aim to empower our community through compassionate personalised healthcare. Our GP practice is dedicated to fostering trust, and promoting holistic well-being. We strive to deliver exceptional medical services with integrity, accessibility, and a patient centred approach, ensuring the well being and satisfaction of all those we serve.
This Charter describes the vision we have, and standards of service that patients may expect of us and how they can contribute themselves to help us maintain those standards.
| Our Commitment To You | What We Ask Of You |
| To be honest with our patients at all times. | To trust what we say. |
| To be polite to our patients at all times. | To avoid aggressive or threatening behaviour when dealing with our staff. |
| To see all urgent cases on the same day. | To understand that a doctor attending an emergency will consequently run considerably late for the remainder of the working day. |
| To be as punctual as we can be, seeing patients by appointment when so arranged. If there is ever likely to be a delay, patients will be informed and offered another appointment. | To understand that there are no appointment systems available that can predict exactly how long each doctor needs to spend with each patient. Any delay to one patient will be for the benefit of another. |
| To enable patients to see the doctor of their choice for routine appointments, wherever possible. | To understand that an appointment time that suits both doctor and patient may mean waiting a period of time. |
| To visit patients at home when they are too ill or frail to attend a surgery. Visits are usually done after morning surgeries are completed, unless the need is a medical emergency. | To make requests for home visits by 10.00 hours. This will enable us to ensure the most efficient use of time during the day is allocated. |
| To make available repeat prescriptions within two working days. We will need to review patients periodically before renewing their repeat prescriptions. | Preferably please use SystmOne online to request your repeat prescriptions. Alternatively please post repeat prescription requests with the Medical Centre, or our local pharmacies in good time (N/A at Tesco Pharmacy). |
| To train doctors to become General Practitioners, to teach medical and nursing students, and to stay up-to-date in modern techniques and gain new knowledge. | To understand that all training of doctors and students is closely supervised and that no one is ever expected to do more than they are qualified and competent to do. Your help by accepting trainee staff as members of our team and by seeing them is greatly appreciated, but we will always respect your right not to participate in any medical teaching. |
| To use hospital and other medical services correctly and appropriately so that resources are used efficiently and not wasted. | To talk to your doctor if you think that you need a referral to a specialist and to let us know of any difficulties you experience with external agencies. |
| To take appropriate action upon the receipt of test results, investigations and hospital reports. | We like you to know the results of any tests and investigations even if they are normal. You will need to telephone the Medical Centre to receive the results. Tel: 01983 871828. |
| To take note of and consider, any complaints or suggestions for improvement, and to implement change(s), if appropriate. | Do not be shy in making suggestions to any of our staff for improvements. However, please understand that a suggestion that suits one person may not be of benefit to the Practice as a whole. Formal complaint procedures are in place. Should you wish to make a complaint, please contact the Reception Lead in the first instance. |
| To seek patient views on developments to services within the practice. | Be prepared to answer questions and respond to questionnaires please. |
| To provide up-to-date services in a changing NHS. | Acknowledge that provision of primary health care is now performed by a team, rather than by a single GP with whom there is an exclusive long-term relationship. |
It is our aim to ensure that the systems in place will run smoothly and efficiently to suit the needs of our patients. To do this we will plan and manage the services available to the best of our ability while allowing change to develop the practice. We ask that you are patient and remember that it may be necessary to take more time and energy to implement change than is first thought necessary. The effort and training required is quite separate to that needed when providing clinical care.
Privacy Notice
Click here to download our Privacy Notice (Updated October 2023)
Proxy Access
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Your Data
Your GP Practice is committed to operating in a way that complies fully with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We recognise that the personal data legitimately required in order to carry out our business must be collected, processed, stored and disposed of fairly, lawfully and with due regard to confidentiality. We fully respect your privacy.
If you have any questions about your data or how we deal with it please contact the practice and get in touch with us by clicking on the Contact Us links available on this website.