About us

At Ship Street Surgery we are committed to ensuring everyone is treated with respect and dignity including all patients, their families, carers and our practice team.  

In order to continue to be registered with our practice we are providing this guide to set out the type of conduct that is expected of all patients. 

All patients are expected to behave in the following manner:

• To be polite and respectful towards all individuals (staff and other patients).

• To not make inappropriate or unacceptable remarks to any staff or other patients at the practice including any abusive remarks related to any individuals:

• To not undertake any form of threatening abuse or violence towards any individual (staff and other patients) at the practice.

• To use our services responsibly including:

o To request urgent appointments only for genuine urgent conditions

o To engage with any remote appointments, we may offer over the telephone (or video)/  

o To attend face-to-face services where it is important to be seen in person, (including when physically able to do so, rather than requesting a home visit)

o Attend all appointments on time

o Cancel any booked appointments that are no longer required

o Request repeat prescriptions in good time, ensuring that all items are ordered together rather than in individual lots 

o Use our health care professionals time in an appropriate manner e.g. do not seek appointments for minor ailments that can be self-treated in the first instance.

• To respect surgery premises and property.

• To raise any concerns or complaints about your care or our services and that these will be investigated and responded to.

Any patients who commit any inappropriate or unacceptable behaviours towards a GP, Practice staff, other patients or the surgery premises or property risk being removed from the practice list with 30 days’ notice. For serious cases, this notice may be 8 days. We will normally provide a warning letter which will be held on record for 12 months before issuing such a notice. 

Everyone holding your personal information has a legal duty to keep it confidential. Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in strict confidence. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. Principal partner organisations with which information may be shared are: Hospital, Community and Mental Health Trusts; Primary Care Trusts (PCTs); General Practitioners (GPs); Ambulance Services and Social Services (if involved in your care). In accordance to strict regulations and only if it is necessary for your care; information may also be shared with: Local Authorities, NHS Common Services Agencies, Voluntary Organisations and other care providers. 

All members of our team at Ship Street Surgery are committed to the NHS and General Practice and aspire to provide high quality health care. We respect the needs and beliefs of all patients and always aim at providing the same high standards of care to each and every patient irrespective of their age, gender, race, cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, lifestyle and social or economic status. 

Any threatening abuse or violent incidents will not be tolerated. Any such incident will be reported to the police and will mean your immediate removal from the practice list and your care transferred to a special allocation scheme which manages violent and aggressive patients.

There are various schemes to help with health care associated costs. The following website provides you with more information: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/ Please note, we do not process any applications onsite. Each scheme on the website will outline the relevant contact information regarding how to apply and criteria associated.

Paid for services

Some certificates and reports may incur a fee. These fees are displayed in the waiting room areas, or ask a member of the reception team for more infomration.