Carers
Under new regulations within the NHS, all GPs are required to compile a register of carers. This identifies carers and their needs so that support can be offered when needed if you care for a relative, friend or neighbour who is dependent on that help. The person being cared for may be handicapped, have a debilitating physical or mental illness or be in frail health and can be any age. Please pick up a questionnaire from reception and complete the details.
Chaperones
The consultation that takes place between a patient and their Doctor/Nurse is private and confidential. Quite often an examination is required to help make a diagnosis. This may be straightforward or sometimes can be more personal or of a sensitive nature.
Under these circumstances your Doctor will normally seek your agreement to a Nurse or other staff member being present or, if a relative or friend has accompanied you to the Surgery, they may be able to act as a Chaperone if you wish.
If a chaperone is not offered but you would like someone to be present, do not be afraid to tell your doctor.
Procedures which are generally regarded as being of a sensitive nature are:
- Cervical cytology
- Gynaecological
- Testicular
- Breast Examination
- Rectal Examination
Practice Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this practice, please let us know. The practice operates a Complaints Procedure, which meets national criteria. If you do have a complaint, it is practice policy to ensure you are not discriminated against or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.
How to Complain?
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days, or at most a few weeks, because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
- Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within twelve months of the incident.
Complaints can be posted or simply dropped off at the Practice.
What will we do?
We endeavour to investigate your complaint within ten working days of the date of its receipt. If we think it may take longer, we will inform you and provide you with updates. Following the investigation, we will provide you with a response and, if relevant, a meeting with those involved in your care.
When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
- Find out what happened and went wrong
- Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned if you would like this
- Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we strictly adhere to all legislation and guidance relating to individual medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their prior consent to do so. If the complaint is of a general nature there may be elements we can respond too.
Freedom of Information Act
Information relevant to our surgery under the Freedom of Information Act can be provided. Please contact the Business Manager.
Prescribing Under Essential Shared Care Agreements (ESCAs) Policy
This policy outlines how Weeping Cross Health Centre manages the prescribing of medicines that require an Essential Shared Care Agreement (ESCA). ESCAs are formal, written agreements between a specialist and a GP practice that define responsibilities for prescribing and monitoring specific medicines.
Our priority is patient safety. Shared care prescribing is only appropriate when responsibilities are clearly defined, the patient is stable, and the GP has the necessary information to prescribe safely.
Weeping Cross Health Centre will not issue prescriptions for any medication that falls under an ESCA unless:
- A fully completed and signed ESCA has been received from the initiating specialist team.
- A GP has reviewed the ESCA and agreed that shared care is safe and appropriate.
- All baseline tests, stabilisation, and specialist monitoring requirements have been completed by the specialist.
This applies to all patients, including those already established on ESCA medicines elsewhere.
This approach aligns with national NHS and BMA guidance, which states that shared care is voluntary and must only occur when safe and appropriate.
Newly Registered Patients
Patients who register with Weeping Cross Health Centre and are already taking a medicine that requires an ESCA must:
- Continue to obtain prescriptions from their specialist until a valid ESCA is provided.
- Ensure their specialist team sends the ESCA directly to the practice.
- Understand that the practice cannot prescribe the medication until shared care has been formally agreed.
This ensures continuity of safe prescribing and prevents gaps in monitoring or responsibility.
Specialist Responsibilities
- Initiate and stabilise treatment.
- Provide the ESCA, including monitoring requirements and clinical parameters.
- Supply the first prescription(s) until the patient is stable.
- Offer ongoing specialist advice and rapid re-referral pathways.
Reasons We May Decline Shared Care
- The practice may decline shared care if:
- The medication is outside GP competence despite training.
- The practice lacks capacity to provide required monitoring.
- The ESCA is incomplete, unclear, or missing essential information.
- A patient is clinically unstable.
If shared care is declined, the specialist remains responsible for prescribing.
Zero Tolerance to Violence Policy
All practices, in line with government guidelines, have a 'Zero Tolerance to Violence' policy. This means that any violent or abusive behaviour or perceived threatening behaviour, whether verbal or otherwise to staff or members of the public on practice premises will not be tolerated. We can refuse to provide a service, report the incident to the Police and request that the patient and their family be removed from their practice list.