Welcome to our Practice
We have provided this website to help you use the services we offer. We hope you will find it helpful and informative.
Vision and Values
Values are important to the Practice as they describe the way in which we work. The practice’s vision to be a successful health care team providing a caring, high quality and safe service for all our patients is supported by our values – Patient Centred, Continuous Improvement, Work Together and Learn.
| Value | What we do |
| Patient Centred |
|
| Work Together |
|
| Continuous Improvement |
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| Learn |
|
Practice Charter
Bedlingtonshire Primary Health Care Team will provide the best possible service. Everyone has a right to expect suitable health care and support, whatever their needs.
Opening Hours
Mon – 08:00am until 18:00pm
Tues – 07:00am until 18:00pm
Wed – 07:45am until 20:15pm
Thurs – 08:00am until 18:00pm
Fri – 08:00am until 18:00pm
Please note we are closed every Thursday between 12 noon and 12:30 pm for staff training
Disabled Access
Our building has suitable access for disabled patients. If anyone experiences any difficulty please let us know.
Practice Policies
Confidentiality & Medical Records
The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
- To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the Practice Manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the Practice Administrator and may be subject to an administration charge. Requests should be made in writing and signed by the patient. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Feedback
It is very important to hear your views on the service and care you have received at Bedlingtonshire Medical Group and we welcome any feedback you have about your experience with us. We appreciate your positive feedback when we get things right, as well as any comments about where you feel we could have done better.
Complaints
The doctors and staff at Bedlingtonshire Medical Group are committed to providing high quality health care and services to patients. We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
Anyone who is receiving a service or has received a service can complain. You can complain for yourself or on behalf of someone else, however it is important that consent is received from the patient if it is not them who is making the complaint.
To pursue a complaint please contact the Andrew Richardson, Assistant Practice Manager, Patient Services on 01670 822695 or email Andrew.Richardson15@nhs.net who will deal with your concerns appropriately. All complaints are dealt with in the strictest confidence.
You can also access independent support to assist you in making your complaint which is Independent Complaints Advocacy Northumberland (ICAN). Their help is free and confidential. They contact telephone number is 01494 600599 or their email address is advocacy@adapt-tynedale.or.uk
We hope you are able to speak to us to discuss your complaint first, but if you do not feel the complaint has been resolved or you would like to speak to someone independent, you can contact NHS England:
Address: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT
Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
Chaperone Policy
Bedlingtonshire Medical Group is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance. This Chaperone Policy adheres to local and national guidance and policy i.e.:-
‘NCGST Guidance on the role and effective use of chaperones in Primary and Community Care settings’.
The Chaperone Policy is clearly advertised through patient information leaflets, website and can be read at the Practice upon request. A Poster is also displayed in the Practice Waiting Area.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred.
Patients are advised to ask for a chaperone if required, at the time of booking an appointment, if possible, so that arrangements can be made and the appointment is not delayed in any way.
The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.
All staff are aware of and have received appropriate information in relation to this Chaperone Policy.
There is no common definition of a chaperone and their role varies considerably depending on the needs of the patient, the healthcare professional and the examination being carried out.
Their role can be considered in any of the following areas:
- Emotional comfort and reassurance to patients
- Assist in examination (e.g. during IUCD insertion)
- Assist in undressing
- Act as interpreter
- Protection to the healthcare professional against allegations / attack)
Publication of GP Net Earnings
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 form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.
All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in this practice in the last full financial year was £96,029 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for four full time GPs, three part time GPs and zero locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.