Patient Code of Conduct
At Abbey Road Surgery, we believe everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. This includes our patients, their families and carers, as well as our practice team. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment for all.
We ask all patients to follow the standards of behaviour outlined below.
Our expectations of patients
We kindly ask that all patients:
- Treat all staff and fellow patients with politeness, courtesy and respect at all times.
- Avoid making any inappropriate, offensive or unacceptable comments to staff or other patients. This includes comments relating to any protected characteristic, such as:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage or civil partnership
- pregnancy or maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
- Refrain from any form of threatening behaviour, verbal abuse, harassment, intimidation or physical violence as we operate a zero-tolerance policy.
Using practice services responsibly
To help us provide the best possible care for everyone, patients are expected to:
- Book routine appointments in line with practice policy.
- Request urgent appointments only for genuinely urgent medical issues.
- Accept and engage with telephone or video consultations where these are offered.
- Attend face-to-face appointments when clinically appropriate and when physically able, rather than requesting home visits.
- Arrive on time for appointments.
- Cancel appointments, please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to make your appointment by calling us on 01992 654004 during opening times press Option 1 to leave a message with your name, date of birth, day and time of your appointment to be cancelled after the tone. Any appointment cancellation request less than 1 hour before the appointment will not be accepted as we may not have enough time to offer the cancelled appointment(s) to other patients in need.
- Request repeat prescriptions, we do not take repeat prescription requests over the phone. Repeat prescription request are actioned within 48 working hours starting from following day after the request has been received.
- Use clinical appointments appropriately and avoid booking GP or nurse appointments for minor conditions that can be self-managed and Pharmacy First.
- Raise concerns or complaints only where there is a genuine issue relating to care or services.
Surgery premises
Patients are expected to:
- Treat the surgery building and property with care and respect.
- Attend the premises only for the purpose of accessing or engaging with practice services.
What you can expect from us
Abbey Road Surgery will:
- Continue access to services delivered with respect, dignity and confidentiality.
- Take genuine concerns or complaints seriously and respond appropriately.
Practice registration
Patients may register with a GP practice of their choice, provided the practice has an open patient list and the patient lives within the practice boundary, or the practice accepts out-of-area registrations.
Breaches of this code of conduct
If this Code of Conduct is not followed:
- In most cases, a written warning will be issued and kept on record.
- Continued or serious breaches may result in removal from the practice list with eight days’ notice.
Zero tolerance of violence and abuse
The Practice considers threatening behaviour to be: The use of aggressive, threatening or abusive language, (including raising of the voice, swearing and cursing, shouting) which threatens or intimidates staff will not be tolerated.
- All such incidents will be reported to the police.
- The patient will be removed immediately from the practice list.
- Ongoing care will be transferred to the Special Allocation Scheme for violent and aggressive patients.
Confirmation of acceptance
By receiving this information, you are confirming that you have read, understood, and agree to follow this Patient Code of Conduct.