Appointments, Training Practice & Complaints Procedure

Our computerised appointment system enables receptionists to offer you an appointment quickly and accurately.

It is our policy to offer a routine appointment within 2 working days, or on the same day for patients who have an urgent problem which needs a face-to-face consultation. For most urgent problems, you are likely to be asked to speak to the Duty GP first. We do find many problems can be dealt with on the telephone and our doctors are happy to offer advice over the telephone. Due to fluctuating demands it is not always possible to offer an appointment with your usual doctor, however, you will be offered an alternative doctor

In addition, our nurses are trained to deal with minor ailments and you will be offered a nurse appointment when appropriate.

Our reception staff are highly trained and will treat you professionally. A brief explanation of the nature of your problem will help them to direct you to the most appropriate person.

You may see any doctor in the practice, but it is better to see one doctor consistently.

Appointments are usually 10 minutes, but if you feel your problem will take longer, please request a 20 minute appointment.

Training Practice

The Oak Tree Health Centre is a training practice and Dr Corps is our trainer.

As you may know, as a training practice we may have a GP Registrar training with us. GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors who are undergoing additional training in order to become GPs. They are usually with the Practice for a period of six months.

We also regularly assist in the training of nurses, health visitors and medical students.

Medical staff under training may sit in on doctors' or nurses' consultations. If you prefer that the staff under training were not present during your consultation, please tell us.

Practice Complaint Procedure

In the unfortunate event that you wish to make a complaint about the practice, we have a procedure which we follow.

Firstly, whilst you may wish to discuss a complaint in the first instance, we prefer to receive a complaint in writing. Complaints should be addressed to:

Business Manager, Oak Tree Health Centre, Tyne Avenue, Didcot OX11 7GD

We will aim to acknowledge receipt of a complaint within 2 working days. We will then investigate the complaint, bringing together information provided by the complainant, studying medical records and any other relevant documents, and interviewing staff involved. On completion of this process, we will provide the complainant with a response, normally within 10 working days. On occasions it may take longer than this if we have to seek information from outside the practice. If so, we will advise the complainant accordingly.

If the complainant accepts the response from the practice that normally closes the matter. Otherwise it may be appropriate to:

• Hold a meeting with the complainant to discuss the matter in more detail
• Ask the Primary Care Trust to investigate further
• Call on the services of a lay conciliator to assist

Please note we adhere strictly to the rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we need to have their written permission for you to do so.

The Practice welcomes feedback at all times

In a continual effort to review our services, we assess our performance at regular intervals with the help of audits, questionnaires and face-to-face feedback.

Whilst it is important to hear if you are unhappy with some part of our service and your reasons why, please remember to tell us when we get something right ....

Useful Links

To access any of the websites below, just click on the text next to the logo of the website you would like to visit

http://www.besttreatments.co.uk

Together with the BMJ (British Medical Journal), this site can help you find out which treatments really work based on clinical evidence.

http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/

National electronic library for health - this web site is an NHS site and informs you of what is happening in and around the NHS.

http://www.ukwellness.com/

ukwellness gives many day to day solutions and suggestions for improving health.

http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/

Visit this site for breast cancer care advice.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/

Diabetes UK website

http://www.antibully.org.uk

Beat the bullies – visit this website

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

NHS Direct for lots of helpful and useful advice.

http://www.nhs.uk/

For the latest information issued by the NHS, visit this site.

http://www.teenweightwise.com

Useful website for some of our younger patients.