Patient Charter

Scarborough Medical Group provides a high quality of healthcare to people in Scarborough and the surrounding area and here we have set out what services we provide and what patients can expect from us.  We are committed to upholding patients’ rights in line with the patients’ charter.

Practice responsibilities

  • We will try to meet requests for appointments at your convenience.  If an urgent appointment is needed then patients can expect to be seen in surgery that day.
  • We will try to keep to appointment times but this may be difficult if emergencies arise.  Patients can expect to be seen within 30 minutes of their appointment time or be informed, and given a reason, if surgeries are running late.
  • Patients have the right to be treated with courtesy and respect.
  • Patients can expect a doctor to visit at home if, for medical reasons only, they are unable to come to the surgery.
  • Patients have their right to have access to their health records, subject to the conditions contained in the Data Protection Act 1998.
  • Patients have the right to confidentiality regarding their medical records and personal details.
  • Patients have the right to have complaints dealt with in a thorough and speedy manner.

Patients’ responsibilities 

  • Patients should attend their appointments at the arranged time.  If this is not possible they should inform the surgery as soon as possible.
  • We expect that you will understand that an appointment is for one person only.  Therefore, additional appointments should be made if there is more than one person attending.
  • Patients are responsible for their own health, and the health of their children, and should co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to keep themselves healthy.  We give you professional help and advice.
  • Requests for help and advice for non-urgent matters should be made during surgery hours only.
  • Home visits should only be requested for patients who are seriously ill or housebound.  It is important to bear in mind that most medical problems are dealt with more effectively in the clinical setting of a well-equipped surgery.
  • Requests for visits and advice at night should only be made for true emergencies.
  • Many problems can be solved by advice alone, therefore patients should not always expect a prescription.
  • Patients are expected to treat doctors, staff and other patients with the same courtesy and respect afforded to them.

Please note that we will not tolerate physical or verbal aggression under any circumstances.  Our policy is to remove patients from the list when this occurs.