Patient's Rights and Legislative framework
The practice operates under the framework of the Medical Council, Health and Disability Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner (see website links below)
Health Care is a partnership
Our Responsibility
You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention you receive. Following discussion you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your consent. You may ask for a chaperone at any time if you wish.
Your Responsibility
Help us to keep your medical records complete. Fill in the registration form accurately and completely, (with help and support from staff as necessary), to avoid delays in transferring your medical records from your previous doctor.
If you don’t understand what is happening or what treatments are being advised, you must let us know. If you are not happy with the explanations, then you must let us know that too. Do not stop treatments without discussing it with us.
Your Health Information
Our Responsibility
Your health information is confidential. Some information about you will be sent to agencies that pay for medical subsidies for your care. You have the right to see your health records. We may share some information with other health professionals to improve the quality of the care we provide.
Your Responsibility
Keep us informed of address and other changes. If you see other health professionals please ensure that information is sent to the surgery. It is important for us to keep as accurate a health record as possible. When you are given patient held medical records, for example, child health records and maternity records, make them available to your doctor and other health workers whenever they are needed.
QUALITY
The practice is keen to ensure that the service we provide is of as high a quality as possible.
All the medical and nursing staff are involved in continuing medical and nursing training. Both doctors have completed postgraduate training in General Practice organised through the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners .
We are involved in peer review groups(Procare). We may sometimes share some non-identifying health information with colleagues in these groups to see if there are areas of our clinical care that could be improved.
As part of our quality improvement programme we measure things like the practice immunisation rate, or programmes such as mammography or cervical screening.
We may ask for your help with surveys from time to time and appreciate your responses.
SUGGESTIONS & COMPLAINTS
Our aim is to provide excellent health care and service at all times, however we recognise that sometimes you may not be completely satisfied with the service you receive. If there are areas where you feel our service can be improved please let us know. Your ideas and suggestions will be discussed at our practice review meetings and where possible, appropriate and practical, will be adopted.
If you do have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working in the practice, you are entitled to ask for an explanation. For this purpose we operate an informal in-house complaints procedure.
Your complaint should be addressed to our complaints officer Dr Martley who will ensure it is investigated thoroughly and as speedily as possible.
Please note that we will ensure that medical confidentiality is maintained throughout a complaints procedure.
If you would like support in having the complaint dealt with you could contact:
The Health Consumer /Advocacy Service
North Shore: (09) 441 9001
Auckland Central: (09) 525 2700
West Auckland: (09) 838 8068
The Health and Disability Commissioner
You have rights that are fully described under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumer Rights. As providers we have certain obligations and duties.
The ten rights of consumers and the duties of providers are:
Right 1: the right to be treated with respect
Right 2: the right to freedom from discrimination, coercion, harassment, and exploitation
Right 3: the right to dignity and independence
Right 4: the right to services of an appropriate standard
Right 5: the right to effective communication
Right 6: the right to be fully informed
Right 7: the right to make an informed choice and give informed consent
Right 8: the right to support
Right 9: rights in respect of teaching or research
Right 10: the right to complain
For further information about the Code you can collect a leaflet from the surgery or contact the Health and Disability Commissioner on 0800 11 22 33.
Key Websites