Practice Charter

Complaints & Suggestions

If you have a complaint or suggestion about any of our services, please ask to speak to the practice manager. Any complaint will be investigated promptly through our in-house complaints procedure, which is available from reception. Whilst we would prefer to deal with your complaints internally, you do have the right to make your complaint directly to NHS Dorset.

Confidentiality

All patients’ records and computer files are confidential. To protect this, laboratory and x-ray results will only be given to the patients themselves or to the parents of minors if appropriate. We are registered under the Data Protection Act.

Health Records

You have the right to see your health records, subject to the limitations of the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Voice Recording of Telephone Calls

Swanage Medical Practice uses the surgery telephone system to communicate with patients to a high degree. For your safety and security all calls to and from the practice are securely recorded using computerised technology. Access to recordings is password protected. For any call to be accessed the need for this has to be agreed by the practice manager and two doctors in writing. It is envisaged that it would be extremely rare that there will be any need to listen retrospectively to any call and we wish to reassure all our patients that this will occur only when there is a specific need. A record of any access will be kept.

If any patient has any queries please contact the practice manager Phil Dowding.