Our aim is to deliver an equitable, patient driven, high quality and caring primary health care service without prejudice to patients of the practice.

Updated: 21st May 2025 (ABolton)

The Practice will treat all patients with the utmost respect and dignity and in all matters will be wholly non-discriminatory. We also expect the same treatment ourselves, particularly our reception staff.

The practice has zero tolerance for any behaviour which is discriminatory on grounds of age, race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, health problem or any other factor. The Practice is committed to delivering high quality care to our patients. The relationship between the patients and those working in the surgery is an important issue and is a two-way process. Therefore in order to protect both the staff and other patients, we respectfully point out that the following inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated:- Swearing, threatening or abusive behaviour, drunkeness verbal or physical abuse of any kind, racial abuse, drug taking/dealing, inappropriate demands for service.

The practice operates a chaperone policy for patients who may want another person present if an intimate examination needs to be performed.

What is a Chaperone?

There are two types of chaperone:

Informal, which is the presence of a familiar person of the patients’ choice and

Formal, which is a clinical health person such as a nurse or a specifically trained clinical staff member such as a receptionist.

To protect the patient from vulnerability and embarrassment the chaperone would normally be of the same sex as the patient. The patient has the right to decline the Formal chaperone if he/she feels that they are unacceptable for any reason. Please ask a receptionist or the doctor you are seeing if you would like a chaperone present during your consultation.

All patient information, in whatsoever form, is regarded as absolutely confidential. Information can only be released with patient consent, however information may be exchanged between health bodies/ professionals. (Please see section on Summary Care Record SCR )

The summary care record means that part of your medical record can be accessed anywhere in the country when you seek medical advice. This is particularly useful if your care is unplanned, urgent or out of hours. Information in your SCR could save you and the NHS time and also one day be lifesaving. You have the choice of not taking part in the information sharing scheme. If you do not want to participate then please ask a receptionists for an “Opt Out” form. After completing the form please hand it back to a receptionist, who will then ensure that your “opt out” choice is recorded in your medical record.

Death of a Relative

If Death Occurs At Home

 1. Telephone the doctor who will visit to confirm that death has taken place.

2. Contact a funeral director.

3. Arrange to collect the doctor’s Medical Certificate of Death (usually from the surgery).

4. Take this to the Registrars Office, (together with the deceased’s Medical Card and Birth Certificate, if available) for the area in which the death took place. Alternatively you can register by declaration at any convenient Registrars Office but certificates will not be available as these will have to be posted to you a few days later.

5. The Registrar will normally issue a Green coloured certificate for you to give to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).

If The Death Occurs In Hospital

1. Contact a funeral director to inform him his services are required.

2. Collect the certificate from the hospital then follow 4 – 5 as above

Note For Cremation

Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.

All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (i.e., average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in The Beeches Medical Centre in the last financial year 2020/21 was £99,828.38 before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 3 full time GP, 3 part time GPs, and 0 locum GPs who worked in the practice more than 6 months.

Statement of Fitness for Wor

Fit notes were introduced in April 2010. With your employer’s support the note will help you to return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your sickness or injury. It is a common myth that employees have to be “signed fit” by their GP to go back to work. If an employer needs this advice then they can do this by arranging their own occupational assessment.

If you have been off work for some time you may not need an appointment to see your doctor for a further Fit note. A receptionist can request this for you. You do not need a “sick note” for the first 7 days of sickness. Your employer may request an SC2 form. You can print a form by clicking here.

We hope you find this information useful.

As you may be aware it is now a contractual requirement for all patients to be allocated a named accountable General Practitioner.

Patients registered with The Beeches Medical Centre have either Dr Maguire, Dr Forrest, Dr Baker or Dr Williamson as their named GP.  If you would like to know who your named GP is, please contact us on 0151 424 3101.

What does ‘accountable’ mean?

The contract requires the named accountable GP to take responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each of their patients where required (based on the clinical judgement of the named accountable GP).

The contract remains ‘practice based’, so overall responsibility for patient care has not changed. This is largely a role of oversight, with the requirements being introduced to reassure patients that they have one GP within the practice who is responsible for ensuring that this work is carried out on their behalf.

The role of the named GP will not:

• take on vicarious responsibility for the work of other doctors or health professionals;
• take on 24-hour responsibility for the patient, or have to change their working hours:
• imply personal availability for GPs throughout the working week;
• be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient.

The contract remains ‘practice based’, so overall responsibility for patient care has not changed.

The named GP is largely a role of oversight, with the requirements being introduced to reassure patients they have one GP within the practice who is responsible for ensuring that this work is carried out on their behalf.

There is no condition within the requirement for patients to see the named GP when they book an appointment with the practice.

Patients are entitled to choose to see any GP or nurse in the practice in line with current arrangements.

Updated: 21st May 2025 (ABolton)