Practice Policies

Bennetts End Surgery recognises that effective infection prevention and control is essential to the Practice’s provision of safe and effective care. As such, we aim to keep our surgery clean and tidy, and to offer a safe environment to our patients and staff.

If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control, please report these to our patient services team.

Please click below to view our privacy notice.

2026 05 10_GP_Primary Care_Privacy Notice Template V.05_HWE

The Practice has a responsibility to promote the safety and welfare of all patients, staff and others accessing the surgery. All clinicians and staff complete the appropriate level of safeguarding training for both children and adults, and they are vigilant in identifying signs and indicators that may cause concern. The Practice has a Designated Safeguarding Lead and, in their absence, two Deputy Leads who will escalate concerns to the relevant external parties, as appropriate. Please note that while it is usual practice to discuss and seek permission from patients for referrals for further care, in instances where there are safeguarding or child protection concerns, the doctor is not required to inform the patient (or their parent if the concern is about a child) that a referral is being made. Safeguarding is paramount to GDPR legislation.

Further support can be accessed here.

NSPCC

Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 800 5000

Email: help@nspcc.org.uk 

Childline

Website: www.childline.org.uk

Telephone: 0800 1111

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused

Advice for practitioners

The NHS uses patient information, also known as data, for researching, planning and improving the treatment and services that are available for patients in their care. Every patient holds the right to decide whether their data is used for this purpose or not. Patients can choose to opt out of sharing their health records.

There are two kinds of opt out: Type 1 Opt-out and National Data Opt-out. For more information, please visit www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/opt-out-of-sharing-your-health-records/ 

Please note, there are some exceptions where the opt out does not apply, which include, but are not limited to:

• Matters relating to safeguarding and child protection
• Monitoring and control of communicable diseases and risks to public health
• National screening programmes
• Flows of data into NHS Digital
• Where information is required by law
• Circumstances where there is an overriding public interest

If you wish to opt out of sharing your data, please visit the link above and complete the online forms. Please note, the Practice cannot opt out on your behalf.

For more information on what GP surgeries and patients can expect of each other, please visit NHS England » You and your general practice The guide is available in various different languages.

Patients’ Rights

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be achieved by working together. Help us to help you. You have a right to:

• Be treated with courtesy and respect.
• Be treated as a partner in the care and attention that you receive.
• Have all aspects of your visit dealt with in privacy and confidence.
• Be seen by a doctor of your choice, subject to availability.
• In an emergency, out of normal opening hours, telephone the Practice and be given the number to receive assistance, which will require no more than one further call.
• Bring someone with you, although you may be asked to be seen on your own during the consultation.
• Have repeat prescriptions be available for collection within two working days of your request.
• Have information about our services made available to you by way of posters or notice boards.
• See your medical records or have a copy subject to certain laws.

Patients’ Responsibilities

With these rights come responsibilities and for patients we would respectfully request that you:

• Treat Practice staff and doctors with the same consideration and courtesy that you would like yourself. Remember that they are trying to help you.
• Please ensure that you order your repeat medication in plenty of time allowing 2 working days.
• Please ensure that you have a basic first-aid kit at home and initiate minor illness and self-care for you and your family.
• Please attend any specialist appointments that have been arranged for you or cancel them if your condition has resolved or you no longer wish to attend.
• Please follow up any test or investigations done for you with the person who has requested the investigation.
• Attend appointments on time and check in with Reception.
• Arrive in time for your appointments. Patients who are more than 10 minutes late for their appointment may not be seen.
• Please give the Practice adequate notice that you wish to cancel an appointment. Appointments are heavily in demand and missed appointments waste time and delay more urgent patients receiving the treatment they need.
• Respect that an appointment is for one http://appointmentsperson only. Where another family member needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made.
• Make every effort to present at the surgery to ensure the best use of nursing and medical time. Home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.
• Please inform us when you move home, change your name or telephone number, so that we can keep our records correct and up to date.
• Read the Practice leaflets and other information that we give you. They are there to help you use our services. If you do not understand their content, please tell us.
• Let us have your views. Your ideas and suggestions, whether complimentary or critical, are important in helping us to provide a first-class, safe, friendly service in pleasant surroundings.

NHS Constitution

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. For more information, visit:

• UK – The NHS Constitution for England

The NHS operates a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse. We strongly believe that NHS staff should not be feel threatened or have to suffer verbal or physical abuse whilst doing their job.

We will be helpful and polite to all our patients regardless of age, ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. We expect the same courtesy from our patients. Discriminatory, unsocial, violent threatening, or abusive behaviour towards staff, other patients or our premises will not be tolerated.

The Practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse, which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation, we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it. Depending on the circumstances, the Practice may also involve the police.

All telephone calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes. In instances where patients are being rude and verbally abusive, telephone recordings will be listened to and if appropriate, action will be taken to remove patients from the Practice list.