Patient Access Policy

Patient Access Policy

1 Introduction
This information sets out how Westleigh Medical Practice ensures that all patients can access timely and appropriate clinical care.

2 Objectives

2.1 Patients can access information, care, or treatment by a GP or appropriate member of the practice team in line with their clinical needs.

2.2 The ability of patients to access the above does not vary on account of characteristics such as age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, geography, or socio-economic status.

2.3 Clinicians and staff are able to manage available resources to meet demand effectively so that the best possible levels of service and access are maintained at all times.

2.4 Patients and carers are aware of how to get the best from the practice and are involved in monitoring and developing the systems and procedures to ensure that their needs are met. To join our Patient Participation Group please click on the link and complete and submit the form.

3 Rights and Responsibilities for the Patient

3.1 Patients’ Rights
As a patient, you have the right to: –

  1. join the practice of your choice in the area where you live following acceptance by the practice;
  2. easily accessible information about your practice and how to access care via the practice leaflet and website;
  3. appropriate urgent care as per Section 5 Access Targets;
  4. clear information about your treatment in a suitable format and language so that you and the clinician may make an informed decision about the best course of action;
  5. privacy and confidentiality;
  6. be treated with dignity and respect at all times (including access to a chaperone if required);
  7. comment or complain if you are not satisfied with the service provided;
  8. be registered in accordance with NHS England’s ‘Patient Registration’ standard operating procedure;
  9. Be registered or receive treatment without delay where the patient cannot produce a photo ID or proof of address unless the practice has reasonable grounds to decline.

3.2 Patients’ Responsibilities

As a patient, it is your responsibility to:-

  • treat all practice staff with respect;
  • ensure you attend any appointment made at the surgery and arrive on time;
  • cancel an unwanted appointment as soon as possible so it can be offered to someone else;
  • inform the practice if you change your address or telephone number so the practice can contact you urgently if needed;
  • inform the practice if you have any special needs, including communication needs, so the practice can make any necessary arrangements;
  • let a member of the practice staff know if you are unsure about or dissatisfied with your care so that it can be explained or put right;
  • do your best to look after your own health;
  • engage in annual reviews if you have any Long Term Conditions;
  • use the services of the practice appropriately.

4 Surgery Opening Hours and Appointment Times

4.1 Westleigh Medical Practice operates from 4 – 12 Westleigh Lane, Westleigh, Leigh, WN7 5JE.

4.2 The practice telephone number is 01942 367450/01942 367460

4.3 The practice website is www.westleighmedicalcentre.co.uk

4.4 Our surgery opening times are as follows: –

Opening Times

Monday 08:00 – 18:30
Tuesday 08:00 – 18:30
Wednesday 08:00 – 18:30
Thursday 08:00 – 18:30
Friday 08:00 – 18:30
Weekend closed

4.5 Appointments can be made by Ask My GP or contacting the surgery on 01942 367450/367460

4.6 For a maximum of 10 Tuesday afternoons each year, the surgery is closed (from 12 noon) for staff training. Details are displayed clearly on the practice website/social media at least tyw weeks in advance together with instructions on what to do if you need help when the surgery is closed.

4.7 The practice provides a standard appointment length of 15 minutes to see a GP. Nursing appointment times vary in length dependent on the nature of the consultation.

Longer appointments are available on request for patients who feel they need more time. If you have more than 1 condition to discuss with a GP, please ask for a longer appointment as this allows the GP more time to discuss your concerns, and also means they won’t be running over for their next appointment.

4.8 Between the hours of 18.30 – 08.00 daily, the practice phone system will automatically direct callers to NHS111.

4.9 We do have other appointments that are available to you. You can call Wigan GP Alliance 01942 482848 to book an appointment to speak to one of their clinicians.

Booking line times: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm on weekdays and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm on weekends and Bank Holidays.

Appointments are available from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on weekends and Bank Holidays.

5 Access Standards

5.1 Routine Consultation Standard

All patients will be offered a face-to-face or telephone consultation with a doctor or other suitable practitioner (such as a Nurse) within 10 working days of contacting the practice, as the patient may choose to wait longer if they want a more convenient appointment or to see their preferred GP if it is safe to do so.

Patients are to clearly identify themselves to the receptionist and supply a contact telephone number and where possible a brief indication of the problem

5.2 Urgent Clinical Assessment Standard

All patients stating they have an urgent medical problem that needs to be dealt with on the same day will be offered a telephone or face-to-face consultation after triaging. The patient must inform the receptionist if he/she believes the problem requires attention more quickly.

This is due to the fact that we offer emergency on-the-day appointments which are taken very early on in the morning. However, if a patient is presenting with urgent medical symptoms, an urgent task will be sent to the clinicians for advice.

For all medical problems, patients are asked to answer a series of questions about their symptoms, this means the GP can quickly work out the best way to help.

We aim to respond the same day, if medically urgent; however, all routine symptoms/enquiries may result in booking a routine appointment and or a response within 48 hours.

5.3 Home visits

We have developed a definition of “housebound” to encourage people, who are able, to attend clinics for their routine appointments with the GP or the Nursing Team (Practice Nurse/Health Care Assistant) for blood pressure checks, vaccinations, Asthma reviews etc) and to limit the use of home visits.
Our agreed definition of housebound guidelines aims to ensure that GP clinical teams are providing routine clinical appointments in the home setting only when it is appropriate.  It is acknowledged that an individual’s needs may change and therefore eligibility for a home visit should be reassessed on a regular basis.
A patient is deemed to be housebound when they are unable to leave their home environment through a physical or psychological illness. A patient is not considered housebound if he or she is able to leave their house with minimal assistance or support. For example: unassisted/assisted visit to the doctor, dentist, hairdresser, supermarket, social events or hospital outpatients.
Some patients may not be housebound permanently but rather are housebound temporarily as a consequence of an episode of illness”. Minimal assistance would be described as a person who can leave their own home and travel to a clinic appointment in a vehicle such as a personal car, taxi or public transport adapted for their use or not and with or without the use of a wheelchair either by themselves or with an escort.
To avoid confusion any person who requires a specialist vehicle (Ambulance) or a two person escort would be regarded as housebound.
To avoid further confusion a person will not be regarded as housebound because they do not personally have a companion to escort them to a clinical appointment.
We regret that we are unable to offer home visits for patients who are prevented from attending the surgery by lack of transport or childcare issues.
To request a home visit please phone the practice before 10am on 01942 367450 (Westleigh Main Site) or 01942 367460 (Abram Branch Surgery).
All requests for home visits will be triaged by a member of the practice team in order to assist the GPs and nurses in prioritising visits. Your GP will also decide if/how urgently a visit is needed (please be aware that a request for a home visit does not mean that one will be undertaken if the GP thinks it inappropriate).
 

5.4 Repeat Prescriptions Standard

The practice will generate and aim to sign all repeat prescriptions within 48 working hours of receiving a request to do so, except where:-

  • the practice has tried and failed to contact the patient where this is needed before the prescription can be issued safely;
  • or where a medication review is pending and must be undertaken before the prescription can be issued safely. The request for a medication review will be highlighted on the patient’s most recent prescription;
  • the practice aims to generate, and sign repeat prescriptions within 48 hours of request but because of the need to ensure patient safety patients should allow two working days. The practice will do its best to provide prescriptions in urgent circumstances but will not compromise patient safety to do so;
  • if you think you need antibiotics, you will need to book a phone call with a GP;
  • for any medications that you have not had for over 3 months, please book a medication review to see if your medical symptoms have changed as you may need something else;
  • the practice will do its best to provide prescriptions in urgent circumstances but will not compromise patient safety to do so;
  • Patients’ can order repeat medication by posting repeat slips in the post box inside the surgery or ordering online.
  • the practice uses the ‘Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)’. EPS enables our practitioners to send prescriptions electronically to a Pharmacy of your choice. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and staff.

6 If you miss your appointment or are late

6.1 There would be much shorter waits for appointments if every unwanted appointment was cancelled and made available for another patient to use.

It is frustrating for GPs and nurses to be under pressure to provide better access when up to 1 in 10 appointments are wasted by people who simply do not turn up.

6.2 Appointments can be cancelled online (if booked online) and via telephone or by responding to the text message reminder sent by the practice if the patient has consented to text messages via mobile.

6.3 If you attend the surgery late for your appointment it may be difficult to fit you in without making other patients wait longer.

Please try to attend just before your appointment slot but not too early.

If the surgery is running late, you will be informed by reception so that you have the option of re-booking.

6.4 Where possible, the GP or Nurse will aim to see patients who arrived late, however, you may have to wait to be seen at the end of the surgery, or be asked to rebook your appointment.

6.5 Members of the Reception team will advise patients when a GP or Nurse is running late and this will either be on arrival (by suspending self-check-in) or by making an announcement in the waiting area.

6.6 We do have a Did Not Attend policy if you miss a number of appointments within a 6 months period and good cause is not demonstrated it could result in being removed from our practice list.

7 See the Doctor or Nurse you Prefer

For some problems, you may not mind which doctor or nurse you see but there may be times when you may have a firm preference, or it is best for you to see a particular practitioner.

The practice has allocated patients to a named/registered GP based on the number of hrs/shifts the GP works & a proportionate share of the total patients.

This does not mean you ONLY have to see your allocated GP; you can see ANY clinician who is available.

8 Improving Access for Patients

8.1 The practice is always pleased to receive comments and suggestions about its services including how easy it is to access them. Please contact the Practice Manager at the above address, full address if you have comments or suggestions to make alternatively you can leave a card in one of our suggestion boxes or submit feedback via our website.

8.2 Patients are encouraged to join our Patient Participation Group (PPG) and the practice keeps the group up to date. If you wish to join the group, please complete an application, and return it to the Practice Manager. Forms are available online.

8.6 For patients who require translators or access to British Sign Language, the practice uses Language Line. Please let members of staff know if you need an interpreter for your appointment for longer appointments.

Date published: 2nd November, 2023
Date last updated: 2nd November 2023

Date published: 2nd November, 2023
Date last updated: 8th September, 2025