The Downland Practice and Pharmacy

Please see our website for practice and pharmacy news and updates: www.downlandpractice.nhs.uk

Address: East Lane, Chieveley, Newbury RG20 8UY

Phone: 01635 248251

Everyone at the Downland Practice works together with our patients to provide the best possible care. We want our service to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We are committed to:

• Treating patients and carers with courtesy and respect
• Involving patients in all decisions about their treatment and ensuring informed consent is given prior to any procedure
• Ensuring absolute confidentiality of medical records within the limits of the law
• Abiding by legal and regulatory obligations including Data Protection and Health and Safety regulations

We aim to:

• See patients who consider their condition to be medically urgent on the same day
• Answer the telephone promptly, during busy periods offer the option of a call back service
• Keep our patients informed if their appointment time is more than 30 minutes behind schedule
• Print repeat prescriptions within 5 working days of request
• Provide patients with access to their medical records as the law permits subject to the recommended fee

We welcome comments and suggestions about our service and encourage patient involvement through our Patient Representation Group.

Funding Pressures

The practice still hasn’t been told what funding it will receive for the current year, even though this should have been confirmed from 1st April. This makes planning extremely difficult. Costs continue to rise (staffing, utilities, building maintenance), while funding increases are minimal and below inflation. Like many practices nationally, this puts real pressure on services. Key messages we want to share with patients are:

• Using practice services really matters.
• Dispensing prescriptions locally, getting vaccinations at the practice and using in house services all help protect funding and keep services sustainable.
• More clear and careful communication with patients is planned once the new communications role is in place.