You and Your General Practice – Patient Charter

As of October 1st 2025, all GP practices in England are required to publish the new patient charter, “You and Your General Practice.” This document, introduced by NHS England, is designed to help you understand what to expect from our practice and how you can work with us to get the best care possible.

Key Points of the Charter:-

• Access to Care: The charter clarifies how you can contact us—in person, by phone, or online via our website and the NHS App—during core hours (8:00am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday). It also explains that our practice will respond to your requests within one working day and will not ask you to call back the next day. If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online, without the need to telephone the surgery. Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily.  Please keep an eye out for messages. Ordering repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
• How We Handle Your Requests: When you contact us for an appointment or medical advice, we will assess your needs and decide on the next appropriate step. This could be a same-day or future appointment, a phone consultation, a text message, or advice to visit a pharmacy or another NHS service.
• Your Rights: The charter reaffirms your right to be treated with dignity and respect by all our staff. It also outlines your rights regarding registration (you do not need ID or a permanent address), receiving a response to your health queries, and getting extra help such as interpreters or longer appointments if needed (for example, by making reasonable adjustments). If you feel you need additional support/help or longer appointments, please contact a member of the reception team.
• Your Responsibilities: To help us provide the best service, the charter asks for your co-operation. This includes treating our staff with respect, being prepared for an appointment (think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about), being on time for your appointments (being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients), and cancelling appointments as soon as possible if you no longer need them, so the appointment can be offered to someone else.
• Feedback and Concerns: The document explains how you can share feedback or raise concerns with the practice, your local Healthwatch, or the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
• Join the Patient Participation Group: Roman Road Health Centre is (again) looking to set up a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Please contact a member of the reception team if you are interested in joining our patient group.

How to View the Charter:

You can read the full “You and Your General Practice” document by clicking on the link below. The charter is also available on the NHS England website in multiple languages. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/

Translated versions are below:

We would also appreciate any feedback regarding the service you have received at the practice, whether this was in relation to, how easy it was to get an appointment, the service you received from reception, how you felt your consultation went (do you think you received appropriate care and advice?) All feedback is welcomed and is regularly shared with all members of the practice team. This enables us to reflect/learn from any feedback and continue to provide a caring/responsive service to our patients. You can also provide feedback via the Friends and Family Test link which you will automatically receive, following your appointment or you can provide feedback here:-