Access to Medical Records
Complaints Procedure
We strive to provide a quality service at all times but if you consider that something has not gone as you feel it should then we have practice complaints procedure to deal with this. You can write, or ask to speak with, the Practice Manager who will fully investigate your complaint.
Confidentiality and Access to Medical records
Freedom of Information
General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
GP Average Earnings
NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below for 2023/24. However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in this practice in the last full financial year was £73,345 before Tax and National insurance. This is for zero full time GP, eight part time GPs, zero salaried GPs and zero locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Infection Control Annual Statement
Summary Care Record
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at the Summary Care Record interactive map or by asking your GP.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
NHS Summary Care Records website
Opt Out Form
Download the Summary Care Record Opt Out form
You and Your General Practice
From October 2025, changes to the GP contract mean we must share a link to the NHS England guide; “You and Your General Practice“.
Your Patient Charter
At Springwood Surgery, we already follow most of the principles set out in this document. It explains both what you can expect from us, and what we ask of you as a patient.
However, we also want to be open with you. The British Medical Association (BMA) GP Committee – which represents GPs – is currently in dispute with the Department of Health and Social Care about some of the changes being introduced. Because of this, we want to be honest:
We will do everything we can to meet the standards in the document, but we will let you know when we can’t. This may be because of a lack of safe capacity, an agreed closure due to staff training, unforeseen events, IT system failure or anything that we feel compromises our ability to provide a safe service to patients. During such instances we would ask that Routine queries wait, and we may direct you to another provider for urgent/emergency care.
Our core contract hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 6:30pm.
Our consulting times are between 8:00am and 6:00pm.
We have a subcontract with ELM GP Federation who provide access between 6:00pm and 6:30pm. Patients needing to speak to a GP between these times should contact 111 who will arrange an appointment.
Please note at certain times, e.g. lunchtime or at the end of the day, a clinician may not be present in the building (e.g. out on home visits).
Unfortunately we are not a walk-in provider of emergency care and if you need immediate care we will direct you to another appropriate provider.
In an emergency, please dial 999 for an ambulance or attend the nearest Accident & Emergency Department – do not attend the practice.
We believe patients deserve more
-
- At present, GPs and their teams are under huge pressure, caring for more people with fewer resources.
-
- Without proper investment, the safety, stability and continuity of care that patients value most are at risk.
-
- As your GP practice, we will always do what we can to deliver the best service possible for you and your family. With the right resources and support, we could expand our services, employ more staff, and deliver the safe, timely, and personalised care you deserve.
-
- Please remember that our current GP contract funds patient care on average at 31 pence per day per patient, which is not enough to meet rising demand and to provide the care you and your family deserve.
What this means in practice
If you contact us asking for a specific appointment (for example, with a particular doctor, on a certain day, or at a certain time), and we don’t have anything available to match that request, we’ll tell you straight away. We may offer an alternative, or direct you to another service that can help.
We always try to be flexible, but demand for appointments is higher than ever. We need to support as many patients as we can, so sometimes that means we can’t meet every individual preference. But if you work with us, we’ll work with you to find the best way forward.
We don’t currently run a waiting list for routine appointments, and we’re trying to avoid introducing one. Managing a list would take admin staff away from helping with urgent queries, and we don’t believe it would improve your care. But if we do need to introduce one in the future, we’ll let you know.
Most of the time, we can respond to patient queries the same day, or by the next working day. Some queries need input from a specific member of staff or a bit more investigation. If that’s the case, we’ll let you know and keep you updated.
What we ask from you
-
- Be respectful to our staff Our team is working hard under growing pressure, and we’re seeing the effects of years of under-funding in general practice. We will always treat you with respect and compassion, and we expect the same in return. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any verbal or physical abuse.
-
- Be prepared Please arrive on time for your appointments. If you no longer need it, cancel it so someone else can have it.
-
- Order repeat medications on time We can’t always provide same-day prescription requests, especially if they are urgent simply because they weren’t ordered in time. Please plan ahead.
-
- Give us feedback We want to hear from you. Whether it’s something that went well, or an idea for how we can improve. We are always looking at how we can work better, even if we can’t meet every individual request.
We know that in an ideal world, everyone would be able to see a GP whenever they want. But that’s not the kind of General Practice the current system supports. What we can promise is that we’ll keep doing our best to provide safe, high quality care to the right person, at the right time.
Thank you for your continued patience and support while we try our best for you and your family.
Springwood Surgery
Our core contract hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 6:30pm.
Our consulting times are between 8:00am and 6:00pm.
We have a subcontract with ELM GP Federation who provide access between 6:00pm and 6:30pm. Patients needing to speak to a GP between these times should contact 111 who will arrange an appointment.
Please note at certain times, e.g. lunchtime or at the end of the day, a clinician may not be present in the building (e.g. out on home visits).
Unfortunately we are not a walk-in provider of emergency care and if you need immediate care we will direct you to another appropriate provider.
In an emergency, please dial 999 for an ambulance or attend the nearest Accident & Emergency Department – do not attend the practice.
We believe patients deserve more
-
- At present, GPs and their teams are under huge pressure, caring for more people with fewer resources.
-
- Without proper investment, the safety, stability and continuity of care that patients value most are at risk.
-
- As your GP practice, we will always do what we can to deliver the best service possible for you and your family. With the right resources and support, we could expand our services, employ more staff, and deliver the safe, timely, and personalised care you deserve.
-
- Please remember that our current GP contract funds patient care on average at 31 pence per day per patient, which is not enough to meet rising demand and to provide the care you and your family deserve.
What this means in practice
If you contact us asking for a specific appointment (for example, with a particular doctor, on a certain day, or at a certain time), and we don’t have anything available to match that request, we’ll tell you straight away. We may offer an alternative, or direct you to another service that can help.
We always try to be flexible, but demand for appointments is higher than ever. We need to support as many patients as we can, so sometimes that means we can’t meet every individual preference. But if you work with us, we’ll work with you to find the best way forward.
We don’t currently run a waiting list for routine appointments, and we’re trying to avoid introducing one. Managing a list would take admin staff away from helping with urgent queries, and we don’t believe it would improve your care. But if we do need to introduce one in the future, we’ll let you know.
Most of the time, we can respond to patient queries the same day, or by the next working day. Some queries need input from a specific member of staff or a bit more investigation. If that’s the case, we’ll let you know and keep you updated.
What we ask from you
-
- Be respectful to our staff Our team is working hard under growing pressure, and we’re seeing the effects of years of under-funding in general practice. We will always treat you with respect and compassion, and we expect the same in return. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any verbal or physical abuse.
-
- Be prepared Please arrive on time for your appointments. If you no longer need it, cancel it so someone else can have it.
-
- Order repeat medications on time We can’t always provide same-day prescription requests, especially if they are urgent simply because they weren’t ordered in time. Please plan ahead.
-
- Give us feedback We want to hear from you. Whether it’s something that went well, or an idea for how we can improve. We are always looking at how we can work better, even if we can’t meet every individual request.
We know that in an ideal world, everyone would be able to see a GP whenever they want. But that’s not the kind of General Practice the current system supports. What we can promise is that we’ll keep doing our best to provide safe, high quality care to the right person, at the right time.
Thank you for your continued patience and support while we try our best for you and your family.
Springwood Surgery
Your responsibilities to us
- Please inform us as soon as possible if you are unable to keep an appointment as it can be given to somebody else. You yourself may, in future, benefit by another patient’s consideration.
- Please treat everyone on our premises as you would wish to be treated yourself; with respect, courtesy and without aggression, actual or threatened violence, and without discrimination on the grounds of gender, culture, age, religion or sexuality. Our practice actively seeks to value diversity. Discrimination will not be tolerated.
- Any patient acting in contravention of any of the above may be required to leave the practice list with or, in the case of violent or threatening behaviour, without notice.
Zero Tolerance Policy
The NHS operates a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence and abuse, the practice having the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard staff, patients and other persons attending the surgery.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In the event of an occurrence of this nature, we are obliged to notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient medical record the reason for the removal. The NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.