Patient Charter

You and Your GP Practice

At Forum Family Practice, we are here to provide you with safe, caring, and accessible healthcare. This charter explains what you can expect from us—and what we kindly ask from you—to help us work together for your health.

What You Can Expect from Us

Respect and Kindness

We treat everyone with respect, compassion, and dignity—no matter your needs, background, or beliefs.

Safe, Personal Care

Our team of health professionals will give you care that is safe, based on the latest available evidence and availability, and tailored to your needs. We aim to treat our patients as we would expect to be treated ourselves. We work under NHS guidelines, protocols, and procedures.

Easy Access to Services

We offer and promote the use of reasonable adjustments Reasonable Adjustment Campaign « Learning Disability Network to make it easier for people with support needs or disability to access our surgery.

We offer many services, including minor surgery, contraception services, mental health, and travel advice as well as our normal day to day care. We aim to get you the right help as quickly as possible with the right person in the team.

Carers can let us know how we can support them to attend with their loved ones, and to look after themselves with our help. Carers Northumberland can also offer support Our Services.

Our website Forum Family Practice is kept updated and made as accessible as possible and has information on self-help and other ways to get help, you can use a variety of ways to contact us.

Clear Communication

We will try to explain things clearly—your condition, diagnosis, treatment options, and any referrals—so you understand what is happening. We use communication aids where needed. 

Prevention

We try to support you to attend screening, vaccination, and long-term condition review appointments to keep you well.

Team working

We work as a team and have a range of professionals working with us in the surgery, and work closely with e.g. our community nurse, podiatry, midwifery and health visiting, social care, employment support, mental health, and social prescribing local teams.

We also work with other practices in the area to provide services to our neighbourhood.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Your personal information is kept private and secure, following NHS and data protection rules.

Always Improving

We are a learning organisation and welcome your feedback and use it to make our services better. We are also regularly checked by the Care Quality Commission.

What We Ask from You

Be Respectful

Whilst we understand that concerns about your health can cause stress, please treat our staff and other patients with kindness as we do our best to look after you. We do not tolerate abusive or aggressive behaviour towards our staff.

Keep Appointments

Arrive on time and let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel or change your appointment. Let us know if you need reasonable adjustments or considerations to make it easier for you. Let us know if we are not meeting your needs.

Use Services Wisely

It is not easy to work out who to see in healthcare, our Care navigators and staff may guide you to the best person to see—whether that is a nurse, GP, or another service. Help us to help you to find the right service in the right timescale.

Share Honestly

Tell us openly about your symptoms, lifestyle, and concerns. This helps us give you the most appropriate and effective care.

Take Part in Your Care

Take part in the development and agree and follow your treatment plan, attend check-ups as recommended, and use self-help resources when needed. Attend other health setting where needed to optimise your e.g. hospital or outpatients at the hospital

Working Together for Better Health

We believe healthcare works best when we work together. By supporting each other, we can help you live a healthier, happier life.

Thanks for your consideration, we look forward to looking after you and yours.

Forum Family Practice 

If you have any questions or suggestions about this charter, please speak to a member of our team or visit here.