Fair Usage Policy

Purpose

This Fair Usage Policy ensures that all patients have equitable access to our healthcare services. It is designed to prevent any individual’s use of services from disproportionately impacting others, particularly during times of high demand.

Our Commitment to Patients

We are committed to providing high-quality, fair, and respectful care for all patients.

Our commitments include:

• Treating all patients with dignity, respect, and fairness.
• Delivering a courteous, personalised, and confidential service.
• Responding to online consultations within 48 working hours, starting from the next working day after submission.
• Keeping patients informed about our services, their rights, and any updates affecting their care.
• Allocating appointments and services based on clinical need.
• Continuously monitoring and improving our systems for efficiency and quality.
• Offering a confidential complaints process.
• Welcoming and acting upon patient feedback to improve our services.

Patient Responsibilities

To help us maintain fair and efficient access for all, we ask patients to:

• Submit one online consultation per issue.
• Provide full details to allow appropriate assessment.
• Avoid submitting multiple requests for the same problem or chasing responses within 72 hours.
• If your condition significantly worsens, please call reception for further guidance.
• Attend or cancel appointments responsibly.
• Please give adequate notice if you cannot attend.
• Be patient during delays.
• Emergencies and complex cases may cause unavoidable delays.
• Where possible, we will inform you of expected waiting times.
• Use services appropriately.
• Do not expect immediate treatment for non-urgent or routine issues.
• Consider self-care, local pharmacies, or NHS 111 for minor ailments.
• See the most appropriate healthcare professional.
• A GP may not always be the most suitable clinician for your needs.
• Allow sufficient time for repeat prescriptions.
• Processing takes 48 working hours from the next working day after the request is received.
• Please do not pressure staff to expedite requests.
• Keep your contact details up to date.
• Treat staff with respect.
• Abusive, aggressive, or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated under the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy.

Whilst we understand that the reason for the non-attendance is sometimes unavoidable, it is difficult for the Practice to make a judgement and the end result is always the same; a lost appointment that someone else could have used.

Unfair or Excessive Use of Services

Unfair use occurs when an individual’s service usage is significantly higher than average or prevents others from accessing care.

Examples include:

• Submitting an unreasonable number of online consultations.
• Frequently requesting unnecessary appointments or administrative support.
• If such behaviour affects our ability to provide safe, equitable care, the practice may:
• Review the patient’s usage and communicate transparently about any concerns.
• Implement reasonable restrictions on service access if necessary.

In exceptional cases, where a patient’s behaviour breaches the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy or causes an irretrievable breakdown in the doctor–patient relationship, removal from the practice list may be considered.

Summary

We aim to balance high-quality care with fair access for all patients. By following this policy, patients help us maintain efficient, safe, and respectful healthcare services for the whole community.