What’s in the Patient Charter?
We want every patient to feel valued, heard, and respected. We want families and carers to feel well supported and involved in decisions about their health and care.
Our charter sets out what patients, families and carers can expect from us. We developed it with patients and staff.
Here is a summary of what it includes.
We will:
Make NHS services easy to use
- Offer greater choice and control over your appointments
- Help you prepare for your appointments
- Coordinate your care to reduce the number of appointments
Plan your care together
- Introduce ourselves and explain our role in supporting you
- Try to ensure you see the same clinician every time
- Listen to what matters to you and make decisions about your care together
Agree what will happen next
- Provide clear information about your care and what to expect
- Share relevant healthcare information with others involved in your care so you only tell us once
- Make sure you know what to do if your symptoms change or if you are worried
1. Offer choice, where possible, about how and where you are seen and unless it is urgent, give you enough notice so that you can plan your time and involve others if you want to.
2. Coordinate your care to reduce the number of times you need to be seen.
3. Try to ensure you see the same staff member, and if that’s not possible, write down what is important to you, so you don’t need to say it all over again.
4. Help you to prepare, by letting you know what you need to have with you, and asking you to think about any questions, concerns or priorities that you have.
5. Introduce themselves, tell you their job title (and what they do) and what you can expect to happen.
6. Listen to what matters to you, including understanding your ideas, circumstances and preferences, so that we can make decisions together.
7. Help you to look after yourself by providing clear information in a way that is right for you.
8. Work with you to plan what support you need, what will happen next, what to do if your symptoms change or if you are worried or concerned.
9. Write letters directly to you in language that you understand, including details of what has been agreed, a named point of contact and any next steps.
10. Make sure that your preferences and plans for your health are clearly recorded for other healthcare professionals to see and act upon.
The charter is for everyone who accesses and uses our (Northumbria Healthcare) NHS services and support.
That includes patients, their carers, family members and NHS staff.
Throughout the charter, we use the terms ‘NHS services’ and ‘NHS staff’.
This refers to the services provided by us. This includes healthcare services in our hospitals and in the community.
Do you have any questions about the charter?
Would you like to be involved in the Patient Charter Task & Finish Group?
If so, please email Patient.