New Patient Charter: “You and Your General Practice”

The patient charter explains what you can expect when you contact your GP practice, and how you can get the best from your care.

It brings together the standards GP practices work to, along with how patients and services can work together.

Read the full national guidance.

What you can expect

When you contact your GP practice, you can expect:

• To be able to get in touch by phone, online or in person during working hours
• A response to your request, so you know what will happen next
• To be guided to the most appropriate clinician or service
• To be treated with dignity, respect and confidentiality

Your care will be based on your needs, and you may be offered different types of support depending on what is most suitable.

Your rights

As a patient, you have the right to:

• Register with a GP practice, even if you do not have ID or a fixed address
• Receive safe and appropriate care
• Be treated fairly and without discrimination
• Ask for additional support if you need it, such as interpreters or accessible information

Your responsibilities

GP services work best when patients and staff work together. You are asked to:

• Treat staff with respect
• Attend your appointments or cancel them if you no longer need them
• Share information that helps with your care
• Use services in a way that supports access for everyone

Feedback and Concerns

If something is not working well, you have the right to speak up.

• Speak to your GP practice: In many cases, concerns can be sorted quickly by contacting your practice directly.
• Contact your local NHS team (NCL ICB): If you do not feel able to raise your concern with the practice, you can contact North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB), who plan and oversee local NHS services. They can review concerns or complaints and help resolve issues.
• Healthwatch: You can also share your experience with Healthwatch, who provide independent feedback on NHS services.

Working together

The charter is based on a shared approach. By understanding what to expect and how to access care, patients and healthcare teams can work together to make sure services run effectively and remain focused on patient needs.