PATIENT INFORMATION
Patient Information
The following information section should help patients to get the most out of their physiotherapy sessions.
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Cancellations
We completely understand that at times it is necessary to cancel or postpone physiotherapy appointments. In order to offer another patient the opportunity to use this appointment, we ask for as much notice as possible when cancelling. Details of how to contact our bookings assistant are sent to patients with their first appointment details.
Chaperones
We want all our patients to feel comfortable during their physiotherapy sessions and patients are invited to bring a friend, relative or carer if this is helpful. Members of staff at the GP surgeries are also available to act as a medical chaperone if required. Our physiotherapists are currently all female, but we will do all we can to facilitate where patients request a male physiotherapist. This may involve being referred to another service. As a musculoskeletal service we do not carry out any invasive examinations or internal treatments.
For further information please request to see our chaperone policy.
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Complaints
Our physiotherapists are caring and highly skilled, however there may be times where patients are not fully satisfied with their care. We take these complaints about the service very seriously. Where patients or their representatives have concerns, we hope
in the first instance they can be discussed with the physiotherapist or relevant member of staff and a resolution can be reached. When issues cannot be resolved in this manner, we have a complaints procedure and further details can be found here.
A complaint can be made in writing, by email, by telephone or in person (by appointment). Written complaints should be forwarded to:
Debbie Rose
South-West Surrey Mobile Physiotherapy Service
19 Tilers Close,
Merstham
Surrey
RH1 3HS
Or to: admin@mobile-physio-surrey.co.uk
We aim to give patients a quick and thorough response to any concerns or complaints raised. Complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days and responded to fully within 40 working days.
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Confidentiality
We want our patients to feel confident in the relationship with their physiotherapist and therefore ensure all information given to our physiotherapists is treated in the strictest of confidence. We follow the relevant legislation (The Data Protection Act)
and have strict policies and procedures relating to confidentiality, sharing and storage of information. All consultations take place in confidential treatment rooms at the three GP surgeries.
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Consent
Consent is the permission that a patient gives, either verbal or written, before an assessment is carried out or a treatment is given. We will not begin any form of assessment or treatment without a patient’s consent. This process will generally take place during the discussion regarding the problem and proposed treatment plan. For some interventions, written consent may be requested. It is important that patients feel fully informed about what is taking place and time is allowed during sessions to discuss any reservations or unanswered questions. Patients have the right to withdraw their consent at any time and should not feel uncomfortable about raising this with their physiotherapist.
To ensure compliance our physiotherapists receive regular specialist training in consent.
For further information please see our policy for consent here.
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Data Protection And Privacy Policy
Protecting our patient’s personal and healthcare data is of the utmost importance and we follow the relevant legislation (Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation, 2018). We do not share any personal information unless we are legally
required to do so, and all health care records are stored securely. All our staff receive annual information governance training. We are committed to our data protection procedures and policies and complete the NHS Data Protection Toolkit annually. A copy of our most recent certificate of completion is here. We are also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Our Caldicott Guardian is Katy Vaughan and our Data Protection Officer/SIRO is Debbie Rose.
Our privacy policy can be found here and our data protection policy here.
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Duty Of Candour
Mobile Physio recognises the importance of being open and honest with its patients at all times. This is especially important when things go wrong and a crucial part of this is an apology. Under the Duty of Candour, certain incidents are notifiable where
unintentional or unexpected harm has come to a patient. We have a Duty of Candour policy, follow all relevant guidance and our staff receive appropriate training in this area. For more information on the Duty of Candour please contact our administrator.
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Equality And Diversity
It is important to us that all of our patients are treated with the same level of respect, dignity and care. We strive for equality across our service: respecting and embracing diversity and opposing discrimination on any grounds. Our staff are trained in Equality and Diversity and our guided by The Equality Act, 2010.
It is equally important to us that we provide equal opportunities to our employees and promote a working environment that is nurturing and supportive. We are committed to our Equality and Diversity Policy and our Equal Opportunities Policy. For more
information, please contact Debbie Rose, our administrator.
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Feedback
We welcome both positive and negative feedback about our service. We send out an annual satisfaction survey to both patients and our referrers. The feedback is then used to help shape and improve our service.
If you would like to provide feedback about your experience with Mobile Physio please contact Debbie Rose at the registered address or admin@mobile-physio-surrey.co.uk
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Infection Control
In order to prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections, our physiotherapists are specially trained in infection control procedures. This involves strict handwashing hygiene, use of PPE (personal protective equipment), rigorous cleaning of all equipment and work surfaces and careful disposal of waste and sharps.
Our staff all wear a uniform to ensure good infection control procedures. We follow guidance by the CQC and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, as well as guidance from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Our patients can assist us by also maintaining high standards of hygiene prior to and during their sessions. We respectfully request that if patients are unwell, they cancel their appointment with as much notice as possible.
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Interpretation Services
Like our colleagues in the GP surgeries, we use ‘thebigword’ telephone interpreting service. This allows us to communicate effectively with all patients, preventing barriers and discrimination. We also have access to sign language interpretors where required.
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Patient Safety Incident Response
Our policy can be found here, which details our response to safety incidents and how patients and members of the public can report these.
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Safeguarding
We are committed to providing a safe and caring service. As part of this our physiotherapists are trained in helping to protect adults and children from harm, neglect, abuse and exploitation. We believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and our aim is to promote the safety and welfare of the children and vulnerable adults that we meet in our work. We ensure our patient’s rights to privacy and confidentiality, but where we have a duty to, we will share the relevant information with the appropriate organisations to promote safety and wellbeing.
Mobile Physio has safeguarding policies and procedures in place and all staff receive appropriate training and regular supervision sessions. We work closely with our GP colleagues to ensure seamless care and will work with the professionals at the Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub as required. We follow all relevant legislation and guidance.
Our safeguarding lead is Katy Vaughan and further information on our policy can be found here.
Wibbi
A large part of physiotherapy involves following lifestyle advice and carrying out home exercises/activities as part of the treatment. In order to facilitate this, we use a program called Wibbi which allows us to put together bespoke exercises for our patients and send them by email. Patients can also track their progress online or using an app. For more information, the website for Wibbi can be found here.