This charter

This Charter outlines your rights and responsibilities as a patient when visiting our Health Centres. It is also intended as a guide to the services available at the Qormi Health Centre. For each of these services we have outlined the standards of performance you can expect from us. If you feel we have failed you in some way, we have indicated the steps to take when lodging a complaint. Through this charter we are committing ourselves to providing you with a quality service.

Rights and expectations

Throughout our Charter we refer to rights and expectations. You are entitled to your rights at all times and at all places under the jurisdiction of the public health service.

Expectations, on the other hand, are the standards we will do our best to achieve at the Qormi Health Centre. Exceptional circumstances may sometimes prevent us from meeting these standards

You may normally make use of the Qormi Health Centre if you live in one of these towns:

In case of emergency, of course, anyone may attend.

Our address and telephone numbers are as follows:

Qormi Health Centre

Triq il-Vitorja

Qormi

Tel: 21 484450, 21 484451, 21 484452, 21 484453

Personal consideration and respect

We believe you should know the name and grade of the person dealing with your request. You can expect all staff you meet to wear a tag indicating both their name and their grade within the Centre. You can also expect all staff who deal with you to treat you in the best possible manner. They will attend to your needs with courtesy and respect for your privacy, dignity, culture, religious beliefs and lifestyle.

Access to services

You have the right to:

You can expect us to make it easy for everyone to use our services, including children, elderly people and people with special needs. In fact all the clinics in the Qormi Health Centre are situated on one floor. Our underground car park is equipped with a lift for your convenience.

Please understand that it is not always possible for us to keep to appointment times, although we will do our utmost to do so. We often have to deal with emergencies, while some cases will unexpectedly require lengthy treatment.

Providing information

You have the right to:

Drugs and medicines

You have the right to be prescribed appropriate drugs and medicines. If your income falls within a certain bracket you may be entitled to a Pink Card. This card gives you the right to get your medicines free. Ask your local Social Security district office for more information.

If you suffer from one of a number of specified chronic conditions, you also have a right to get your medicines free of charge. These conditions are specified in a list known as the Schedule V. Your family doctor should be able to advise you on this.

The Health Centre environment

You will find a number of enquiry points and clear signposting to help you find your way around. You may also expect to be cared for in an environment that is comfortable, clean and safe.

Your role as a patient

We constantly seek to improve the quality of our care.  There are a number of things you can do to help us give you a better service.  Please remember to:

• bring any documents we may need.  For example, your ID card, your Pink or Schedule V Cards if you would like to collect free medicines, prescriptions, referral tickets if you have been referred to another clinic or any record cards which some clinics provide

• bring and present any special ID cards that entitle you to certain privileges (such as Kartanzjan +75; Care Workers; People with Special Needs)

• give your physician all the details about your condition, any illnesses you may have had, past hospitalisation, any medication you are taking, any allergies you may have and any other matter relating to your health

• report any unexpected changes in your condition to your physician

• ask your physician to explain again if you have not fully understood the recommended course of action

• follow the treatment plan recommended by your physician or carer

• avoid turning up without any appointment unless you are attending a clinic where the service is not by appointment

• keep appointments and, when unable to do so, to notify the Health Centre or clinic

• take responsibility for your actions if you refuse treatment of do not follow your physician's instructions.

Learning from you

We continuously strive to provide a service that meets your needs and we welcome any comments and suggestions for service improvement.

If you would like to make a suggestion or comment on our services and standards, you may:

• pick up a feedback form from your reception area and post it in the suggestion box

• fax us on 21 239993

• write to:

The Director

Department of Primary Health Care

7, Harper Lane

Floriana VLT 14

Our Chartered Services

Dental Clinic

At Qormi Health Centre you are entitled to:

Children under 16 years of age and adults who are in possession of a Pink Card are entitled to free permanent fillings and root canal treatments.

Eligibility and access

No referral tickets are needed. Kindly phone our reception desk for an appointment. Please note that oral hygiene appointments are only given following examinations by the dental surgeon and that children may be referred to the School Dental Clinic in Floriana.

Opening hours

Our clinic is open Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and alternate Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The dental hygienist is available on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

What you can expect

You can normally expect to be given an appointment for a check-up or extraction within 2 weeks. You should not have to wait longer than 15 minutes beyond your appointment time. Check-ups usually last 15 minutes while a filling should not last longer than 45 minutes.

Appointments with the dental hygienist are usually set within 5 days of your request and each session lasts approximately 30 minutes.

You will be referred to the Dental Department at Mater Dei Hospital if:

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Ante-Natal and Gynae

The gynaecologists and midwives at our clinic provide a number of services. These include:

You are entitled to receive post-natal care for 3 to 4 weeks after delivery.

Eligibility and access

You can make use of our services if you live in Qormi, Úebbuí or Siííiewi.

Opening hours

Our clinic is open on Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. To fix an appointment kindly call our clinic on a Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

What you can expect

Appointments are set within 3 to 4 weeks from the date of your request. We regret that appointments for smear tests may be set for a later date.

You should not have to wait more than 30 minutes past your appointment time.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

If you are under 18 years and single, you must be accompanied by your guardian.

Diabetes Clinic

The Diabetes Clinic may be regarded as an extension of the diabetic services offered at St Luke's Hospital.

Eligibility and access

You are referred to this clinic from the Diabetes Clinic at St Luke’s Hospital. As a new case, you will receive an appointment notice through the post. You will be informed of follow-up appointments given during your visit.

Opening hours

The clinic opens from Monday to Friday. The nurse starts conducting investigations at 7:30 a.m. and the doctor’s appointments commence at 9:00 a.m.

What you can expect

Appointments at our clinic are set according to the date indicated by the Diabetes Clinic at St Luke's Hospital. You can expect to be seen by the nurse within 15 minutes of your appointment time.

With every visit, you are entitled to free investigations and monitoring of:

Our clinic will give you advice on the diet that you should follow.

Following your visit, you may be prescribed medication in the form of either tablets or insulin injections.

Once a year, you can expect to be referred to an ophthalmologist for an eye examination and for routine blood investigations. You may also be referred to other clinics for preventive measures or for the treatment of complications.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

General Practitioner Service

You have the right to be seen by a doctor at the General Practitioner Clinic at the Health Centre. You are entitled to:

You also have the right to:

Opening hours

Our General Practitioner service is open 24 hours a day. No appointments are required. If you require a routine and repeat free drug prescription you are requested to visit the Health Centre between Monday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you require a medical certificate for absence from work you are requested to attend from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. unless you are a shift worker in which case a certificate may be issued at any time that you are not on duty.

Home visits

If you do need a home visit, please try to let us know as early as possible - preferably before 9 a.m. When phoning us, please give us the following details:

If you have a house number please give the number rather than the name of the house. Please ensure that your house number or name is clearly visible from the street.

Please understand that we can only arrange for a home visit when your condition prevents you from leaving home. If you require a home visit for your child, an adult, preferably one of the parents, should be present when the doctor calls.

What you can expect

You can expect to be seen by the doctor within an hour from your arrival at the Health Centre. In many cases you will also be seen even sooner. Weekends do tend to be busier and consequently you are likely to have a longer wait.

You can expect a medical examination if required. You can also expect to be given the necessary treatment and advice.

If you need a home visit, you can expect the doctor to arrive within 3 hours of your request. Exceptional circumstances may sometimes prevent us from achieving this target.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Do not expect a prescription or investigation at every visit. Many illnesses are short term and do not require an investigation or medication. When given a prescription, expect only those items your doctor considers necessary.

Please do not forget to bring your ID Card when you visit the Health Centre.

Glaucoma Screening

Glaucoma is an eye condition that will lead to blindness within around two years if left unattended. If you are over 45, and especially if you suffer from diabetes, you are strongly encouraged to make use of this service.

Our clinic provides screening tests for glaucoma. This service is available by appointment.

Eligibility and access

Screening is targeted at:

No referrals are needed. Kindly phone the clinic for an appointment.

Opening hours

The clinic opens on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

What you can expect

Appointments for screening are given within a maximum of 2 weeks from the date of your request. A session should not last longer than 15 minutes. You should not wait for more than 20 minutes beyond your appointment time.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

It is your responsibility to attend screening sessions regularly.

Immunisation

Immunisation in Malta has registered great advances over the years. Many contagious diseases, which until recently crippled and even killed many, are consequently much rarer. It is in your interest to ensure that you and your children are vaccinated according to the schedule advised by the Department.

Eligibility and access

Our clinic offers basic vaccinations for children, tetanus vaccinations and influenza vaccinations.

The following are entitled to free services:

Children who miss out on their vaccination for Hepatitis B and MMR carried out in schools can receive these vaccines at the clinic. No appointment is required.

Opening hours

This service is provided from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

What you can expect

On visiting our clinic you should not wait for more than 15 minutes to be attended to and can then expect to be given sound guidance on the type of vaccination you require.

Your responsibilities

As a parent or legal guardian, you are responsible for ensuring that your children are vaccinated at the ages specified in the schedule issued by the Department.

Do not forget to bring your immunisation record for the nurse to update. If you are bringing your child for a first vaccination, please bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate.

Schedule V

If you suffer from a chronic condition that is listed in Schedule V of the Social Security Act, you are entitled to receive for free the medicines you require for treatment and control of your condition. At the clinic, a consultant physician will assess your claim for entitlement and will initiate the procedure required to supply you with a Schedule V card which will entitle you to receive your free medicines.

You will also need to attend the clinic to renew your card on the expiry.

Eligibility and access

You need to be referred to this clinic by your family doctor. Call our reception desk for an appointment.

Schedule V cards issued from the Departments of Surgery, Gynaecology and Psychiatry at St Luke's Hospital can only be renewed by the same department and cannot be renewed at the Health Centre.

If you are still attending the Medical Outpatients Clinic at St Luke's Hospital on a regular basis, your Schedule V card issue and renewal should be obtained from your consultant at Medical Outpatients and not from the Health Centre.

Opening hours

The clinic is held on alternate Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

What you can expect

An appointment for a new case should be available within 2 weeks, and within a month for renewal cases. You should not wait for more than 30 minutes past your appointment time.

If yours is a new case, you must wait for your new card to be delivered before calling to collect any medicinals.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Please remember to bring all the necessary documents with you to the clinic, including:

Kindly visit our clinic personally if at all possible.

ECG

If your doctor considers that you need an ECG this can be done at the Health Centre.

Eligibility and access

You can only have an ECG if your doctor refers you for one. Except in emergency cases, you will need an appointment. You can make your appointment by phoning our reception desk.

Opening hours

The ECG clinic is open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

What you can expect

You can expect to be given an appointment within one week of the date of your request. After you have had your ECG, a consultant physician will see and report on the results within a week.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Ophthalmic

You are entitled to the eye care services provided by our optometrist and nurse.

Eligibility and access

Your family doctor or Health Centre GP must refer you to this clinic. You may also be referred from the Diabetes Clinic and the Accident and Emergency Department. School children may be referred from the School Health Services.

Opening hours

The clinic is open every Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. excepting public holidays. Should the need arise the clinic may be open on additional days.

Once you have a referral ticket, please call the our reception desk for an appointment.

What you can expect

You will normally not need to wait longer than 10 minutes beyond your appointment time and with each visit you can expect an eye examination and a visual acuity test.

Those holding a Pink Card are entitled to free spectacles issued by the Department of Health. On the day of your visit you are requested to provide us with a valid Pink Form from the Department of Social Security in case spectacles need to be ordered. The Pink Form and requisition are then sent to St Luke's Hospital and to the supplier of the spectacles. You will then receive a note from the supplier requesting you to choose your frame. If you choose a frame which is not covered by the Department you will be asked to cover the extra expense. Subsequently you will receive a notice informing you when to collect your spectacles from the Health Centre.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Pharmacy

If you are entitled to free medicines and you live in Qormi, Siííiewi or Úebbuí, you may collect your prescribed medicines from the Pharmacy at Qormi Health Centre. We will give you a 2-month supply except in the case of sedatives/tranquillisers requiring a green prescription and those items that are not prescribed on a regular basis, such as antibiotics.

Eligibility and access

If you have a valid Pink Form/Card or a Schedule V (yellow) card, you are entitled to free medicines.

Opening hours

The Pharmacy is open from Monday to Friday between 7:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and on Saturdays between 7:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

What you can expect

You should not have to wait for more than 30 minutes to be served. If you need to collect medication for other people please remember that we can only serve you with the medication for, at most, 3 prescriptions at a time. If you any additional prescriptions, you will have to go to the back of the queue until it is your turn again.

If an item happens to be out of stock at this pharmacy, you may be able to collect it from St Luke's Outpatients Dispensary or from another Health Centre Pharmacy, unless you can wait until it is available. In the latter case you will be given a special ‘To Collect’ form and you will not need to wait in the queue when you call to collect this item.

If you are travelling abroad and need to collect more than two months' supply of medication, you will require special authorisation. The Pharmacist in charge will explain the procedure to you.

Medicines such as antibiotics which are required urgently will not be dispensed unless the prescription is dated on the same day or at most 1 day before. Green prescriptions are valid for 1 month only from their date of issue, while other prescriptions are valid for 3 months.

Some special items need to be collected from St Luke's Hospital as they are not stocked at our Pharmacy.

Your responsibilities

Don’t forget to bring:

You should not call to collect your medicines earlier than 3 days before the due date if you are dispensed a 1-month supply and not earlier than 1 week before the due date if you are dispensed a 2-month supply.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not lose your cards. You should check the expiry date on your Pink Form or Yellow Card to ensure that it is still valid.

Please do your best not to call at the Pharmacy near closing times.

Medicines cannot be dispensed to persons under 16 years of age.

Physiotherapy

The physiotherapy clinic is equipped to assess and treat musculo-skeletal disorders.

Eligibility and access

You may be referred for treatment at this clinic by the Health Centre doctor or the Physiotherapy Department at St Luke's Hospital. Your family doctor may refer you for ankle injuries only.

Opening hours

The clinic is open from Monday to Friday between 7.30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and on alternate Saturdays between 7.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

Attendance is strictly by appointment. If you have been referred by a Health Centre doctor or your family doctor, please make an appointment with the physiotherapist. If you have been referred from St Luke's Hospital an appointment will be arranged for you. When follow-up appointments are necessary they will be arranged directly from the Physiotherapy Department at St Luke’s Hospital.

What you can expect

You can expect our physiotherapists to assess and treat your condition to ensure the best outcome possible. A full remedy, however, cannot be guaranteed.

You can expect to be given a clear explanation of any treatment to be carried out at home and the instructions to follow.

Appointments for patients referred directly from the Health Centre are normally available within 6 working days. You should not have to wait more than 15 minutes past your appointment time to be seen at the clinic.

Your responsibilities

On your first appointment please bring with you any relevant information you may have regarding your condition. It is your responsibility and in your interest to follow the instructions and exercises recommended by the physiotherapist. It is both your right and your responsibility to ask for clarification when necessary.

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Podology

You may attend this clinic if you suffer from an ailment of the foot, e.g. bunions, corns, nail problems and heel problems. For more specialised treatment you may need to be referred to the Podology Department at Birkirkara Health Centre as for example for nail avulsions and wart removal.

Eligibility and access

The clinic is by appointment. A referral is not required. Please call our reception desk for an appointment.

Opening hours

The clinic is open from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and on Saturdays between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

What you can expect

Appointments for new cases are usually given within 1 week. Follow-up appointments are given according to clinical need. You can expect to wait no more than 20 minutes beyond your appointment time and as far as possible to be seen by the same podologist on your follow-up appointment.

Routine cutting of toe nails is not a service offered by the Podology clinic. If you suffer from diabetes or have circulation problems of the feet, you may, however, ask for this service. It is your responsibility to follow the podologist’s instructions. Failure to do so may aggravate your condition.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide a better service by:

Speech Language

Speech language pathologists offer services to both children and adults. They assess, diagnose, indicate prognosis and prepare treatment programmes related to problems of communication. Intervention is carried out in the clinic, at schools or in the home as determined by the speech language pathologist.

Cases include:

Eligibility and access

Various professionals or carers may refer you to a speech language unit, including teachers, doctors, nurses, psychologists and social workers. You may also get in touch with our clinic directly.

Visits at this clinic are by appointment only. For an appointment, kindly contact our reception desk.

Opening hours

We are open from Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

What you can expect

You can expect:

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

Treatment Room

A number of nursing services are available at the treatment room. These include:

Our Health Centre can deal with most emergencies and you are advised to attend the Health Centre treatment room rather than the hospital casualty department.

Eligibility and access

All residents of Qormi, Úebbuí and Siííiewi may make use of our services. In case of emergencies, of course, anyone may attend.

Opening hours

The treatment room is open 24 hours a day. A doctor and a nurse are always available. We encourage you to attend the treatment rooms at the times specified below to enable us to offer you an efficient service.

• between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.: insulin injections

• between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.: blood tests and investigations (by appointment only)

• between 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.: change of dressings, treatment of wounds, removal of sutures and injections

The Treatment Room does not provide the above services outside the hours indicated except for special cases and by arrangement with the nursing staff.

Blood investigations and other tests

These are carried out as requested by a doctor. You may be referred for a blood test by your family doctor, a Health Centre doctor or from a department in St Luke's Hospital.

You will need the appropriate form issued by the referring doctor.

An appointment is required so please always call reception to attend.

What you can expect

Appointments are given within a maximum of 6 days. For services which do not require an appointment you may have to wait for not more than 30 minutes before being seen.

Your responsibilities

You can help us provide you a better service by:

If you calling to have a blood investigation or other laboratory tests you must always make sure that you have the appropriate forms correctly filled in by the doctor who has referred you. The doctor's name and address must be printed clearly on the forms to enable us to send him/her the test results.

Please note that your family doctor can only refer you for certain tests. He/She should be aware of the tests that he/she may request for you.

Well Baby Clinic

We encourage you to bring your baby to this clinic. This will enable us to monitor and record your child’s development and to give you advice on immunisation and feeding.

Eligibility and access

After your baby is born, you will automatically be referred from the Post-Natal Ward at St Luke's Hospital. If your baby was born at a private clinic, kindly call our reception desk for an appointment. We will ask you to call for a routine visit when your baby is:

These visits require an appointment which may be fixed on any Friday with the staff of the Well Baby clinic. The 6 - 8 week examination is usually set for the same day as the mother’s post-natal examination.

Parents may call to check their babies’ weight between 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. without an appointment.

Opening hours

The clinic is open every Friday between 8.00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

What you can expect

Appointments are normally available within a week of your request. If your baby needs closer monitoring, you may be asked to attend the clinic more frequently.

Your responsibilities

The first year and a half of your child’s life are crucial. Many developmental problems can easily be remedied if identified early enough. If not given due attention, your child’s well-being may be at risk. Do not neglect your child’s visits to this clinic.

You can help us provide you a better service by:

We would appreciate it if you brought a copy of your child's birth certificate on your first visit.

X-ray Clinic

The clinic provides all types of X-rays except those falling under special procedures (that is, all those procedures that require a contrast medium).

Eligibility and access

Residents of Qormi, Siííiewi and Úebbuí may attend the clinic. The clinic is by appointment except for emergency cases as determined by the Health Centre doctor. You may be referred by any department at St Luke's Hospital or the Health Centre doctor. Your family doctor may only refer you for chest X-rays.

Opening hours

The clinic opens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

What you can expect

You will be seen within 30 minutes of your appointment time. The duration of the examination varies with to the type of X-ray required. The staff at the clinic will minimise your exposure to X-rays by providing you with protective material.

The X-ray films are sent to the Radiology Department at St Luke's Hospital for a diagnostic report. You will be notified when to call for your report when this is received - usually within 1 to 3 weeks of your appointment. You will be given a verbal report or a written copy of the report but not the X-ray films.

Your responsibilities

It is important to inform the radiographer if you are pregnant. Please do not wear clothes containing metal or other radio-opaque materials.

Please bring with you:

If you are not satisfied with our care

If you need to complain about some aspect of our service, it is best to first speak to the people dealing with your request, the Nursing Officer or Senior Medical Officer at the Health Centre or their delegate.  Most matters are best solved this way.

If you would like to pursue the matter further, you may lodge a formal complaint.  Please write to the Principal Medical Officer at the following address:  

Department of Primary Health Care

7, Sqaq Harper

Floriana VLT 14

We will conduct an investigation and provide you with a report explaining how we are dealing with your case.

You can expect your complaint to be acknowledged within 7 working days. We aim to put matters right as quickly as possible. You can expect to receive a report on your case within one month.

Exceptional circumstances may prevent us from giving you a satisfactory reply within this period. In this case the Principal Medical Officer will explain the reasons for the delay and indicate when you can expect a full reply.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaints officer’s report, and especially if your complaint involves clinical judgement, you may refer the matter to the Director, Primary Health Care.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may take the matter for consideration by the Ombudsman. You may also address your suggestions and complaints to the Customer Care Service of the Ministry of Health, who will pass them on to us. You may call Customer Care on Freephone Number 0800 772381

All information is correct at time of going to print.  More information is available on the Charter Support Unit website.

First published January 2000

March 2003