Practice Charter

 

< Back to policies & procedures

Statement of Purpose

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (The Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 Part 4), the registering body (Grosvenor and St James Medical Practice) is required to provide to the Care Quality Commission a statement of purpose.

The name and address of the registered provider is:

Grosvenor and St James Medical Practice
Grosvenor Medical Centre
23 Upper Grosvenor Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2DX

St James Medical Practice
11 Carlton Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2HW

  • Registered GP manager: Dr Nick Robinson
  • Practice manager: Mrs Rachel Betts

Grosvenor and St James Medical Practice is a GP partnership. There are four partners:

  • Dr Nick Robinson
  • Dr Debbie Ray
  • Dr Matt Smialowski
  • Dr Caroline Sweeney

The Practice also has a team of five Salaried GPs, three Practice Nurses, two Nurse Associates and two Health Care Assistants.

The practice is based in Tunbridge Wells town centre. The practice consists of two sites (which merged in 2017) – Grosvenor Medical Centre and St James Medical Practice. The practice area covers the centre and the south ends of Tunbridge Wells. There is limited parking available for patients at St James Medical Centre (where there is some on-road parking) and none at Grosvenor although two nearby multi-storey car parks are a few minutes’ walk away.

Both buildings have wheelchair access and disabled toilet facilities. St James Medical Practice has a chairlift to the first floor. Grosvenor Medical Centre has ten consulting rooms and two well-equipped treatment rooms. St James Medical Practice has four consulting rooms and two treatment rooms.

Our Aims and Objectives

  • To provide services that are designed to meet our patients’ needs in a safe and confidential environment
  • All GPs and practice staff to treat patients in a friendly and helpful manner, with dignity and respect and according to the practice equality and diversity policy.
  • Both clinical and non-clinical staff to listen to patient needs and involve them in decisions about their care, taking particular care to support the vulnerable.
  • To be committed to healthcare changes, efficiencies and innovations when it is to patients’ benefit or to the benefit of the efficient running of the practice.
  • To support all members of the practice team in their commitment to ongoing education and learning, striving to improve clinical governance and evidence based practice.
  • To maintain a motivated and skilled practice team by promoting a happy and productive working atmosphere, ensuring that staff are supported and valued for their contribution.
  • To be financially sustainable in order to assure continued quality of services.
  • To be active and responsible members of our local health community ensuring our practice and services to our patients needs are commissioned and provided in a way most likely to meet their needs.

The registered activities and service types have been agreed by the Practice’s Registered Managers, the Partners and the Practice Manager in accordance with CQC guidance. Services are described under registered activity and service type.

The regulated services provided by Grosvenor and St James Medical Practice

  • Routine medical checks, consultations and general medical services
  • Immunisations, e.g. childhood immunisations, influenza, pneumonia, shingles and RSV
  • NHS Health checks
  • Smoking cessation advice
  • Long-term condition management (including Asthma and Diabetes)
  • Cervical Screening
  • Family Planning (coil and implant fitting and removal)
  • Maternity services (ante-natal clinics are run by the community midwives)
  • Multi-disciplinary Team meetings – the practice holds regular team meetings with other service providers reviewing palliative care and safeguarding issues.
  • The practices cares for patients at the Mount Ephraim and Milward Care Homes.
  • Some private insurance reports and forms, on a case by case basis.

Updated May 2026

Rights and Responsibilities of our Patients

We expect you to give at least 24 hours notice if you are unable to keep your appointment so that another patient may be seen. If you are running late please inform reception.

We would expect that in your dealings with the Practice you will be treated courteously and with respect. We would ask that this is also given in return. Violence, either physical or verbal, towards our staff is not acceptable.

Chaperones

There are occasions when patients need to be examined by a doctors which may involve intimate examinations.

This practice is committed to putting patients at ease whenever possible, and if you wish for a chaperone to be present during your examination please to not hesitate to ask the doctor for a chaperone.

It may not be possible for such a chaperone to be provided immediately and you may need to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.

Zero Tolerance

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

NHS West Kent

The partners at the practice have a contract with NHS West Kent, who are responsible for the Commissioning of Primary Care Services. If you require further information on Primary Medical Services in the area please contact them at the following address:

NHS West Kent
Wharf House
Medway Wharf Road
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1RE

Telephone: 01732 375200