§ 4 Availability, cover and urgent appointments

In detail

What § 4 requires

1. Availability: during the stated opening hours, as far as the workflow needs it, enough staff are present and reachable for patients in person or by phone § 4(1).
2. Absence: when you are away, patients are told, in line with insurance and welfare-fund contracts, who covers for you, or a reliable contact who can tell them. Without an insurance contract you announce longer absences § 4(2).
3. Acute complaints: depending on their symptoms, patients get a short-notice appointment or, where medically necessary, are referred to an outpatient clinic or the doctors' emergency service. First aid falls under § 8 § 4(3).
4. Home visits: the contact person or switchboard knows the organisational criteria for home visits § 4(4).
5. Information in advance: patients can find out before their visit about access, rooms (toilets included), technical equipment and treatment options, also for people with disabilities § 4(5).
6. Languages: they can find out in advance which foreign languages the team speaks, sign language included § 4(6).

What works as proof

• opening hours and a rota showing who is reachable when;
• a cover rule: a notice, a phone message or a website note during holidays;
• a written rule for urgent appointments and referrals;
• the home-visit criteria, known to reception;
• a website or profile with access, rooms, toilets, equipment, accessibility and languages.

Common gaps

• The website says nothing about accessibility or languages.
• There is no set rule for urgent appointments.
• New colleagues on the phone don't know the home-visit criteria.