Primary Care – GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician
From 1 July 2023, if you wish to make a complaint about primary care, please contact the service directly. Alternatively,
Email nnicb-nn.patientexperience@nhs.net
Telephone: 0115 8839570 or
By post: Patient Experience Team, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Nottingham Road, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU
Whilst we make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
HOW DO I MAKE A COMPLAINT
To pursue a complaint please contact Kerry Walker, Practice Manager or Lorna Dixon, Reception Manager and they will deal with your concerns appropriately and try to resolve the issue. If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaint, please let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days. This will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 2 days. Complaint /comment forms are available from reception for you to detail your complaint.
We will aim to investigate the matter in detail and give you a full explanation and the opportunity of a meeting within 10 working days. Where deficiencies in our service are identified, we normally audit and document changes made and of course you will receive a full written apology.
If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:
Within 6months of the incident that caused the problem
or
Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, ideally within 12months. The sooner things are flagged up the better, not only to help us give a clear explanation, but also in some cases to prevent another problem in the future.
WHAT WILL THE PRACTICE DO
When we look into your complaint we aim to:
•Acknowledge your complaint within two working days
•Find out what happened and what went wrong
•Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned if you would like this to happen
•Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate
•Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
We will aim to have your complaint looked into within 10 working days and then be in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved.
Complaints Procedure
Complaints and Comments Form
WHAT IF I AM COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE
We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so.
A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this (because of a physical or mental illness).
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.
However, this does not affect your right to approach NHS England if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us. To contract NHS England:
You can also contact the Patient Experience Team, for confidential advice and support. To contact:
- Telephone: 0800 0283 693 press option 1
- Email: NSHCCG.Pet-North@nhs.net
- By Post: Patient Experience Team, NHS Mansfield and Ashfield CCG, Balderton Primary Care Centre, Lowfield Lane, Balderton, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3HJ
You can get help with making a complaint from POhWER. Their website address is: http://www.pohwer.net/ Tel: 0300 456 2370.
POhWER /NHS Complaints Advocacy can help you to make a complaint about your NHS care or treatment. POhWER/NHS Complaints Advocacy is free, confidential and independent of the NHS.
They can:
•Support you to make a complaint about the service, care or treatment provided by the NHS, including complaints about your GP, dentist, local hospital, ambulance service or pharmacy,
•Support you with a complaint about health and social care,
•Support you to make an NHS complaint on someone else's behalf, including if someone has died,
•Listen to your concerns,
•Signpost you to the right organisation if we think that someone else can be of more help than we can,
•Answer questions about the NHS complaints procedure and explain your options,
•Provide a step by step guide to making an NHS complaint and offer some tips,
•Provide you with a POhWER advocate, an experienced worker who can help you make your complaint and support you through the NHS complaints process,
•Support you to write a complaint letter, attend a complaint meeting, request access to medical records and refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if the local service is unable to resolve your complaint.
WHAT IF I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATION?
If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction you may appeal to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can re-investigate your complaint and can investigate the way in which we have dealt with it.
You can contact the Ombudsman helpline on 0345 015 4033 or http://www.ombudsman.org.uk
Please be reassured that patients or their relatives will not be treated adversely as a result of making a complaint. We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and there is a suggestion box in the reception area for patients to leave comments/suggestions.