Comments, complaints and suggestions
Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We will always be willing to hear if there is any way that you think that we can improve the service we provide.
Making a complaint
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.
The Practice Manager will be pleased to deal with any complaint. She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your complaint in writing – complaints are easier to explain in writing in your own words - please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of the Practice Manager as soon as possible.
What we shall do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly
as possible.
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into
your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then
be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.
When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
• find out what happened and what went wrong
• make it possible for you to discuss the problem
• with the people concerned, if you would like this
• make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate
• identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
• Find out what outcome you are expecting from this process
At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that 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 his or her permission to do so. A
letter signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
What you can do next
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 or you are dissatisfied with the way we are dealing with your complaint.
NHS England provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns you
may have about the care we provide, guiding you through the different services available from
the NHS Telephone 0300 311 2233.
If you remain dissatisfied you can approach the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
(PHSO) with your complaint. This should be done within 12 months of the final outcome of the
practice complaints procedure. You can contact them at:
PHSO
Millbank Tower
Millbank
LONDON, SW1P 4QP
Or Telephone them on 0345 015 4033
Fax: 0300 061 400
Email: phso.enquiries@onbudsman.org.uk
You may also like to contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) who can offer
you independent help and support in making a complaint.
The telephone number to contact is 0845 120 3734.
We constantly try to improve the service we offer. Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.
Help us get it right