If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets or exceeds national criteria.
We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.
Who can complain?
Complaints can be made by patients; carers or a parent/guardian/local authority, where the patient is a child.
How can you complain?
We have a complaints form which can be downloaded from the website and handed in to the Practice Manager. Alternatively, you can phone the surgery and ask to speak to the Practice Manager.
The time limit for resolution
Once a complaint is made, please allow 25 working days for the Practice Manager to get back to you.
A complaint should be resolved within 6 months of it reaching the Practice Manager.
How will it be dealt with?
Once a written complaint is received an acknowledgement will be sent out within 3 working days. This will state the time frame for a response and who will be dealing with the complaint. If it is not possible to conclude all the investigations within 25 days the Practice Manager will update the patient with progress and approximate time scales.
Who will deal with it?
In most cases complaints will be handled by the Practice manager. In some cases the Lead GP may get involved. This would be Dr S Sharma.
Advocacy support
POhWER support centre can be contacted via 0300 456 2370
Advocacy People gives advocacy support on 0330 440 9000
Rochdale Advocacy Together Hub, 144 Drake Street Rochdale OL16 1PS 01706 641389. email rochdaleadvocacy@together-uk.org
Age UK on 0800 055 6112
Local Council can give advice on local advocacy services inc Healthwatch Rochdale
All complaints are treated with the strictest confidence.
Taking it Further
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to either:
NHS England
G.P. England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel 0300 311 2233
england.contactus@nhs.net
OR
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel 0345 0154033
www.ombudsman.org.uk