Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, 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.
To pursue a complaint, please email [email protected] for the attention of Emma Nowell. Alternatively you can submit a complaint in writing at reception.
Suggestions
If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the practice, the building or practice procedures, please leave feedback at reception or for the Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Please see our complaints procedure information:
If you have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in the Practice, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our system meets national criteria.
How to Complain:
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. You should normally make a complaint within twelve months of the event, or within twelve months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about. However, these time limits may be waived if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier and if we are still able to investigate the complaint fairly and effectively in spite of the delay. Complaints can be made either orally or in writing to the Reception Supervisor, Office Supervisor, or to any of the doctors.
What We Will Do
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 7 working days either orally or in writing and will offer to discuss the matter with you. We will offer you a meeting with our complaints lead, Emma Nowell, to agree a timeframe for resolution and to reach an agreement with you on how you wish the complaint to be handled and the likely period for completion of the investigation and response to you. If you would prefer not to accept the offer of a discussion we will determine a specified response period and notify you of that period. We will aim to investigate and deal with all complaints efficiently and speedily. We will send you a written response with a report on the investigation as soon as reasonably practicable. If we are not able to meet the response deadline we have agreed with you, we will contact you to advise why and negotiate another timescale. All oral complaints will be recorded in writing by the Practice and you will be provided with a copy of the written record. When we look into your complaints we aim to:
- find out what happened and what went wrong
- advise you what we will do to put the matter right
- 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 hope that if you have a problem, you will use our Practice Complaints Procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve the services provided by our Practice.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint at local level you can contact NHS England
NHS Primary Care Complaints
Since 2009 NHS patients wishing to complain about primary care services can take their complaint to either the provider (such as the GP or dental practice) or the commissioner, NHS England – but not both.
From 1 August 2015 the NHS England North Midlands Complaints Service will be responsible for the investigation of all NHS England complaints relating to primary care provided in Staffordshire & Shropshire as well as Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire.
Although the North Midlands Complaints Service has offices in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire and Anglesey House in Rugeley, all new complaints need to be sent to the NHS England Customer Contact Centre, who will log the complaint and forward it to the relevant office.
You can contact the Customer Contact Centre:
- Post:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT - Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
If patients are not satisfied with the way their complaint has been dealt with by the provider or commissioner, they can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
- Post:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP - Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0345 015 4033
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 their permission to do so. A letter signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.