Practice Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors, or staff, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
Please email any complaints to: [email protected] – FAO the Practice Manager.
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 the most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.
If it is not possible to do that, 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 this is within 12 months of the incident.
Written complaints should be addressed to the Practice Manager, Henny Carmichael, or Dr Stephenson, Senior Partner. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager to discuss your concerns, who, will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are specific as possible about your complaint.
What We Shall Do
We shall acknowledge your written complaint within three working days. In respect of a verbal complaint we shall endeavour to respond to the complaint on the spot or within two working days. Complaints vary and we will give the appropriate time to investigate the complaint to be in a good 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 those concerned if you would like this.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
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 note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
If you are dissatisfied with our Response
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 the opportunity to improve the practice.
But this does not affect your right to approach the:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
LONDON, SW1P 4QP
Or email: [email protected]
The Patient Advisory Liaison Service is also available to help with any issues relating to primary care and they can be contacted on FREEPHONE: 0800731232