Complaints Policy

Please let us know if you have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at the practice.

We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of a NHS wide system for dealing with complaints and our system meets the national criteria.

How to make a complaint

It is best to tell a member of staff about any concerns or problems as soon as they arise and we will try and put things right as quickly as we can.

If you wish to make a complaint, please let us have details of your complaint as soon as possible so we can find out what happened. It helps us if you can give us as many details as possible.

You can telephone, email us via our secure online form or write in order to discuss your concerns.

They will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.

You do need to make your complaint within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem OR within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem relating to a specific incident.

What we will do

We will contact you about your complaint within 3 working days and discuss with you the best way to investigate it, including the time scales for a reply. We will aim to offer you an explanation within that time frame, or a meeting with the people involved.

We will look into your complaint to:

• Find out what happened and what may have gone wrong
• Invite you to discuss the problem with those involved, if you would like this
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure that this problem does not happen again

Making a complaint on behalf of someone else

All medical records are protected by the Data Protection Act 1998. If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable, (i.e due to illness) of providing this to authorise you make the complaint on their behalf.

What to do if you are not satisfied with our response

The NHS Complaints Advocacy
The NHS Complaints Advocacy service can offer help and support with your problem. You can contact them on 0845 120 3784 or through www.voiceability.org who can provide free impartial support when you are making a complaint. They can help to:

• draft or write a letter
• arrange interpreting
• accompany you to a meeting

NHS England
You may prefer to contact NHS England complaints department:

• Email: nhscommissioningboard@hscic.gov.uk
• Telephone: 0300 311 22 33 (this is charged as a local rate call)
• Use the NHS England website
• Write to: NHS England, PO Box 16728, Redditch B97 9PT

Health Service Ombudsman
If you are still not satisfied then you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman.

If you have any questions about whether the Ombudsman may be able to help you, or about how to make a complaint, you can contact their helpline on 0345 015 4033 or visit their website 

We want you to let us know if you are unhappy or have a suggestion about how we can do things better.

All complaints are treated in the strictest confidence and making a complaint will not affect your treatment or care.