Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the practice or any of the staff working here, please let us know.
We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints.
How to raise a complaint
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.
Complaints should be made:
- Within 12 months of the matter which caused the problem; or
- Within 12 months of becoming aware you have something to complain about.
You should contact or write to Mrs Collette Ross, Practice Manager if you wish to raise a concern or make a formal complaint.
It would be helpful if you can give us specific details of what went wrong and what outcome you would like.
What we shall do
We shall endeavour to acknowledge your complaint within three working days, and offer to discuss your concerns and agree the way forward with you.
We will investigate your complaint and aim to provide you with our findings within a time frame agreed with you (generally 28 days)
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 find this helpful;
- make sure you receive an appropriate apology;
- identify what we can learn from your complaint and what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again in order to improve our services.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentially.
If you are complaining 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 (because of illness) of providing this.
Complaining to NHS England
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint you can contact NHS England Customer Contact Centre in the first instance.
The team will be able to help and advise you and/or arrange for a member of the complaints staff to contact you.
The telephone number is: 03003 11 22 33 or email address is: england.contactus@nhs.net.
Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
If you do remain dissatisfied you can approach the PHSO with your complaint.
This should be done within 12 months of the final outcome of the practice complaints procedure.
You can contact the PHSO, MillbankTower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP or telephone 0345 015 4033.
Independent help and support
You may also like to contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Team who can offer you independent help and support in making a complaint.
The telephone number to contact is 01274 750784.