Complaints

Complaints

We aim to provide patients with the best care we can, but we may sometimes fall short of this mark. If you have any compliments, concerns or complaints about our services, we want to hear about it. We would encourage you to speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with – your doctor, nurse, a receptionist or manager – who will try to resolve the problem on the spot. However if you would prefer to give your feedback in writing, please send it to the Practice Manager, Dawn Riley.

On raising an issue we will seek to resolve the issue as soon as possible by discussing your complaint with you and we will advise you of the likely time span in dealing with your complaint if we can not resolve it immediately. We have forms available for you to fill in with the details of your complaint. Your complaint should be made as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days, so that we can investigate accurately while things are still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Any written complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days and you will be advised of the ongoing progress and time span in dealing with your complaint. On completing our investigation of your complaint we will write to you again with an explanation or suggest a meeting to resolve any issues.

Although all complaints are treated in confidence it may be necessary for doctors and staff to discuss clinical information. They will only do this as far as it is necessary to investigate the complaint. If the complaint it made by someone else on a patient’s behalf we will require the patient’s written consent to discuss their medical records and details of their care and treatment.

If you would like help or advice from an independent body then your Healthwatch Complaints Advocacy Service can help. Their telephone number is 0808 801 0389.

If you are dissatisfied with the way the practice has dealt with your compliant you have the right to ask the Health Service Ombudsman to review your case within 6 months of the date of our last letter. Write to them at: The Health Service Ombudsman for England, 11th Floor, Millbank Tower, London, SW1P 4QP. Telephone: 0345 0154 033.

We hope you will bring your issues to us to try to resolve in the first place. If you feel you cannot raise your concerns with us you can complain to NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT. Tel: 0300 3112233.