Complaints
If you have a complaint, suggestion or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints 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 the most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.
If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint, within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident or of becoming aware of the matter complained about.
The 12 month time limit does not apply if the practice is satisfied that there were good reasons for not making the complaint within that time limit or that despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate matters fairly and effectively.
Complaints made orally and resolved to the complainant's satisfaction not later than the next working day are not included in these complaints’ procedures. If you would like to give the practice feedback or would like to speak to speak to someone regarding an issue or concern, please ask to speak to the Reception Manager in the first instance.
Written complaints should be addressed to Mrs Jo Legrave, Practice Manager, or any of the doctors. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concern. She 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 as specific as possible about your complaint.
What shall we do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 28 days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.
When we look into your complaint, we 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.
Advise you of your right to take your complaint to an alternative body (see below).
We will provide a written response as soon as reasonably practicable after completing the investigation.
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) or providing this.
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 our practice. If you remain dissatisfied with the response to the complaint you have the right to complain to take your complaint to the second stage of the NHS Complaints process by contacting:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
By post: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
By email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
By telephone: 0345 015 4033
If you wish, you can choose to complain to NHS England rather than to the practice:
NHS Commissioning Board- NHS England
By post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
By email: england.contactus@nhs.net with ‘For the attention of the complaints manager’ in the subject line.
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, excluding English Bank Holidays) They will take a note of your complaint and arrange for it to be passed to the complaints manager.
The following organisations can provide an advocacy service to assist patients making a complaint.
Healthwatch
In person: at any Citizens Advice Bureau in Dorset, Poole or Bournemouth.
By telephone: 0300 111 0102
By post: Healthwatch Dorset, Freepost BH1902, 896 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH7 6BR
By email via the website: www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk
The Advocacy People
By telephone: 0330 440 9000
Via their website: www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk
A free confidential service that advises and supports people who are complaining about the NHS. The service is independent of the NHS and is currently provided in Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth by The Advocacy People.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Resource
By telephone: 0845 3891762
IMCAs are a legal safeguard for people who lack the capacity to make specific important decisions: including making decisions about where they live and about serious medical treatment options. IMCAs are mainly instructed to represent people where there is no one independent of services, such as a family member or friend, who is able to represent the person.
You can contact the CQC if you are unhappy with a service even when you don’t want to make a complaint.
The Care Quality Commission
By phone: 03000 616161
Via their website: www.cqc.org.uk