Comments & Complaints

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We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

You should contact or write to Miss Elaine Shaw - Practice Manager if you wish to raise a concern or make a formal complaint. You may ask for an appointment with Miss Shaw to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It would be helpful if you can give us specific details of what you feel went wrong and what outcome you would like.

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 a NHS system for dealing with complaints.  

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 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 Miss Elaine Shaw or your practitioner if you wish to raise a concern or make a formal complaint. You may ask for an appointment with Miss Shaw or your practitioner to discuss your concerns. He/she will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It would be helpful if you can give us specific details of what you feel went wrong and what outcome you would like.

What we shall do

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days, 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. 

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 confidentiality.  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.

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, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP or telephone 0345 015 4033

Independent help and support

You may also like to contact ICAS, the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service who can offer you independent help and support in making a complaint. The telephone number to contact is 0845 120 3734.