If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the Doctors of any of the staff at the Health Centre please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the 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 wish to make a complaint we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.
Complaints should be addressed to Mrs A E Courtney our Practice Manager, or any of the Doctors if you wish. Alternatively you may wish to ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.
WHAT WE SHALL DO
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within the timescales and an action plan agreed with the complainant. 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 like this.
- Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
- Provide you with a written reply.
As part of the complaint procedure we have been asked by the Primary Care Trust to record the ethnic category of all patients using the NHS procedure. We will therefore give you a proforma to complete and return. This will of course be treated with the up most confidentiality. As you do not need to put your name to it or sign it, you will remain anonymous to the Primary Care Trust when the information is passed back to them.
TIME LIMIT FOR MAKING A COMPLAINT
A complaint cannot be made any later than 12 months of:
- The date on which the matter causing the complaint to be, happened.
- If later, the date on which the matter causing the complaint came to the notice of the complainant.
COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have there permission to do so. We keep to the rules of medical confidentiality. A note signed by the person concerned will be need unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
WHAT IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO COMPLAIN DIRECTLY TO THE PRACTICE?
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, but this does not affect your right approach the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, Monarch Court, Emerald Park, Emerson’s Green, BRISTOL. Tel No:0117 3302436 if you feel dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
You may also like to contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) for help and advice, free phone 0845 1203782.
You have the right to refer your complaint to the Ombudsman if you are not satisfied, the address is:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, LONDON SW19 4QP - Tel No: 0345 015 4033.
