Complaints Policy

How to complain at our surgery

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 you wish to complain, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

Concerns and complaints should be addressed to Jill White, the Practice Manager or any of the doctors or reception staff. Alternatively you may ask for an appointment with Jill White in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help of you are as specific as possible about your concerns. If you would like to have a copy of our complaints procedure, please ask.

What we shall do

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days, usually by telephone. You will be given an opportunity to discuss how you would like the complaint to be dealt with, whether by telephone, or a meeting with staff concerned and agree the timescale involved. We aim to try and resolve complaints as soon as possible. We aim to have looked into your complaint within ten 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 complaints, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong;
• Let you know the outcome in writing or by telephoning you directly.
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate;
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
• Feedback to the practice team, where this is appropriate.
• Let you know how we have changed practice procedures as a result of your complaint, if this has taken place.

If you complain verbally we shall contact you by phone or discuss matters in person and try to resolve your complaint by the end of the next working day. If this is not possible or if the complaint is not resolved we will write to you to acknowledge your complaint with the details.

The staff who deal with complaints and timescales

Our practice manager, Ionela Lazar oversees all the practice complaints. Dr Balvinder Duggal is the GP Partner who leads on patient complaints and will normally contact the patient involved.

We aim to resolve complaints within 28 days; however, we accept this may not always be possible if a detailed investigation is needed. The patient will be kept informed of any delays.

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 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.

Further advice and support or if you are dissatisfied with our response

We hope we can resolve your complaint internally. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice complaints procedure and our practice. But this does not affect your right to approach the NHS commissioning board if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.

If you feel your complaint cannot be resolved locally with the practice, you can contact the NHS Commissioning Board at:

Visit the NHS England website

If you have any comment or complaint about a hospital, mental health or community trust please contact them directly.

If you are not satisfied following all attempts to resolve your complaint locally, you have the right to ask for an independent review through the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). This must be done within 12 months of this response letter. Their contact details are:

Visit the Ombudsman website