PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint or concern about any service you receive from this practice please let us know.
We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the 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 via our Reception Manager, Ms Jane Palfrey often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be resolved in this way and you wish to make a formal 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. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem
Or
Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.
Complaints should be addressed to our Practice Manager, Ms Gemma Hepburn-Morris or to any of the doctors. Gemma will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be of great help if you are as specific as possible about your complain.
WHAT WE SHALL DO
Gemma or the practice secretaries will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We will then investigate your complaint and write to you again within 28 working days, when we are in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved. Should we need more time, we will send you a holding response and update you on our progress. When we investigate your complaint, we will 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.
• Ensure you receive an apology, where appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
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) of providing this.
COMPLAINING TO LOCAL NHS BODY OR NHS ENGLAND
Please complain to us directly about the service provided to one of our managers or to the commissioner of the services (South East London Integrated Care Board – contactus@selondonics.nhs.uk), which is the body that pays for the NHS services you use. The responsibility for investigating any issue arising from a complaint remains with the practice that provided the service to you.
We hope that if you have a problem, you will use our procedures. 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 to approach NHS England if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us.
If you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation, you can contact the Health Services Ombudsman. Please find overleaf details of the Health Services Ombudsman and other organisations that may be able to help/advise you.
USEFUL CONTACTS
NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, N97 9PT; Telephone: 0300 311 2233; E-mail: England.contactus@nhs.net
Health Services Ombudsman: 0345 0154033;
Or write to them at: The Parliamentary & Health Services, Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
Or visit their website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Suggestions, comments and questions are always welcome. We are happy to discuss your ideas for improvement and to explain anything that you may not understand. Please feel free to contact us and speak to any member of staff or senior management team.