Complaints and Concerns

We welcome any suggestion, comments or complaints you may have about the service you have received from the doctors or anyone working in our practice.

Practice complaints procedure

We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an 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. Please contact Dawn Hughes or Lucie Pullan our Senior receptionists. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way please contact Alison Webster, who is our complaints manager, as soon as possible. You can ask for an appointment to see her or you can write to her. It would be helpful if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

What we will do

If it is not possible to deal with your complaint immediately we will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days of the date when you raised it with us. 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 agree; make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate, and take steps to make sure any problem does not arise 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 his or her permission to do so. You will need a note signed by the person concerned, unless they are incapable because of illness of providing this.

Taking it further

We hope that if you have a complaint you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and give us an opportunity to improve our practice.

However, you may want NHS England to deal with your complaint as we commission the service that has caused you to complain. The choice about who you want to deal with your complaint remains your decision.

To complain to NHS England

Telephone: 0300 311 2233
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

Address: NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

DUTY OF CANDOUR AND WHAT IT MEANS TO PATIENTS

CANDOUR MEANS FRANKNESS, OPENNESS AND HONESTY

Our policy is to act in an open transparent way with clear, honest and effective communication with patients, their families and carers throughout their care and treatment.  This includes telling you in a timely manner if things go wrong.

Our aims:-

Acknowledge, apologise and explain when things go wrong

Carry out investigations into incidents affecting Patient Safety

Provide support for those involved in the incident (patients and staff) to cope with the physical and emotional impact

Reassure patients, families and carers that lessons learned will prevent any patient safety incidents happening in future

Please ask at reception for a complaints leaflet