Suggestion, Comments and Complaints

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

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

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.

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints procedure meets national criteria.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We hope that most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out 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. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have the details of your complaint within twelve months of the incident that caused the problem unless you could not reasonably be expected to know about the incident or had appropriate reasons for not complaining within this time limit.

Any verbal complaints which can be dealt with within 24 hours are not included in this complaints process. Alternatively, complaints can be addressed to the Manager through weyfamily@nhs.net.

Complaints can be addressed to any of the doctors. Alternatively you may ask for an appointment with Mrs Liz Reynolds, the Practice Manager, in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaint procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint and put it in writing.

WHAT WE WILL DO

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint and provide a response in a timely manner. We shall than be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint we shall aim to:

Find out what happened and what went wrong
Keep you informed of the progress of the investigation.
Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you wish.
Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
Identify what we can do to make sure the 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 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 NHS ENGLAND

We hope that if you have a problem, 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 an opportunity to improve our practice.

However this does not affect your right to approach NHS England or the Health Service Ombudsman if you feel you cannot raise you complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the results of our investigation. Contact South East Complaints Hub on 0300 561 0290 or frimleyicb.southeastcomplaints@nhs.net or the Health Service Ombudsman customer helpline Tel: 03450154033 www.ombudsman.org.uk

Reviewed August 2023