East Bridgford Medical Centre
EAST BRIDGFORD MEDICAL CENTRE
Practice complaints procedure
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors, nurses, or any of the staff working in 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 the 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. If your problem cannot be sorted out in 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 details of your complaint:
· Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
· Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that this is within twelve months of the incident.
Complaints should be addressed to the Practice Manager, either orally, in writing or electronically. The complaints procedure will be explained to you and your concerns will be dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
What we will do
We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days of the date when you raised it with us. We will investigate the events that have led to your complaint and then be in a position to offer you an explanation. When we look into you 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;
· Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate;
· Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
We will respond to your complaint within 15 working days. More complex complaints may take us longer to investigate but will provide you with a progress update every four weeks.
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 letter of authorisation signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Complaining to NHS England
NHS England is the local government body responsible for the quality of care provided at GP practices. We hope that, if you do have a problem, you will use our own complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best opportunity of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. However, this does not affect your right to approach the NHS England if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are unsatisfied with the result of our investigation.
You should address your letter to:
The Complaints Manager, NHS England, Birch House, Ransom Wood Business Park, Southwell Road West, Mansfield, Nottingham NG21 0HJ Tel: 0300 300 1234
If you require assistance in making your complaint you may contact POHWER NHS Complaints Advocacy on
Tel: 0300 456 2370 or via their website: www.pohwer.net
If you are not satisfied, you have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman. The ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS. The service is confidential and free. There are limits for taking a complaint to the Ombudsman, although they can waive them if they feel there is good reason to do so.
If you have any questions about whether the Ombudsman will be able to help you, or about how to make a complaint, you can contact their helpline on 0345 015 4033, email or fax 0300 061 4000. Further information about the Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk.
You can write to the Ombudsman at: The Parliamentary and Health service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP.
If you need any help or advice to make your complaint to the Ombudsman you can contact your local Independent Complaints Advisory Service (ICAS). ICAS provides independent advocacy for people who have a complaint against the NHS. Their address is ICAS, Unit 2.1., Clarendon Business Park, Clumber Avenue, Nottingham NG5 1AH.
Tel: 0300 456 8347
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
We have a Suggestion box in reception where you can deposit your comments or suggestions, and you can hand them to our receptionists or dispensers.
You can also comment through our web-site www.eastbridgfordmedicalcentre.co.uk or you can write to the Practice Manager at the surgery address.
Published by Drs Scaffardi, Stewart and Cope.
Revised January 2015.
EAST BRIDGFORD MEDICAL CENTRE
2 Butt Lane
East Bridgford
Nottingham
NG13 8NY
Tel: 01949 20216
Fax: 01949 21283
YOUR
COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS