Practice Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you receive from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system conforms to the NHS Complaints Regulations 2018.
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 written 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. This is because it 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 twelve months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within twelve months of discovering details of the incident that caused the problem.
Complaints should be addressed to Rachel Critcher, Practice Manager. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Rachel Critcher in order to discuss your concerns. Rachel will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will help us greatly if you are as specific as possible about your complaint. During the Covid-19 pandemic we would advise that this takes place over the telephone rather than a face to face meeting.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and offer to discuss with you at a mutually convenient time:
- the manner in which your complaint is to be handled; and
- the period within which the investigation of your complaint is likely to be completed which NHS England currently expect to be within a 6 month period and
- the further period within which we agree a timescale with you for responding to your complaint.
If the investigation is likely to take more than the agreed timescale we shall aim to keep you informed of its progress.
After completing the investigation we shall as soon as reasonably practicable send you a written response which will include:
- an explanation of how the complaint has been considered; and
- the conclusions reached in relation to the complaint, including any matters for which the complaint specifies, or which we consider, that remedial action is needed; and
- confirmation as to whether we are satisfied that any action needed in consequence of your complaint has been taken or is proposed to be taken.
- details of your right to take your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service
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 Commissioner of the Service
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and provide an opportunity to improve our practice. But this does not affect your right to approach the Black Country Integrated Care Board as the commissioner of the service. if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us directly in the first instance.
Telephone: 0300 0120 281 Email: [email protected]
Writing to them at: Time2Talk, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH
In these circumstances you should contact:
- NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
- Tel: 0300 311 2233
- By email: [email protected] – please include ‘For the attention of the Complaints Team’ in the subject line
NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
You may also wish to contact the local NHS Complaints Advocacy Service for support and advice in making your complaint.
They can be contacted at POhWER, PO Box 14043, Birmingham, B6 9BL.
Tel: 0300 456 2370, Text: 81025, or by email: [email protected]
Complaining to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to take your complaint to the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS. The service is confidential and free. There are time limits for taking a complaint to the Ombudsman although the Ombudsman can waive them if it is thought there is a 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:
The Ombudsman may be contacted at:
The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Telephone (helpline): 0345 015 4033, e-mail: [email protected] or fax 0300 061 4000. Further information is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk