EASTVILLE MEDICAL PRACTICE Complaints Procedure PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE As a Practice we try to provide the best service possible for our patients. We recognise, however, that sometimes you may feel we have not done this. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received 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 the NHS system for dealing with complaints, which meets national criteria. We can either try to resolve the matter informally with you or you can use the formal NHS system for handling complaints. It is your choice as to whether you feel it is an informal matter that can be dealt with by the Practice Manager, or whether you would like to follow a formal complaints procedure. 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, please 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. The formal time limits for making a complaint are: - within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or - within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem If you do not wish to make a formal complaint but would like to discuss a concern you can contact the Practice Manager, Mrs Angela Toumi, on her direct line: 0117 9026774. If you wish to make a formal complaint you may do so in writing, which should be addressed to Mrs Toumi, the Practice Complaints Manager. You can use the attached form if you wish. Alternatively, you can ask for an appointment with Mrs Toumi in order to discuss your concerns. We 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. If you complaint is about Mrs Toumi you can address your complaint to the GP Partners. Please see the complaints flowchart in Appendix A. What we will do We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. Where a complaint is made by telephone or in person, we will send a written record for your signature, to confirm that we
have recorded what you have said accurately. We will then investigate and aim to have looked into your complaint and send a full written response within ten working days of the date you raised it with us, or the date we receive your signed written record. If it takes longer, we will keep you informed. We will offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to: - agree with you the process for dealing with your complaint - find out what happened and what went wrong - fully explain our findings in writing to you - 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 and give you feedback on the action taken If you raise an issue that the practice considers to be major, we will endeavour to investigate it fully even if this is not something which you request. This will be done if we feel it is in the best interests of the practice to resolve the issues you have brought forward, but we will only inform you of the results of the investigation if you would like us to. Complaining about more than one NHS service If your complaint involves more than one service, usually the service with the largest part in the complaint would act as the lead agency on the complaint and would co-ordinate the investigation. Complaining on behalf of someone else This Practice is bound by the rules of Patient Confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, we need to know that you have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this. A complaint made on behalf of a child can only be accepted if there are reasonable grounds for the complaint being made by the individual in question and not the child. It must also be demonstrably in the best interests of the child for the complaint to be taken forward. If the practice is not satisfied that this is the case, a written note of this decision will be sent to the individual making the complaint. If the complaint is about a deceased patient, the next of kin should make the complaint or give consent for the complaint to be made on their behalf. A third party consent form is available from the Practice Support and Advice for You If you would find it helpful to speak to someone independent of the Practice for support and advice in pursuing issues with us, you can contact the following free service: SEAP (Support Empower Advocate Promote) Tel: 0300 3435704 Email: Bristol@seap.org.uk www.seap.org.uk
You may also complain directly to NHS England instead of the practice, if you would prefer. NHS England Tel: 0300 311 22 33 Email: england.contactus@nhs.net Post: NHS Commissioning Board PO Box 16728 Redditch B97 9PT Taking your complaint further If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the practice investigation you have the right to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Tel: 0345 0154033 www.ombudsman.org.uk Unreasonably Persistent Behaviour If a patient is deemed to be persistent and/or unreasonable in the complaints they are making, then the practice will deal with this in line with the Unacceptable Behaviour and Persistent Users Policy. This could include a patient continuing to complain about an issue which has been investigated and resolved, or a patient persistently making malicious or inappropriate complaints against the practice. If the practice feels that it will be necessary to proceed with this policy, the patient will be notified of the action to be taken.
Appendix A Complaints flowchart Issue or concern identified Informal discussion with Practice Manager Formal complaint made to practice Formal complaint to NHS England not Practice acknowledges receipt of complaint within 3 working days Practice investigates and reports back to patient NHS England will acknowledge your complaint, investigate and report back to you not not Contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Appendix B EASTVILLE MEDICAL PRACTICE PATIENT COMPLAINT FORM Your Full Name: Your Date of Birth: Your Telephone Number: Your Address: Details of complaint (please include dates, times, and names of practice personnel, if known): Signed: Print Name: Date: