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Complaints Policy
Want to make a suggestion to the practice?
Your comments and suggestions are important to us, please complete our secure online form. Please only use this form for comments about the practice and suggestions as to how we can improve our service to you.
Medical matters and official complaints cannot be dealt with via this form. If you have a query regarding a medical matter please telephone reception to make an appointment to see the appropriate person.
Want to make a complaint?
We aim to provide the best service possible at all times. There may be occasions when you feel this had not happened and this information explains what to do if you have a complaint about the quality of service that we provide. We are open to any concerns or feedback you may have regarding the services we offer.
We operate an informal in house procedure for the investigation of complaints. Leaflets are available at the surgery or can be viewed below.
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or staff you contact, contact our Practice Manager (or Deputy) on 01403 339818 who will speak to you in the first instance.
We believe it is important to deal with complaints quickly and they can often be easily resolved at the time if raised with the person concerned.
If you wish to make a more formal complaint please write to the practice manager via our secure online form or letter as soon as possible after the event or within 12 months giving as much detail as possible and we will report back to you within 28 working days, but more time may be needed if the complaint is more complicated.
Please note: we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient's written consent is necessary if a complaint is not made by that patient in person.
Please remember that all members of the practice team are here to help but we do not get it right all the time.
We hope that we will be able to deal with your complaint to every ones satisfaction, but if you feel you need help you can contact Health Watch West Sussex on 0300 012 0122 or via the Healthwatch West Sussex website. Healthwatch provide a free and independent a health complaints advocacy service (IHCAS), which helps you explore options when you feel something has gone
wrong.
if you remain unhappy with the explanation from us you can also contact NHS England Complaints on 0300 3112233 or NHS Ombudsman, The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Telephone: 0345 0154033.
Complaints procedure
As a surgery we aim to treat you with courtesy, politeness and to act in a professional manner.
As a patient, we expect the same courtesy and politeness to the practice team as you would expect to receive yourself.
All members of the surgery team endeavour to offer the highest quality of care within the available resources. We always try and accommodate your requests, but this may not always be possible and requests should always be reasonable. The practice staff aim to help at all times.
The surgery will not tolerate bad language, offensive remarks or threatening behaviour. The practice reserves the right to remove patients from the list if this type of behaviour is encountered.
Please help us to help you
The procedure
This practice operates an in-house procedure for the investigation of complaints.
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice you are entitled to ask for an explanation.
This procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability or compensation.
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily if raised at the time with the person concerned. Where you are unable to resolve matters in this way, you may decide to make a formal complaint in writing. Write to the practice manager as soon as possible after the event or within 12 months giving as much detail as possible. The practice manager will co-ordinate and investigate the complaint on behalf of the practice with one of the doctors.
We will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days, and aim to report back to you within 28 days, although more time may be required in some cases.
We hope a mutually satisfactory conclusion can be reached after a thorough investigation has been carried out.
Please remember all members of the practice team are here to help, but we do not get it right all the time.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We have strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.
If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient we will need written consent to confirm that they have been unhappy with the service and are happy with the complaint being dealt with by someone else.
This also applies to parents complaining on behalf of young adults, who are deemed to be competent to make their own decisions.
There is a form available at reception which will need completing to enable any complaints to be made on someone else’s behalf to proceed.
If the patient is incapable of providing consent the details of their circumstances will need to be explained in writing.
We are unable to discuss any issues relating to someone else without their express permission.
Help will always be given to do this if you feel you need it, do not hesitate to ask.
Outcome
We hope that we will be able to deal with your complaint to everyone’s satisfaction but you have the right to approach the Ombudsman if you remain unhappy with the explanation from us.
The contact details are:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel 0345 0154033
You can also contact NHS England
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Reddich
B97 9PT
- Email england.contactus@nhs.net
- Telephone: 0300 311 2233
Or
West Sussex Healthwatch
- Telephone: 0300 012 0122