COMMENTS

We are constantly seeking to improve our medical services. Should you have any suggestions (or complaints), please contact the Practice Manager or
one of the Doctors.

COMPLAINTS' PROCEDURE

Should you have any reason to make a complaint against the practice or any member of the staff including doctors, whether it be an administrative or a clinical issue, this must be put in writing and addressed to the Practice Manager. On receipt of any complaint the NHS procedures will be activated and completely adhered to.

Overview of NHS complaints procedures – more information available at www.nhs.uk

In many cases, it may be possible to rectify your complaint by talking to a health professional who is directly involved in your treatment, such as a specialist doctor, nurse, or your GP.

They may be able to resolve your complaint quickly using the most appropriate means - for example, a conciliatory discussion between the affected parties.
If you feel uncomfortable directly contacting the NHS staff involved in your treatment, you may wish to contact your local Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS).

PALS is a confidential service that is designed to help patients get the most out of the NHS. Although PALS is not part of the formal NHS complaints procedure, they may be able to resolve your complaint informally.

Local resolution
If the above fails to resolve your complaint, and you want to take it further, you should contact either the primary care practitioner providing the service (such as your GP, or consultant) or the NHS organisation concerned. This is known as a local resolution.

If you are making a complaint orally, a written record of the complaint should be taken by a member of staff and you should receive a copy of that record. If you are sending a written complaint, you should keep a copy of your original letter, and any other subsequent correspondence. These may be needed if you decide to appeal against a decision regarding your complaint.

You should receive a response from the primary care practitioner within 10 working days, or from the chief executive of the NHS organisation involved within 25 working days, although this deadline can be extended with your permission.

Independent Complaints and Advocacy Services (ICAS)
You can receive free advice and assistance in making your complaint from the Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS).
ICAS staff are known as advocates and they can:

• give you an opportunity to speak confidentially to someone who is independent of the NHS
• explore the options available to you at every stage of the complaints procedure
• help you with writing effective letters to the right people
• help you prepare for meetings and accompany you to meetings, and
• contact and speak to third parties if you wish them to.

Independent review
If you are unhappy with the response that you have received to your complaint, you can ask the Healthcare Commission to look at it again. This is known as an independent review.

The Healthcare Commission is an independent body that has been created to promote healthcare improvements. It is also responsible for reviewing formal complaints about the NHS in England and Wales which have not been resolved by the NHS organisation concerned.

You must ask the Healthcare Commission to review your complaint within six months of receiving a final formal written response.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
If you are still unhappy from the response you receive from the Healthcare Commission, you can ask for your case to be reviewed by the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of both the NHS and the government and provides a free service.

The ombudsman will only consider a case if you have exhausted all the other options available to you, such as contacting the NHS organisation concerned, or the Healthcare Commission.

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