Making a Complaint
Introduction
While we constantly strive to provide a good, friendly and efficient service, we do realise that occasionally things do not go as smoothly as we would like. Should you have any complaints or suggestions then please contact the Practice Manager or Dr P J Turner (Lead GP for complaints) in person or by writing if you prefer.
Please tell others when you are pleased with us, but please tell us when you are not.
Patient Complaints Procedure
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 Complaint’s Procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints and it is our wish to learn from complaints and put right whatever has gone wrong for the benefit of the complainant and future patients. 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. The time limit for a complaint is:
- twelve months from the date the event happened, or
- twelve months from the date you first became aware of it
Complaints should be addressed to either Jo Lawson (Practice Manager) or any of the doctors at biddulphdoctors, Biddulph Primary Care Centre, Wharf Road, Biddulph, Staffordshire ST8 6AG. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Dr. P. J. Turner (Complaints – Lead GP) in order to discuss your concerns. He will explain the complaints procedure to you and 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.
Click here to view more information on our complaints procedure
What We Will Do
We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to look into your complaint as soon as possible after this. You will be informed of who will deal with your complaint, giving you details of how it is to be investigated and of the expected timescales for a response. You will also be offered the option to contact us during this process if you need any further help. After an appropriate level of investigation, we will then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we 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 to.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
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.
Who else can you talk to
If for any reason you do not want to speak to a member of our staff then you can request that the Integrated Care Board investigates your complaint. They will contact us on your behalf. Their contact details are :-
Address :
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB), New Beacon Building, Stafford Education and Enterprise Park, Weston Road, Stafford ST18 0BF
Freephone: 0808 196 8861
Email: [email protected]
ICAS
ICAS is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS care or treatment. The local ICAS is:
North Staffordshire ICAS
Healthwatch
Suite 2 Opus House
Preistly Way
Staffordshire Technology Park
Stafford
Staffordshire
ST18 0LQ
Freephone 0800 1615600
Email: [email protected]
If you are still not satisfied with the response provided at local resolution, you may refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman carries out independent investigations into complaints about government departments, their agencies and the NHS. You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline or see their website for more information about contacting the Ombudsman.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Text to Call back Service 07624 813005
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ombudsman.org.uk