Complaints Procedure

Complaints-and-Comments-Leaflet-2021

TELL US ABOUT OUR SERVICE

• Could you easily get through on the telephone?

• Did you get an appointment with the practitioner you wanted to see?

• Were you seen within 20 minutes of your scheduled appointment time?

• Were our staff members helpful and courteous?

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this practice, please let us know. The practice operates a Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

Note: If you make a complaint it is practice policy to ensure you are not discriminated against, or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the staff member concerned. Where the issue cannot be resolved at this stage, please contact Elaine Robinson, Practice Manager, who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaints procedure. If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaint, please let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days. This will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint.

If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:

• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem

OR

• Within 12 months from when the complaint comes to your notice

The Practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days.

The Practice will arrange an investigation into your complaint and will write to you again on conclusion of this.

When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:

• Ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint

• Make arrangements 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 the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF

SOMEONE ELSE

Please note that Aveley Medical Centre keeps strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.

COMPLAINING TO OTHER AUTHORITIES

The practice management team hope that if you have a problem you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure.

However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, you can contact any of the following bodies:

Information Service at Healthwatch Essex – this service can help your find many local services. 0300 500 1895

Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group

2^nd Floor, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, RM17 6SL Tel: 01375 365810

thurrock.ccg@nhs.net

NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT Telephone: 0300 311 22 33 england.contactus@nhs.net

CONTACTING THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this Practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website: http://www.cqc.org.uk

ICAS & OMBUDSMAN

NHS COMPLAINTS ADVOCACY SERVICE

This is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS Care or treatment. Telephone: 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate) or

www.pohwer.net/our-services/nhs-complaints-advocacy

OMBUDSMAN

If you are not happy with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.

You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or http://www.ombudsman.org.uk or Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298