We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our Practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong, resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would like the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To have your complaint investigated, you need to complain within 12 months of the event happening, or as soon as you first become aware of the issue you want to complain about.
The time limit can be extended in special circumstances.
Interpreting Service
This can be arranged for any patient whose first language is not English and needs help with a complaint.
How to make a compliment or complaint
Whether you are happy or unhappy with the care and treatment that you have received, please get in touch and let us know your views.
Receiving compliments and complaints is important to ensuring good quality local healthcare in our Practice – helping us to find out more about what we’re getting right and what we can improve.
We hope this will help you to make your feelings and experiences known to the appropriate people. Should you have a complaint we hope this page will give you more information about what to do, who to contact and what happens next.
How do I raise a concern / informal complaint?
You can speak to any member of staff initially with your complaint. This gives you the opportunity to resolve any concern you may have without it going through a formal process.
Alternatively, you can contact us by either filling in our complaints form or by emailing us at [email protected] .
Formal Complaint
All complaints that are received will be acknowledged within 3 working days, if you have submitted a complaint via the Complaints Form on this website or via the complaints email [email protected], you will receive an automatic reply as confirmation of receipt and acknowledgement.
We will then investigate the concerns that have been advised to us, where required we may need to request further information and or consent, if the complaint is on behalf of someone.
We aim to respond within 30 days. If we are unable to complete any necessary investigations within this timescale, we will keep you updated every 10 working days after the initial deadline has passed.
Our investigation will provide us with the opportunity to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong
- Apologise where appropriate
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
- Make changes and share learning where required
In General
We will endeavour to deal with the matter as promptly as possible – usually within 30 working days (often sooner) – dependent on the nature of the complaint.
Who can complain
- Complainants may be current or former patients, or their nominated or elected representatives (who have been given consent to act on the patients behalf).
- Patients over the age of 16 whose mental capacity is unimpaired should normally complain themselves or authorise someone to bring a complaint on their behalf.
- Children under the age of 16 can also make their own complaint, if they’re able to do so.
If a patient lacks capacity to make decisions, their representative must be able to demonstrate sufficient interest in the patient’s welfare and be an appropriate person to act on their behalf. This could be a partner, relative or someone appointed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 with lasting power of attorney.
Appropriate person
In certain circumstances, we need to check that a representative is the appropriate person to make a complaint.
- For example, if the complaint involves a child, we must satisfy ourselves that there are reasonable grounds for the representative to complain, rather than the child concerned.
- If the patient is a child or a patient who lacks capacity, we must also be satisfied that the representative is acting in the patient’s best interests.
If we are not satisfied that the representative is an appropriate person we will not consider the complaint, and will give the representative the reasons for our decision in writing.
Complaints about a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician can be made directly to the practice where the NHS service was provided. The practice has direct access to your healthcare records and the staff involved in your care, so it gives the practice the opportunity to help you with any problems and complaints and put things right much more quickly.
Alternatively, if you do not want to contact the practice directly, or you are unsure what to do or who to contact, please get in touch with the Patient Experience and Complaints Team at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, who will explain the options available and help you decide how you would like your enquiry or complaint to be managed.
The easiest way to contact the team is via email: [email protected].
Alternatively, you can write to Patient Experience and Complaints, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, Omega House, 112 Southampton Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 5PB, or call 0300 561 2561 (answerphone facility available).
Time limits
A complaint must be made within 12 months, either from the date of the incident or from when the complainant first knew about it.
The regulations state that a responsible body should only consider a complaint after this time limit if:
- the complainant has good reason for doing so, and
- it’s still possible to investigate the complaint fairly and effectively, despite the delay.
Complain to the Ombudsman
If, after receiving our final decision, you remain dissatisfied you may take your complaint to the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and free to use. It can help resolve your complaint, and tell the NHS how to put things right if it has got them wrong.
The Ombudsman only has legal powers to investigate certain complaints. You must have received a final response from the Practice before the Ombudsman can look at your complaint and it will generally not look into your complaint if it happened more than 12 months ago, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Address:
Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester
M2 3HQ
Phone: 0345 015 4033
Other organisations that can help you make a complaint about health services
Confidentiality
All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, we will inform the patient or person acting on his/her behalf if the investigation will involve disclosure of information contained in those records to a person other than the Practice or an employee of the Practice.
We keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints, but such records will be kept separate from patients’ medical records.
Statistics and reporting
The Practice must submit to the local primary care organisation periodically/at agreed intervals details of the number of complaints received and actioned.
Give feedback or make a complaint
You can complain to a member of staff at the NHS service you went to, such as a GP surgery or hospital, or you can complain to the organisation in charge.