Practice Complaints Procedure Policy

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 Complaints Procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

How to complain:-

We hope that most problems can be sorted 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. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:-

Within 12 months of the incident or of becoming aware of the matter complained about.

Complaints can be made directly to the Practice Manager: Mrs Jane De Jong in person, via telephone or via our Complaints Form

or to the Primary Care Trust, The Causeway, Goring-by-Sea, BN12 6BT.

What we shall do:-

We shall acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days and 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 this.
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
• Write to you on completion of a complaint investigation explaining how it has been resolved, what appropriate action has been taken and advising you of your right to take the matter to the Health Services Ombudsman if you are still unhappy.

If you wish to complain 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 or our Complaints Form signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

Complaining to the Health Services Ombudsman:-

We hope that if you have a problem, you will use our Practice Complaints Procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our Practice.

If you remain unhappy after local resolution and independent review then you can complain to the Health Service Ombudsman. The ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS and Government. You can contact the ombudsman at:-

Millbank Tower,
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Tel: 0345 015 4033

e-mail: OHSC.Enquiries@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Need Further Help?

The PALS Officer at West Sussex PCT can provide advice, support and information to you.

They can be contacted on 0300 100 1821 Monday - Friday 9.00 - 4.30pm  PALS website

The Independant Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) also provides advice and support to people who want to complain about the NHS. Details are at www.dh.gov.uk. This website also contains information on the NHS complaints procedure.