Patient Complaint Procedure If you have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for Park Lane Practice, you are entitled to ask for an explanation. We operate an in-house Practice Complaints Procedure for dealing with complaints which is in line with the NHS Complaints Procedure.
HOW TO COMPLAIN
Firstly, we would like to say that we always aim to be able to resolve any complaint quickly, simply and with minimal fuss without the need for you to write to us. We like to resolve issues and complaints on the spot or as quickly as possible. Making complaints can be difficult, time consuming and emotional and we do not want you to experience any unnecessary upset when you are already unhappy about something we have or have not done for you or the person for whom you are raising the issue/making the complaint.
As mentioned, we hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly – often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. However, if we cannot sort your issue(s) out straight away or as quickly as you want them resolved and you want to make a formal complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – ideally within a matter of a few days. Doing this is will help us to establish exactly what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident(s) that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. You should address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager. If it is easier, you can use the attached form. The Practice Manager will make sure that we deal with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible so that the issues are clear and we understand not only the issues you are raising but also what you would like us to do about them if you can.
You can get free support, at any time, from your local independent complaints advocacy service.
This is provided by xxxxxxxxxxx which is an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service. You can contact them by telephone: – 0300 303 1660 or by email: helpline@voiceability.org. They can write letters for you and help you present your case, if you wish.
COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE
Please note that the Practice keeps strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality which means that if you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must have their explicit written permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this in which case a legal authority will be required e.g. enduring power of attorney or an Order of the Court of Protection. A Third Party Consent Form is provided below.
WHAT WE WILL DO
We will usually acknowledge your written complaint within 3 working days, and we will aim to have fully investigated within 25 working days of the date it was received. If investigations are expected to take longer, we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances; give you the outcome of our investigations as they relate to the issue(s) about which you have complained; make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate and take steps to make sure any problem does not arise again. We may offer a meeting with relevant people at the practice to discuss your complaint and the issues you have raised if this is thought to be a helpful intervention in order to resolve your complaint.
You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations.
TAKING IT FURTHER – see NHS Complaints Procedure below
The NHS complaints procedure
Most medical care and treatment goes well, but things occasionally go wrong, and you may want to complain. So where do you start? Every NHS organisation has a complaints procedure. To find out about it, ask a member of staff, look on the hospital or trust’s website, or contact the complaints department for more information. You may want to make positive comments on the care and services that you’ve received. These comments are just as important because they tell NHS organisations which factors are contributing to a good experience for patients.
WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?
If you are not happy with the care or treatment you have received or you have been refused treatment for a condition, you have the right to complain, have your complaint investigated, and be given a full and prompt reply. The NHS Constitution explains your rights when it comes to making a complaint. You have the right to:
• have your complaint dealt with efficiently, and properly investigated,
• know the outcome of any investigation into your complaint,
• take your complaint to the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if you’re not satisfied with the way the NHS has dealt with your complaint,
• make a claim for judicial review if you think you’ve been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of an NHS body, and
• receive compensation if you’ve been harmed.
From the 1st July 2023 the way members of the public make a complaint about GP services to the commissioners is changing and now, instead of contacting NHS England, patients need to contact the Integrated Care Board of the NW region.
If you have a comment or complaint about GP services, we always try to resolve it locally. If you prefer you can contact the Integrated Care Board of the NW region directly as follows:
Telephone Office for Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria Tel: 0151 285 4777
Write to Complaints Team Office for Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria, Regatta Place, Summers Road, Brunswick Business Park, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 4BL