If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets national criteria.
How to Complain
We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you wish to make a formal written complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If that is not possible, please let us have specific details of your complaint:
- Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.This time limit can sometimes be extended as long as it is still possible to investigate your complaint.
Formal complaints need to be made in writing – ideally using the Practice Complaints Pack, which you can download below or obtain from Reception. If you require help completing the form, please speak to a member of the Reception Team and they will arrange for someone to contact you and provide assistance. Alternatively, there are various organisations that can offer an advocacy service to help you deal with your complaint, eg:
- Healthwatch Hillingdon can help you to find local advocacy services. Their local office is at: 20 Chequers Square, The Pavilions Shopping Centre, Uxbridge, UB8 1LN. You can also call 01895 272997 or email them at [email protected]
- POhWER – is a charity that helps people involved in decisions being made about their care. Call the POhWER Support Centre on 0300 456 2370 for advice
- SeAp Advocacy – provide advocacy support. Call 0300 440 9000 for advice or text SEAP to 80800 and someone will contact you
- Age UK – have advocates available in some areas. Call 0800 055 6112 or see their website at: Age UK Hillingdon Harrow & Brent
- VoiceAbility – provide advocacy support. Call 01223 555800 for advice
Complaints Pack
Please download and both files and complete the complaints form:
Complaining on Behalf of Someone
We adhere strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their signed permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this because of illness or infirmity.
What we will do
The Complaints Coordinator will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days and pass it to the most appropriate person for investigation. Please be as specific and concise as possible on the form, so that we are able to initiate our investigation without delay. Your complaint will be investigated to:
- find out what happened
- make it possible for you to discuss the problem with the practice, if you would like to do so
- make sure you receive a considered response from a senior member of the practice
- attempt to address your concerns and where appropriate take action to resolve any outstanding issues/concerns
- identify learning points for the practice and where appropriate, make changes.
We aim to look at your complaint as soon as possible. You will be offered the opportunity to discuss your complaint in person or over the telephone, with a senior member of the practice. Following our investigation, you will receive a written response, setting out the result of any practice investigations.
Taking it Further
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to:
The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
Telephone No: 0345 015 4033
W: Ombudsman.
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.