Comments, Suggestions and Complaints
Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We will always be willing to hear if there is any way that you think that we can improve the service we provide.
Comments and Suggestions
Help us Get it Right
We constantly try to improve the service we offer. Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.
Complaints
Making a Complaint
If you have any complaints from yourself or on behalf of someone else about the service that you have received from the clinical or administrative staff working for this practice, please let us know.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out 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 this is not possible to do that, please let us have 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, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.
The management team will be pleased to deal with any complaint. They will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.
You can Make Your Complaint
- In person – ask to speak to the Office Manager, regarding administrative issues.
- In writing – all complaints concerning clinical issues must be made in writing. The management team and one of the partners investigate all clinical problems.
Some concerns about administrative issues may be easier to explain in writing. Please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of the Practice Manager as soon as possible. - You can hand your complaint in by hand to the surgery or you can e-mail it to Email: [email protected]
What we Shall do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible. We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 28 days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.
When we Look Into Your Complaint, we Shall 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 appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.
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 his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
What You Can do Next
If you have a problem, we hope that you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our Practice services.
If you feel unable to raise your complaint with us directly or if you believe this is not appropriate, you can raise your complaint with the ICB who commission and pay for the NHS services you use by:
Email: at [email protected]
Telephone: 01924 552150 Monday to Friday 9-4:30 pm, excluding bank holidays.
Please note that the team receives a high number of telephone calls daily and may not be able to respond instantly to each one.
In writing: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, White Rose House West Parade, Wakefield WF1 1LT
Please note: The ICB is unable to consider or reconsider the same concerns or complaints you have raised with us.
Citizens Advice Bureau also provides information and advice about making complaints.
Take it Further.
If you remain unhappy after receiving our final reply, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint independently.
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. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, it will generally not investigate your complaint if it happened more than 12 months ago.
Address:
Manchester
All post should be sent to their main office in Manchester:
Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester
M2 3HQ
Phone: 0345 015 4033
Their lines are open: Monday to Thursday 8.30 am to 5.00 pm | Friday 8.30 am to 12 pm.
Before considering taking this step, we hope you would let us know what aspect of the complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily and provide an opportunity for us to consider whether there is anything further that could be done locally to resolve matters.