Complaints Process
Practice complaints procedure
We always try to give you the best services possible but there may be times when you feel this has not happened.
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. We cannot deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. Our complaints system meets national criteria and aims to settle complaints under Local Resolution.
How to complain
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 it is not possible to do that please let us have details of your complaint:
within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.
Complaints should be addressed to Miss Rosie Duke, Practice Business Manager, Valley Medical Centre, Valley Road, Hebden Bridge, HX7 7BZ. It will be a great help if you as specific as possible about your complaint. Please feel free to submit your complaint as a letter or print and submit the form below.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days of the date when you raised it with us. Where the complaint is complex -for example if it involves more than one clinician, the response may take a little longer.
- 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 to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
Complaining 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.
Complaining to other organisations
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. This does not affect your right to approach other organisations if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) is an independent organisation which can help you if you want to make a complaint about any part of your NHS treatment or care. They can give information about who to complain to, explain the procedures, help you write letters etc, 0300 456 8349. www.carersfederation.co.uk
NHS England also operates a customer contact centre regarding issues relating to GP practices.
Please visit www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint, ring 0300 311 22 33 or e-mail: [email protected]
The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome (not simply the decision) of your complaint or we do not complete our investigation within six months of you making your complaint, you have the right to refer the matter to the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) 0345 015 4033. www.ombudsman.org.uk
Compliments Form
If you have a good experience with our surgery, please feel free to complete a compliments form. Positive feedback can have a real impact on our team and we are always glad to receive it.
Friends and Family Test
To submit general feedback on your experience with the surgery, please complete the Friends and Family Questionnaire.