Complaints Policy

 

< Back to policies & procedures

Our policy

We aim to offer our registered patient population a service they are satisfied with. If however, you are dissatisfied with service you receive from any of the doctors or other member of the practice team please let us know to enable us to resolve the matter

 

How to Give Feedback/Raise Concerns

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly following a telephone conversation with our Practice Manager. If you do have a problem you would like dealing with in this way please leave your telephone number with a member of our Reception Team and he will aim to call you back within two working days.

 

You can raise a concern or complaint

  • In person: Please call at reception. One of our team will be able to help you and can give you a copy of our complaints form.
  • By phone: Dial 01832 273 408. Again, our care navigators should help 
  • Online: Our complaints form is here
  • In writing: Please write to:

Steven Edwards - Practice Manager

Oundle Surgery
Glapthorn Road
Oundle
Peterborough
PE8 4JA

 

Our Principles are

  • To get it right
  • To be patient focused
  • To be open and accountable
  • To act fairly and proportionately
  • To put things right
  • To strive for continuous improvement

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure as above to ensure it is resolved to your satisfaction. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice.

 

Complaining on behalf of someone else

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 of authorisation, signed by the person concerned, is required, unless they are incapable of providing this (because of illness or mental incapacity). In these circumstances we would require authority from the person holding the Power of Attorney.

 

Our commitment to you

Please be assured that we take any complaints received very seriously and aim to deal with them as quickly and thoroughly as possible to reach a satisfactory outcome.  The outcome of complaints are shared with the practice team and used as a learning tool, this helps us to improve the service we offer to our patients and avoid the same situation arising again.

We will aim to acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days. Our aim is to have fully investigated your complaint within 28 working days of the date when you brought it to our attention. 

However, if for any reason this is not possible, we will provide you with an update and confirm a new response date. All complaints that are investigated will be responded to in writing. On some occasions, we will propose a meeting with the people involved. When we look at your complaint we will:

  • find out what happened and what went wrong
  • make it possible for you to discuss the issues with those concerned, if you would like this
  • make sure you receive a proper apology - when appropriate
  • provide you with an explanation on any changes to policies or processes that have been made due to you raising your complaint
  • identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
 

Complaining to NHS England

We hope that, if you have an issue, you will use our practice complaints procedure as we believe this will give us the best opportunity to put right whatever has gone wrong. However, there may be an occasion where you feel unable to communicate with us and you may prefer to approach NHS England, who is the commissioner of Primary Care Services. Their contact details can be found on their website

 

Health Service Ombudsman

If, at the end of the complaint process, you are not satisfied with the outcome, you have the option to contact the Health Service Ombudsman to request an independent review of your complaint.

Postal Address

The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, Citygate, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HQ

Please note that if you approach the Ombudsman directly without using our practice complaints procedure first, they may refer you back to us so we have the chance to resolve your complaint locally.

 

NHS Complaints Advocacy Service

POhWER provide a free, independent and confidential advocacy service to support people with their NHS complaint.