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Complaint Policy

If a person has a complaint or concern about the service they have received from any member of staff at the collegiate Medical Centre, please let us know. The Practice believes that all comments, suggestions and complaints can be useful in helping patients to express ideas and grievances in a constructive way and in helping the practice to monitor standards of performance.

Our Objectives

• To protect those working in the practice from Verbal and Physical abuse
• To allow patients to express negative feelings when they feel that the practice has not provided the highest standard of care.
• To enable patients to receive an explanation of what has happened and, where appropriate, an apology.
• Wherever possible, to use information gained from complaints to improve our working practice.

Some people who attend the practice will often make direct comments to the responsible member of staff when they feel they have a cause to complain, staff will often be able to explain or apologise without anyone else being involved. If the complainant is happy with the explanation then nothing further will be done and such complaints will not be logged or kept on record. However, the practice will have to distinguish between a formal and informal complaint. If a complaint is not resolved there and then, complainants are advised to put their complaint in writing as soon as possible.

To make a formal Complaint

Once a person has decided to make a complaint the complainant would need to do this as soon as possible so the practice can establish what happened more easily. If this is not possible the complainant will need to make the complaint within 12 months of the incident happening or within 12 months of discovering that they have a problem.

Formal complaints can be made in writing to the complaints Managers Dr R Guy or Sheri Ludden. In the complaint it will help if you are as specific as possible, for example; being able to give precise details of the date and time the incident concerned and the name of those involved.

When formal complaints are made the details are not kept on the patients’ medical notes, the complaint is kept separately.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Strict confidentiality rules are adhered to when someone makes a complaint on behalf of someone else. For persons to make a complaint on behalf of someone else we must have their permission. There is a form that will need to be filled out and signed by the patient, which is attached below. We understand that in some circumstances some patients will not be able to sign such a form (because of a medical problem) we shall try to decide if it is within the best interest of the patient.

For parents or those that have parental responsibility, they can make a complaint on behalf of a child

What we will do

Once we have received the complaint we will aim to acknowledge the complaint within 3 working days.

We shall try to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned (at your discretion)
• Where appropriate, make sure you receive an apology
• See what we can Identify so the problem does not happen again

Once we have investigated the problem we aim to inform the complainant of the outcome within 28 working days from the date of receiving the complaint. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, we will organise a meeting to discuss the matter further.

Hopefully we can resolve the problem at this stage but for whatever reason this cannot be resolved the complainant can take the matter to Patient Services (PALS) who will assist them through the process.

Other organisations that can assist you in your complaint at this stage are:

NHS England

NHS England
PO BOX 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

Tel: 03003112233
Email: England.contactus@nhs.net

Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership

3 Piccadilly Place
London Road
Manchester
M1 3BN

Tel: 01138255259
Email: England.gm-complaints@nhs.net

Manchester Advocacy Hub

Gaddum Centre
6 Great Jackson Street
Manchester
M15 4AX

An independent review is available through the health ombudsman:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Power
Millbank
London
SW1P 4 QP

Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Fax: 0300 061 400