Redhouse Medical Centre is always looking for ways to improve the services it offers to patients. To do this effectively, the practice needs to know what you think about the services you receive. Tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. Only by listening to you can the practice continue to build and improve the service it offers.
We aim to give a friendly and professional service to all our patients. However, if you have any concerns or complaints about any aspect of the services we provide, please let us know. Compliments and complaints should be directed to the Practice Manager.
How to complain?
In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the staff member concerned. Where issue cannot be resolved at this stage, please contact Faye Baker, Practice Manager, via email [email protected] or via letter, who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaint’s procedure. If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaint, please let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days. This will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint.
If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:
- Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem
OR
- Within 12 months from when the complaint comes to your notice
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days.
When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:
- ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint
- make arrangements 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 the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE
Please note that Redhouse Medical Centre keeps strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so. We can provide a form for this purpose, but a note signed by the person concerned will suffice, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.
COMPLAINING TO OTHER AUTHORITIES
The practice management team hope that if you have a problem you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure.
However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, you can contact any of the following bodies:
PATIENT ADVICE & LIAISON SERVICE (PALS)
Gatelodge
Hopewood Park
Ryhope
Sunderland
SR2 0NB
Tel: 0800 328 4397
E-mail: [email protected]
PRIMARY CARE COMPLAINTS
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
E-mail: [email protected]
In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily, However if you are not satisfied with the outcome of any complaint you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) who will be able to offer you help and advice. PALS are based at Gatelodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland SR2 0NB. Their telephone number is 0800 328 4397.
Should a patient make a complaint, the practice may need to provide information about the patient and the treatment they have received to their insurers or legal advisors.