Complaints Procedure
Let the Practice know your views
Plumstead Health 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 do not meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. Only by listening to you can the practice continue to build and improve upon the service it offers.
Send your written complaint to: Practice Manager, Michele Leadsham.
Practice Complaint Procedure
If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this Practice, please let us know. The Practice operates a Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
Note: If you make a complaint it is Practice policy to ensure you are not discriminated against, or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.
How to complain
We hope that most problems can be resolved easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. Where the issue cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a complaint, please contact the Practice Manager, Michele Leadsham, who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaints 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 and may arrange a meeting with you to discuss the complaint, to agree with you how the complaint is going to be investigated and the timescale for this to be completed.
To contact the Practice Manager to make a complaint, please email GRECCG.Plumsteadhcpms@nhs.net addressed for the attention of Practice Manager, Michele Leadsham.
What we will do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 28 working days of the date when your complaint was acknowledge by us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. If the Practice feels more time is needed a request will be made to extend.
When we look into your complaint, we shall aim 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 Plumstead Health 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. A written and signed consent by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to ill-ness or disability.
Advocacy and Ombudsman
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:
NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
This is a free and independent national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS care or treatment.
Your local NHS Complaints advocate support can be contacted on 0300 303 1660 or www.nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org.
The local Healthwatch can be found at www.healthwatch.co.uk.
Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
If you are not happy with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.
You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or write to:
The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
30 Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
NHS England
Complaints Team
PO Box 16738
Redditch B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 22 33
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net