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 a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
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 and accurately. 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 Dr Andrew Girdher. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment in order to discuss your concerns. Dr Girdher will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
- 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 do 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. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Further investigation
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.
However, if you feel at any stage that your complaint should be investigated at a higher level, you can contact NHS England:
Complaints Officer
NHS England South (South Central)
Sanger House
5220 Valiant Court
Gloucester Business Park
Gloucester GL3 4FE
Telephone 0113 825 1762
Fax 0300 421 1853 (safe haven)
Email ENGLAND.southwestcomplaints@nhs.net
or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Telephone 0345 015 4033
(between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm Monday to Friday)
Website www.ombudsman.org.uk
Please note that complaints should be raised with the Ombudsman within twelve months.
