We are continually looking to turn patient feedback into real improvements in the services we provide. We use it to focus on the things that matter most to our patients, carers and their families.
Giving feedback
To provide feedback:
- use the Accurx service
- take part in the Friends and Family Test
- leave a review on the NHS website
- phone us on 01285 653122 or 01285 653184
Complaints procedure
We try to give the best service possible at all times, but there may be occasions when you feel you wish to express dissatisfaction.
We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our system meets national criteria. This practice procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability of compensation, but we hope you will use it to give us an opportunity of looking into, and if necessary, correcting any problems that may have arisen or mistakes that have been made.
Please see the complaints leaflet (PDF) for more information.
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 weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
- within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem
- within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem
You may ask for an appointment with the practice manager in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be helpful if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 20 working days of the date you raised it with us. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish.
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 to do this
- make sure you receive an apology where, this is appropriate
- identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient. but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Taking it further
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 remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Phone
0345 015 4033
Data Protection Complaints
We are committed to protecting your personal information and handling it in accordance with UK data protection legislation. If you have any concerns about how we collect, use, store, or share your personal data, please contact us in the first instance so that we can investigate and resolve the matter.
You do not need to use legal terms or refer to specific legislation when making a complaint. We will consider all concerns relating to how we collect, use, store, share, retain, or protect personal information.
Complaints and the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We welcome feedback and complaints, and we want to understand your experience in your own words.
We are committed to handling complaints fairly, openly and compassionately, in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s NHS Complaint Standards.
Some people choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help write complaints or emails. We understand that these tools can be helpful in organising thoughts or expressing concerns.
However, AI-generated text can sometimes:
- include information that is inaccurate or not relevant;
- use overly formal or legal language;
- make complaints longer or more complex than necessary; or
- make it harder for us to clearly understand your personal experience.
This can occasionally delay our review or mean we need to contact you to clarify the details before we can respond fully.
The most helpful complaints are usually clear and concise, and explain:
- what happened;
- when it happened;
- how it affected you; and
- what you would like us to do to resolve the matter.
A short explanation in your own words is often more helpful than a long or highly formal letter.
If you choose to use AI tools, we recommend that you:
- check the wording carefully to ensure it reflects your own experience;
- remove any information that is inaccurate or not relevant; and
- take care when including sensitive personal information.
Please be aware that some AI tools may store or use information entered into them.
For further guidance on using AI to support a complaint, you may find this resource from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman helpful:
- Using AI tools to help your complaint
If you need support to make a complaint—for example due to language needs, disability, learning disability, or mental health or communication difficulties—please let us know. We will do our best to support you in a way that works for you.