Complaints Procedure
We always try to give you the
best service possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not
happened. This explains what to
do if you have a complaint about the services that we provide for you.
Our practice procedure is not
able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use it to allow us to look
into and, if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes
that have been made.
If you use
this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to NHS England if you
so wish at a later date. You may also
want to contact an independent agency such as the Dorset Advocacy Service. However, all complaints will be dealt with
first by the Practice. The appropriate contact
addresses for NHS England and the Dorset Advocacy Service are given below. Please note that we have to respect our duty
of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s consent will be necessary if
that patient does not make the complaint in person. If the patient is deceased, we will ask for
evidence that the person making the complaint is the legal next of kin or
executor of the will. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of an
incident happening or of you becoming aware of the problem.
If your
complaint relates to our administration service, please ask to speak to one of
our Senior Administrators or our Operations Manager who may be able to resolve
your complaint more quickly.
If your
complaint cannot be resolved with the assistance of our administration team, or
you have a clinical concern, or you think the issue is more serious, you can
make a complaint in the following ways:
- Write to our Assistant Practice Manager, outlining your
concerns.
- Request a phone call from our Practice Manager or
Assistant Practice Manager who will take written details of your concerns
- Email us at rcs.receptionist@dorsetgp.nhs.uk and mark the
email for the attention of the Assistant Practice Manager.
- Request a complaint form, which can be completed and returned
to the Practice.
We think it is important to
deal with complaints swiftly, so you will normally be given a written reply as
soon as reasonably practicable after completing the investigation.
Occasionally, if we have to make a lot of enquiries and the people involved are
away, it might take a little longer, but we will keep you informed. Following the written reply, we can arrange a
meeting if you feel that further discussion is necessary. You may bring a friend or relative with you
to the meeting.
We
will try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and
discuss any action that may be needed.
We hope that at the end of the complaints process you will feel
satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly.
If you are not content with the outcome, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate the case and carry out an independent review. The Ombudsman is independent of both the NHS and the government. They are not obliged to investigate every complaint and will normally only review a complaint once it has been through the local resolution stage.
Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group
Vespasian House
Barrack Road
Dorchester
DT1 1TS
Tel: 01305 368900
www.dorsetccg.nhs.uk
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
11th Floor
Millbank Tower
London
SW1P 4QP
Helpline: 0345 015 4033
https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint/complain-us-getting-started
Dorset Advocacy Service
Unit 13-15, Jubilee Court
Paceycombe Way, Poundbury
DT1 3AE
Tel: 0300 343 7000
Email: enquires@dorsetadvocacy.co.uk
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/
