At Cam and Uley Family Practice, Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We welcome your comments and suggestions, they help us to improve our services. Tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet expectations, or any ideas and suggestions you may have by leaving us a review using our feedback form. You can also let us know of your experience at the practice by submitting a friends and family test.

Making a Complaint

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

We trust 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 resolved in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint put it in writing to the practice manager, as soon as possible after the event, giving as much detail as possible to help us establish what happened.

A complaint must be made within 6 months of the date of the occurrence leading to complaint or within 12 months if there are valid reasons for the delay.

What We Do Next

Our procedure is designed so that we may settle any complaints as quickly as possible.

We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within 3 working days and a full response given within 10 working days. If the matter is likely to take longer then we will keep you informed as to the progress.

When looking at a complaint we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and why.
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you wish to do so.
• Make sure you receive an apology, if appropriate.
• Amend protocols if necessary to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again.

At the end of the investigation a full written response will be sent to you.

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

We adhere to the strict the rules of medical confidentiality. If you wish to complain on behalf of someone else, we require written consent from the patient concerned that they are unhappy with their treatment and someone else can deal with the complaint.

Please ask at reception for a third party complaint form, which the patient can sign.

Where a patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness, accident or mental capacity, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances that prevent this in your complaint.

We are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be made in writing, unless the above circumstances apply. You may also find that if you are complaining on behalf of a child who is capable of making their own complaint, we expect that child to contact us themselves.

If you are Dissatisfied with the Outcome:

You have the right to approach the Parliamentary & health Service Ombudsman. Their contact details are:

PHSO
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Telephone: 03450154033

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Alternative Approaches

Healthwatch – www.healthwatch.co.uk

PALS – Patient Advice and Liasion Service – www.gloucestershireccg.nhs.uk

IHCA – Independant Health Complaints Advocacy – www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk

NHS England – Email: england.contactus@nhs.net