Complaints Policy

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If you have a complaint, concern about the service you have received from our clinicians or any member of the staff working in this practice or would like to provide some feedback, please let us know.  We operate a practice complaints and feedback procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints.  Our complaints system meets national criteria.  Complaints, concerns, comments and compliments help us to improve our service.

How To Make A Complaint, Raise a Concern or Provide Feedback:
We hope that any member of staff can sort out most problems easily and quickly and hopefully on the spot. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint or raise a concern, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible.

Ideally, complaints should be addressed to Liz Spreadbury, Practice Manager and sent to our postal address, via the Practice generic email address: syheartlandsicb.BMP@nhs.net or you can submit information via our website: www.brockwoodmedicalpractice.nhs.uk through the Feedback, Compliments and Complaints section.

If you would like someone to contact you by telephone, please let us know and we will arrange for a member of staff to telephone you. You may also 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 a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

  • The time scale for lodging a complaint is 12 months
  • Consent is required from the patient if replying to a third party

Alternatively, NHS England is responsible for investigating complaints regarding GP Practices.
Tel: 0300 311 22 33
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net
Post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT.

For information please visit their website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/

Further information can be found on the NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group website: http://www.surreyheartlandsccg.nhs.uk/contact-us/concerns-and-complaints

What Happens Next:

Whichever route you take you will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within 3 working days.  The time scale set out in the Regulations for responding to a complaint is as long as it takes to gather all the information and facts required but we aim to respond within 25 working days.  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 does not happen again


You can be assured that you will not be discriminated against because you have made a complaint, and that your care and treatment will not be affected in any way.

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.

Independent Support During The Complaint Process:

Should you require independent advice or advocacy with the NHS complaints procedure you can contact:

 Healthwatch Surrey Home - Healthwatch Surrey work in partnership with SILC (Surrey Independent Living Council) Surrey website SILC - Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (surreyilc.org.uk.  Their contact details are below:

Surrey Independent Living Council
Astolat
Coniers Way
Guildford GU4 7JHL
Telephone: 01483 458111/01483 310500
Text: 07771 108624/07704 265377
Email: nhsadvocacy@surreyilc.org.uk

About Healthwatch Surrey

Healthwatch Surrey is the independent champion for people who use health and social care.  They exist to give the people of Surrey a voice to improve, shape and get the best from health and care services.

About Surrey Independent Living Council

Surrey Independent Living Council (SILC) is a voluntary organisation led and run by disabled people. SILC offer a range of services to help people live independently. 

Matrix (non-instructed Advocacy for adults in Surrey)
Website: Our Advocacy Services in Surrey | Matrix SDT
Referral: referral@matrixsdt.com
Enquiries: enquiries@matrixsdt.com
Tel: 0300 199 0301

PohWER (instructed advocacy for adults in Surrey)
Website: Surrey | Home | POhWER 
Contact us | POhWER
Contact: imha@pohwer.net, Careact@pohwer.net, Pohwer@pohwer.net
Tel: 0300 456370 

What To Do If Your Complaint Is Still Unresolved:

You can ask us for a meeting to explain our response or discuss other possible resolution options.  If, after this, you still feel that your concerns have not been resolved, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for an independent review of your case, within 12 months of raising it initially.  You can telephone the Ombudsman’s office (www.ombudsman.org.uk) on 0345 015 4033 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday.