Complaints

Last Reviewed October 2022

Next Review October 2023

Dearden Avenue Medical Practice and its staff will do its utmost to provide every patient with excellent service. However, we understand that it may sometimes be necessary to bring to our attention something that you are unhappy with. Patients who wish to complain must follow the following procedure and can expect the following. Any persons outside the patient list or practice workforce will need to complain to an outside organisation.

In the first instance patients are encouraged to complain verbally at Reception, the reception team may be able to resolve the problem there and then. If this is not possible the patient can ask to speak to the Practice Manager or the senior GP Partner. Every effort will be made for a conversation to take place within 24-48 hours. If a resolution cannot be met verbally the complainant will be asked to make a formal compliant in writing, by email, over the phone, or in person.

When making a complaint, it is advised that the complaint is made as soon as possible. We recommend that complaints are made no later than twelve months after the date of the event or twelve months after the date of which you became aware of the event. Complaints made after this period may not be upheld as it would be difficult to investigate events older than twelve months.

If it is felt a more formal method is necessary patients can complain or comment in writing direct to the practice manager via email or post (details below). You can expect an acknowledgement of your complaint within three working days. Depending on the nature of your complaint a full response can be expected from three working days up to twenty eight days. The response will be sent via email or post and every effort will be made to get this back to you ASAP. If for any reason patients feel complaining to the Practice manager is not appropriate, then a complaint can be made to the senior GP. However if the management team deem it appropriate for the Practice Manager to respond to the complaint made to the GP then the response will come from her.

In cases where the complaint requires investigation to a deeper level, the practice reserves the right to seek advice and guidance from their chosen legal advisor or medical union. If this happens, the complaint response may take longer than the 28 day period due to the time it takes to receive feedback from the external sources.

We are hopeful that most complaints and comments can be resolved at this level. However patients who feel this has not happened can complain or comment to the ombudsman. This is an NHS Organisation which is completely independent from the practice, details are also listed below.

We understand that some patients might find it difficult to make a complaint. Some may need extra support or even an advocate to help support and represent them during the complaints process. We are happy for patients to seek support from external advocacy services and as such have included the details of a local independent service based in Salford below.

Mind in Salford

Mind in Salford
The Angel Centre
St Phillips Place
Salford
M3 6FA

Telephone: 0161 212 4880

Offices are open from 09:30 to 17:00 Monday to Friday (except bank holidays)

It is understood, due to the nature of General Practice that patients may need to contact external organisations to seek advice of complain. Details of some of these organisations are listed below.

Practice Complaints Managers

Dr T.Khan – Senior Partner
4 Longshaw Drive
Little Hulton
Manchester
M28 0BB

Telephone: 0161 983 0011

NHS England
P O Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

Telephone: 03003112233

Email : England.contactus@nhs.net

Website: www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower,
Millbank,
London
SW1P 4QP

Telephone: 0345 015 4033

Email: phso.emquires@ombudsman.org.uk

Fax: 0300 061 4000

The HSO Published Principals of good Complaint Handling, in November 2008, outlining the approach the HSO believes the NHS and other public bodies should adopt when responding after things go wrong. More information is available from the HSO website.

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 16 (Notification to CQC by the provider organization)