Feedback and complaints

Every day, many people benefit from our services. The partners and staff, who plan, organise and provide these services, aim to give you the very best standards. However, from time to time, things go wrong.

If you think we have not lived up to your expectations, we want to know, please.

In cases where your feedback is less positive, we would like to investigate your concerns. Please complete our contact the practice form and provide us with brief details of your experience. Your feedback is important to us and we will respond to you within 2 working days.

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:

All complaints will be dealt in accordance with NHS Complaints Guidelines.

For further information, please see the ‘How to raise concerns about a general practice (PDF)‘ document.

Making a complaint

We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

The period for making a complaint is normally:

  • 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred
  • 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice

If you are a registered patient, complaints can be made to us in various ways;

  1. In person at the surgery
  2. By telephone on 01283 227870
  3. On our practice website, using the contact the practice form
  4. In writing to the practice manager:
    Rose Cotton
    Gresleydale Healthcare Centre
    Glamorgan Way
    Swadlincote
    Derbyshire
    DE11 9JT

Alternatively, you may prefer to have your complaint handled by:

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

Or

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Phone
0345 015 4033

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.

If you wish to make a complaint but are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient. This is to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.

Please ask at reception for a complaints form which includes a statement of authority that the patient can sign. Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter. Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the above circumstances apply.

Confidentiality

All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.

The surgery must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from the patient’s medical records.

The surgery has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning outcomes or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.