Raising a Concern
If you have a concern about the service you have received from the Doctors or any of the staff working in this Practice, please let us know. We operate a practice based complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our system meets National criteria.
How to address your concerns
We hope 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 sorted out in this way and you wish to raise a formal concern, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint as soon as possible after the incident or within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem. In exceptional circumstances, where there was a good reason for the delay we may be able to look at your concern after this timescale.
Complaints should be addressed preferably in writing to the Practice manager, Miss Leanne Light. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Miss Light in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure in full 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.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within thirty working days of the date you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the person/s involved. If we are unable to get back to you within the 30 working day period we will write to you offering details of any delay.
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, only 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 doesn’t happen again
Complaining on behalf of someone
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality and data protection. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A consent or note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are medically incapable of providing this.
You may alternatively wish to contact the:
‘Putting Things Right’ Concerns Team
Details of the scheme are available in leaflet form from the Practice or from:
NHS Wales complaints and concerns: Putting Things Right | GOV.WALES
By ringing the Customer Contact Centre on: 01495 745656
Or emailing: Puttingthingsright.ABHB@wales.nhs.uk
A member of the team will be more than happy to impartially guide you through the next steps of the process.
Once we have acknowledged and responded to your concern, in the event that you are still dissatisfied you can approach the:
Public Health Services Ombudsman for Wales
Tel: 0845 601 0987
www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk
Email: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk
Address: 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ