Please make a suggestion before you have to make a complaint. The practice welcomes feedback from its patients as it is only by listening to the users of our service that we can make adjustments and improvements and know what has gone well or not so well. There are suggestion boxes in both surgeries.
If you are unhappy with anything that has happened to you in the practice or would offer any suggestions about how this might be put right, the practice operates a complaints procedure as laid down by the NHS and our complaints system meets national criteria.
HOW TO COMPLAIN
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 make a complaint, we would like to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at the most a few weeks – because 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:
within six months of the incident that caused the problem, or
within six months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within twelve months of the incident
Complaints should be addressed to Mrs Michelle Jones, Practice Manager. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Mrs Jones 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.
WHAT WE WILL DO
We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten 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 people involved. When we look into your complaint, we will 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 to do 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 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.
PATIENT ADVICE & LIAISON SERVICE
PALS is the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and are here to help patients, their families and carers if they have any concerns or questions about their local NHS services including pharmacies, doctors, opticians and dentists. They offer confidential advice and, with your permission, take your concern to the appropriate people. To contact them, telephone 01803 652578 (lines open Monday – Friday 09.00am – 5.00pm) or Email: patientfeedback.sdtccg@nhs.net.
Making a complaint about primary care services
From 1 July 2023 patients who wish to make a complaint about primary care services in Devon should contact the local integrated care board (ICB), NHS Devon, for advice and signposting.
This includes GPs, dentists, opticians, and community pharmacy services.
In all cases NHS Devon will recommend a complainant raises their concerns or complaint directly with the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where the patient received the NHS service, for example a GP surgery or dental surgery.
NHS Devon will support patients and their representative with any concerns or complaints regarding primary care services in Devon, however, unless directly concerning the commissioning of the service will recommend any complaints are handled with the provider directly.
Contact details
- Telephone: 0300 123 1672
- Email: d-icb.patientexperience@nhs.net
- Post: Patient Advice and Complaints team, Pomona House, Edginswell Business Park, Oak View Close Torquay TQ2 7FF
- Contact information can also be found on the One Devon website:
www.onedevon.org.uk/contact-us/patient-advice-and-complaints/
