We try hard to provide an efficient service, but occasionally the standard can slip and you may feel that the agreements stated in the Patient Charter have been breached. Explanations from the Practice Manager or one of the doctors can usually resolve these sort of problems.
If you would like to make a complaint, please note our complaints procedures set out below.
PEEL CROFT SURGERY
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any other staff working at Peel Croft surgery, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure as part of a National Health Service system for dealing with complaints. 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 resolved in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, and ideally within a matter of days. This will allow us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do this, please let us have details of your complaint as follows:
· 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 Dr. C. Faarup, Dr K.Pai or Mr. T.J.Hinchley, Practice Manager. Alternatively you may ask for an appointment with Mr. Hinchley to discuss your concerns.
WHAT WE PROMISE TO DO
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to complete our investigation of your complaint within ten working days of the date you raise it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved. When we investigate 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
· where it is appropriate, you will receive an apology
· identify what we can do to prevent the problem happening again
COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we shall need to know that you have permission to do so. A note of authorisation signed by the person concerned will be needed – unless they are medically incapable of doing this.
COMPLAINING TO THE HEALTH AUTHORITY
We hope that if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and perhaps an opportunity to improve our service within the practice. However, this does not affect your right to approach the local Primary Care Trust if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, or are dissatisfied with the result of our investigations.
You should contact the South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust for further advice as follows:
SouthStaffordshire PCT
Anglesey House
Towers Business Park
Rugeley
Staffordshire
WS15 1UL
Tel. 01543 571700
ICAS
As an alternative you may wish to contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS), who support and represent individuals complaining about the NHS – telephone 0845 120 3748
HEALTHCARE COMMISSION
Finally if you are unhappy with the way your complaint has been dealt with by the surgery, please contact the Healthcare Commission – telephone 0845 601 3012
If you have any further queries on the subject, please do not hesitate to contact Tim Hinchley, Practice Manager, who will be happy to help.
Peel Croft Surgery
Lichfield Street
Burton on Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 3RH
' 01283 568405
Fax 01283 515761
e-mail: tim.hinchley@nhs.net