Kingsway Medical Centre Complaints Procedure

If you have a complaint or 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 complaints procedure as recommended by the NHS.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We hope that any problems can be dealt with as they arise, but if you wish to make a formal complaint, you can do so in writing to the Practice Manager. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Mrs. N. Pepper, Practice Manager to discuss your concerns.

WHAT WE WILL DO

We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have investigated your complaint within ten working days of receiving it. When we investigate your complaint, we shall aim to :

· Find out what happened and if anything went wrong

· Offer the opportunity to discuss this with those involved if you agree

· Make sure you receive an apology where appropriate

· Provide an explanation

· Identify if there is anything we can do to improve things

We will feedback our findings to you.

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE

We have strict rules regarding medical confidentiality.

If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we would need their written permission to investigate their complaint, unless they are physically or mentally incapable.

IF YOU ARE STILL UNHAPPY

We hope that our Complaints Procedure will lead to an acceptable resolution of your complaint and that if something has gone wrong, we as a practice can learn and improve by it for all our patients. However, if at the end of the process, you are still unhappy, you are within your rights to take the complaint further to an outside agency.

Support to residents of the North East is available from the North East ICA (Independent Complaints Advocacy) who can be contacted on 0808 802 3000

Local Healthwatch Local Healthwatch supports individuals by providing information about access to services and choice to help enable people to take more control of their own health, treatment and care and understand and use the choices available to them.

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees For general enquiries call: 01642 688312

If, however, you remain unhappy after your complaint has been addressed, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to review your complaint.

You should do this within twelve months from the date on which the subject matter of the complaint occurred. The PHSO can be contacted:

Helpline : 0345 015 4033 In writing: Ombudsman at Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP

Further information about the Ombudsman is also available on their website www.ombudsman.org.uk