Feedback and Complaints

Friends & Family Test

We would like to obtain your feedback about your recent experience of our service through the NHS “Friends and Family” Test. Cards are available on the reception desk. Please complete the card and place in the box provided.

Feedback & Suggestions

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice and we welcome any feedback or helpful suggestions you may have. Please complete a suggestion form from reception or speak to any member of staff. Alternatively feedback can be given online through the practice website www.gpNHS.net and on the feedback form, accessed via your personal website login.

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors, nurses or any other member of staff working at this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

Making a complaint

If wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible; as this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:

  • within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem;

OR

  • within 12 months from the point which you became aware of the problem

We request a written complaint (via letter or email) with as much details as possible.

What we shall do

The practice will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 10 working days. The Practice Manager will usually also try to contact you via telephone to discuss the issues raised. We aim to look into all complaints within 28 working days of the complaint being raised. As soon as we have investigated the complaint we will either offer you an explanation, or arrange a meeting with you to discuss the complaint (whichever you prefer), to agree with you how the complain is going to be investigated.

When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:

  • Find out the full circumstances of the events; what went wrong and why
  • Make arrangement for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, (if you would like this);
  • Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not 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, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness, disability or death. Normally the parents or guardian of a child may complain on their behalf. This Practice Manager will be happy to discuss with you your individual circumstances.

Complaining to other agencies

We hope that if you have a problem with staff or service provided at Whitehall surgery, you will feel able to use our practice complaints procedure. Indeed if you make a complaint we ensure that you are not discriminated against or subjected or any negative effect on you are of treatment. However if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us you can contact one of the following services for advice.

Patients advisory and liaison service (PALS)

PALS provide a confidential service and can tell you more about the complaints procedure and may be able to help you resolve your complaints informally. Your local PALS office can be found at:

Phone: 0800 0525 790

Textphone (Minicom): 0113 206 7169

West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board Customer Information and Complaints Team

White Rose House, West Parade, Wakefield, WF1 1LT

Phone: 01924 55 21 50

NHS England

PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT

Phone: 0300 311 2233

Email: [email protected]

Ombudsman

If you are not satisfied with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaints to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.

Phone:  0345 015 4033

Website: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/

Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298

Care Quality commission (CQC)

If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission.

Phone: 03000 616161

Website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/

Reviewed November 2024