Our aim is to provide high level of care for all our patients. We understand the daily frustrations patients have and we ask that you are considerate towards staff as we try to solve these problems for you. Processes are in place to allow us to deal most efficiently and effectively with all requests and we ask that you understand we may not be able to completely change these ways but are always willing to hear to see where we can improve the service we provide.
Making a complaint
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know. While individual staff will always try to help solve any issues as best they can, they may not always be able to and will pass on any issues to relevant staff. Day to day queries or complaints will be dealt with by the Office Supervisor. Any concerns raised will be flagged with the Practice Manager and Partners to allow us to reflect and see how we can continuously improve services.
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 you to let us know as soon as possible - ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
- Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.
Formal Complaints can be made to Practice Manager Rebecca Collins, in writing. Staff can explain the procedure and endeavour to make sure your concerns are dealt with promptly.
What shall we do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible.
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation.
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, if you would like this
- make sure you receive an apology, where 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 his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
What you can do next
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve out practice.
You may, however, chose to complain directly to the SPPG Complaints Team who may, with the consent of all parties concerned, take on the role of 'honest broker' during the complaints process. you may contact the Complaints Department, telephone: 02895363893, email: complaints.sppg@hscni.net
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may contact the ombudsman, within 6 months of receiving response;
Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman, Progressive House, 33 Wellington Place, Belfast
Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Telephone: 02890233821
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk