Complaints Policy

Complaints Policy & Procedure

We strive to provide our patients with excellent care but sometimes things can go wrong, and we look to settle complaints as soon as possible.

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

If you wish to discuss a complaint, you can raise this with our reception team and if required an appointment can be arranged with the Practice Manager  

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be Within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of you discovering that you have a problem. Please state your case clearly giving as much detail as you can. Complaints can be submitted via the form below.

Complete a complaints form online

If you submit a complaint we will acknowledge receipt within 5 working days and aim to have looked into the matter within 15 working days. You may then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this, we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

When looking into a complaint we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can learn from this and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you would like to do so.

Complaints are managed by the Practice Manager & The GP Partners

When the investigations are complete your complaint will be determined and a final response sent to you.

The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and also your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.

If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care. You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. See the separate section below.

We are able to provide you with a complaints form to register your complaint and this includes a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else. Please ask at reception for this. You can provide this in your own format providing this covers all the necessary aspects.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.

Please ask at reception for the Complaints Form which contains a suitable authority for the patient to sign to enable the complaint to proceed.

Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter.

Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply.

We may still need to correspond direct with the patient, or may be able to deal direct with the third party, and this depends on the wording of the authority provided.

Complete a complaints form online

Ways to complain

We hope that if you have a problem you will use our complaints procedure.  We believe this will enable us the best opportunity to put right whatever has gone wrong and improve services within our practice.

There are two ways you can complain about NHS services:

1. Directly with the NHS service provider (e.g. your GP surgery), or
2. Directly to the Commissioner of the service (e.g. South West London Integrated Care Board (SWLICB)):

Telephone: 0800 026 6082

Email: contactus@swlondon.nhs.uk

Postal address: NHS South West London, 120 the Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RH 

You cannot complain to both

If however, you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the results of our local practice based investigation you may seek further advice from an independent body such as the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCA)0330 440 9000. NHS Complaints Advocacy Service  www.nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org  Telephone: 0300 330 5454

If you remain dissatisfied, you may seek intervention of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.  https://www.ombudsman-services.org/complain-now

Telephone no: 0345 015 4033