Complaint 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 GP surgery, please let us know. This includes Primary Care Network staff working as part of our GP surgery. We operate a complaints procedure as part of an NHS 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 when they arise and with the person concerned. For example, by requesting a face-to-face meeting to discuss your concerns.
If your problem cannot be sorted out this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible. By making your complaint quickly, it is easier for us to establish what happened. If it is 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 this is within 12 months of the incident.
Complaints should be addressed to the GP surgery team verbally or in writing [PRACTICE TO ADD SPECIFIC CONTACT DETAILS]. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the GP surgery to discuss your concerns. They will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure your concerns are dealt with promptly. Please be as specific as possible about your complaint.
What we will do
We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We will aim to have investigated your complaint within ten working days of the date you raised it with us. We will then offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved, if you would like this. When we investigate your complaint, we will aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong.
- Make it possible for you to discuss what happened with those concerned, if you would like this.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We take medical confidentiality seriously. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Complaining to NHS England
We hope that you will use our Practice Complaints Procedure if you are unhappy. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our GP surgery.
However, if you feel you cannot raise the complaint with us directly, please contact NHS England. You can find more information on how to make a complaint at https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/.
Unhappy with the outcome of your complaint?
If you are not happy with the way your complaint has been dealt with by the GP surgery and NHS England and would like to take the matter further, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England. It is an independent service which is free for everyone to use.
To take your complaint to the Ombudsman, visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website or call 0345 015 4033
Need help making a complaint?
If you want help making a complaint, Healthwatch Hounslow can help you find independent NHS complaints advocacy services in your area.
Alternatively, POhWER is a charity that helps people to be involved in decisions being made about their care. Call POhWER’s support centre on 0300 456 2370 for advice.
Confidentiality and your rights to view your records
As a part of their contract at the Surgery, all staff are bound to the strictest rules of confidentiality. This includes details of your medical history and all your contact details. If there are circumstances where your medical history needs to be shared, or for example where an insurance company request access to your details, we ensure that you have given prior consent to these details being shared and we never share them if you have not given your permission.
You have every right to look at the records we hold about you and to view your medical history either in the written notes (Lloyd George notes) that we keep, or the electronic tracks. Simply ask the reception if you want to see them. Usually a member of staff will be present when you access them. It may be that you would like one of your clinical staff to be present to explain them to you, or you may just need an administrative person to help you view them on our system. Either way we will help you to access them. You can also ask us to give you copies of any of the information we hold about you. There is a small administrative charge for this, generally about 50p per sheet. Just ask us for details and we will be glad to help.
Disabled Access
We have limited Disabled Access in our surgery. Both Doctors’ clinical rooms are on the ground floor. The Nurses room is on the first floor, but if you are disabled she will be able to see you downstairs. Even though our premises are not ideal for disabled access we maintain an effective service for people who have disabilities and will accommodate your needs. We have a disabled toilet on the ground floor.
Languages
Our medical and admin staff speak the following languages; English, Spanish, Gujarati, Arabic and French.
Overview
We aim to treat everyone equally and with respect and ask that you return that favour. We hope to offer you the very best service we can and to encourage you to work with us in partnership to take responsibility for your care and treatment. And we aim to see you as soon as we can if you need us.
Although we are a small practice we cater for almost four and a half thousand patients. If you think you need to see a doctor immediately we may be able to see you on the same day if capacity allows us. But please remember that Primary Care is not intended to be an Emergency Service. If we can’t fit you into one of our same day emergency appointments, then please use the Hounslow Urgent Care Centre at West Middlesex Hospital
West Middlesex Hospital
Twickenham Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 6AF
Tel: 020 8321 6700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hrch.nhs.uk/ucc
Your details and medical records.
All your contact details and your medical records are kept by us electronically on our clinical computer system, it’s called SystmOne. We use this to keep track of your address and all the details of your medical history. Our clinical staff use it to access your records and our administrative staff to make appointments and perform any administrative duties that are necessary for your consultation or your treatment.
This system is connected directly to all other medical facilities in Hounslow such as the Urgent Care Centre, West Middlesex University Hospital and various specialist services. This means that if you access any clinical services in Hounslow you will be able to give your consent, if you chose for any clinical staff to access your medical history. The system is not connected to hospitals or services outside the Hounslow area.