Complaints Procedure

Dear Patients

Please be aware that due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are unable to answer complaints as per our policy. All resources are being diverted to patient care at this difficult time. Please continue to send me your complaints and I will answer them as soon as services are resumed. Your understanding is appreciated.

Stay safe and well

Amanda Meehan-Complaint Manager

Complaints Comments Leaflet V1.0

Pohwer complaints advocacy Brent

Our Policy

Lonsdale Medical Group is committed to making sure that anyone using our service has a first class experience of us and that they are treated in a caring manner and with dignity and respect. We will always be prepared to listen to what you have to say and you can be assured that we will also be open and honest about any service failures. You can be assured we will always offer remedies to prevent problems recurring and will let you know what they are.

We promise to make sure your comments and complaints remain confidential, if that’s what you would like and we will make sure that we investigate fully and fairly any complaints or concerns you have, We will also ensure that where possible, our investigations are conducted by someone not directly involved in the complaint and that all investigations are transparent and methodical and we will focus on learning from our mistakes to improve the service you receive

Informing us of comments or complaints.

We encourage any comments both positive and negative and we have a number of ways to let us know.

• Friends and Family Test – This is available on our website under ‘Have your say’ or in the waiting room.
• Comments box located in reception or using the online link on our website.
• NHS Choices – Search for the Lonsdale Medical Centre and you can leave a review.
• E mail the Practice Manager directly at amanda.meehan3@nhs.net

The designated lead for complaints in the Practice is Amanda Meehan Practice Manager. You can contact her to discuss any issues either formally or informally by e mail directly to her amanda.meehan3@nhs.net or send any letter by post that it is addressed as ‘Private & Confidential’ to the Practice address.

If you wish your details to be kept anonymous from other members of staff please let us know when you contact us.

Complaints must be received within 12 months of the incident which caused the problem or within 12 months from the date which the event that is the subject of the complaint came to light to ensure we can investigate thoroughly and get all the facts.

If you would prefer, you can come and talk to us in person. Please call first to ensure you can be seen quickly.

What happens Next.

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days.

We will look into your complaint to find out:

• • 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 ensure that the problem does not happen again.

• • At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in person or in writing. A full reply will be sent as soon as possible that will include any improvements we have made to the service following your complaint. This will depend on the complexity of the complaint and whether other agencies are involved. You will be kept up to date regarding the progress.

• • If you are still not happy you can contact the practice and another member of Senior staff will review the complaint to see if there is anything that has been missed.

HELP WITH MAKING YOUR COMPLAINT

Please ask the Practice Manager Amanda Meehan who will be happy to help. However if you feel unable to ask her then please contact

The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service at:

nhscomplaints@voiceability.org or telephone 0300 330 5454, Fax 0330 088 3762, Text phone 0786 002 2939

If you feel you cannot contact the practice directly

You can send details of your complaint to NHS England

NHS England

PO Box 16738

Redditch B97 9PT

Tel 0300 311 22 33

Email:  England.contactus@nhs.net

If you are still not satisfied

If you are still not satisfied with the handling or response to your complaint you have the right to ask the Health Service Ombudsman to investigate the complaint on your behalf. Please see the details below from their website:

Contact details for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

If you need to make a complaint about a UK government department, or one of its agencies or the NHS in England

Customer Helpline

Tel: 0345 015 4033

Problems with your hearing or speech?

You can contact us from a textphone (minicom) on 0300 061 4298. (Calls to these numbers cost the same as a call to a UK landline.) You can also call us on Text Relay.

If you have any special requirements for us to communicate with you, please let us know and we will make adjustments if we can. For example, we can use simple language or communicate using a signed video.

The Helpline is open 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Help in other languages

We strive to make our service as accessible as possible to everyone. If English is not your first language and you would prefer to speak to us in your own language, please let us know. We can get an interpreter on the telephone almost instantly. Just get in touch with us and tell us which language you speak.

Request a call back

If you would like us to call you back, please text ‘call back’ with your name and your mobile number to 07624 813 005. The text will be charged at your standard text rate. Standard text rates are set by your mobile network operator and charges may vary. Please check with your operator if you are unsure of the cost of this text. We will acknowledge your text at no cost to you and call you back within one working day during our office hours, again at no cost to you.

Email

phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

We’ll keep in touch with you in whichever way works best for you. However, we do need to make you aware that with email there is always a small risk of messages being intercepted. If email is your preferred way for us to contact you, please let us know. As a precaution, and for added peace of mind, we will password protect any sensitive documents we send you.

Fax

0300 061 4000

If you wish to make a Freedom of Information request please email foi.officer@ombudsman.org.uk.

Please note

All email communications with PHSO pass through the Government Secure Intranet (GSI), and may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.

Write to us

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower

Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we observe the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have his or her permission to do so. A letter signed by the person concerned will be needed.