Rowlands Gill Medical Centre
Appendix A
Comments & Complaints
Rowlands Gill Medical Centre aims to give friendly and professional service to all our
patients. However, if you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please
let us know. Speak to whomever you feel most comfortable with - your GP, our
Practice Manager or our reception staff will be happy to help.
In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily, if you want to bring
your complaint to our notice, please ask at reception for a Complaints Leaflet.
If your complaint is more personal or you feel it is serious, please ask for, write to, or
telephone the Acting Practice Manager, Angela Laws, with your complaint. She will
take full details and decide how best to investigate your concerns. If your complaint
is clinical in nature you may be invited to meet with the clinical complaints lead
Dr Robert Dawson, to discuss your concerns.
If you are not complaining yourself, but on someone else's behalf, you must have
written permission from them to make the complaint. This does not apply to children
under 18 or if there are special circumstances which make permission impossible.
Your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within two working days.
Your complaint will be investigated, and we will reply in full within 10 working days.
However, if this is not possible we will let you know when we will be in a position to
reply.
If you are not happy with our reply you may request a meeting, if you feel the need,
or you may wish to take the complaint further using the Independent Complaints
Advocacy Service (ICAS) for independent advice, the number can be found in the
telephone directory.
We try our best to provide the most helpful an efficient service we can within the
NHS resources, if we feel that we have made a mistake or given an inadequate
service then we will apologise. However, if the complaint is about a service we do
not provide, then we will explain why it is not available. It may be that the complaint
needs to be redirected to another, more relevant, service provider.
Our in-house complaints procedure cannot address issues of negligence or
compensation.
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Rowlands Gill Medical Centre
Making a Complaint – Information Leaflet
Our practice has a system for dealing with complaints that complies with the
requirements of the NHS complaints procedure. This leaflet explains how it works
and what to do if you want to make a complaint.
The Purpose
We believe that handing complaints well can lead to greater satisfaction and
improved service for patients. The purpose of our complaints procedure is to resolve
complaints at practice level as this is considered to be in everyone’s best interest.
The objectives of the practice’s system are:
 To enable patients to express comments, suggestions and complaints to the
practice when they feel dissatisfied with the service provided;
 To provide patients with an explanation of what has happened; where appropriate
an apology; and an assurance that we have taken steps to prevent the problem
recurring where this is possible.
Confidentiality
Both the person who complains and the member of staff who is complained about
will receive assurance that, even within the practice, only those who need to know
will learn of the complaint. Equally, patients should be assured that personal
information about you will not be shared with anyone outside the practice unless you
have given express permission for this to happen.
Complaining on Behalf on Someone Else
All NHS staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as your doctor. If you
are complaining on behalf of someone else you will need to provide a note from the
patient giving us the authority to disclose information to you.
Time limits
It is in everyone’s interest to make and respond to a complaint as soon as possible
after the event:
 Within 6 months of the date of the incident that caused the problem; or
 Within 6 months of the date of discovering the problem, provided that is within 12
months of the incident.
Stage One
Complaints Administrator The person who will deal with your complaint is our
Acting Practice Manager. You can either telephone or make an appointment to see
the complaints administrator to discuss your complaint. If the complaints
administrator is not available, then one of our staff can take down the details of your
complaint and pass them on. Or, if you prefer you may write to us or complete the
attached Complaints Form and sent it to us.
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Stage Two
If the complaints administrator cannot give you a full explanation immediately, you
will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within 2 working days.
The complaints administrator will then investigate your complaint and will let you
have a full explanation within 10 working days. If this is not possible you will be
advised of when they expect to be able to provide this information.
Stage Three
If the person making the complaint is still not satisfied, the Practice Manager may
arrange a meeting to discuss the matter further, the patient could at this or any other
stage be referred to NHS England for assistance in resolving the complaint.
You may also at any stage contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
(ICAS) for independent advice, the number can be found in the telephone directory.
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Making a Complaint – Information Leaflet continued
Complaints Form
Complainant’s Details (NOTE: if representing patient you must have their written
consent)
Name:
Tel:
Address:
Patient’s Details
Name:
Tel:
Address:
Date of Birth
Usual Doctor
Details of complaint (including date(s) of events and persons involved)
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date . . . . . . .
Continue overleaf if necessary
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