If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from any of the staff working in thispractice, please let us know. We operate a complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing withcomplaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to complain
It is our aim that if patients wish to register a concern or make a complaint, they should find it easy to do so. We welcome complaints and look upon them as an opportunity to learn, adapt, improve and provide betterservices.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the personconcerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like youto let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this willenable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details ofyour complaint:
- Within 12 months of the incident that caused the
- Within 12 months of discovering you have a
- If longer than 12 months we will consider accepting this if there are good grounds for a delay and it is still possible to investigate the complaint
Complaints can be given to the practice verbally or in writing by email or letter delivered by hand or by post.
Mr Clive Farrington is the Complaints Manager for the practice. Complaints should beaddressed to:
Mr Clive Farrington, Practice Manager Orchard Surgery
Lower Tanbridge Way
Horsham RH12 1PJ
The email address is: sxicb-wsx.orchard-horsham@nhs.net
Alternatively, you may ask for an in person appointment or a telephone call with Mr Farrington to discuss yourconcerns. He will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure
that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about yourcomplaint.
In the event that the practice manager is absent, your complaint may be handled by another manager in thepractice.
If your complaint is given to us verbally, you will be given a written copy of your complaint as recorded bythe member of staff.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days.
We aim to have looked into your complaint thoroughly within 30-60 working days of the date when you raised your complaint with us. However, NHSE does not require us to adhere to a time limit.Generally we will agree an appropriate timescale with you during the acknowledgement process. This timescale might be dependent on annual leave, sickness, external organisation involvement or complexity ofthe complaint for example.
We will endeavour to keep you updated with the progress of the investigation as much as possible. It maybe necessary to seek further information from you.
If there are unavoidable delays in the investigation we will discuss this with you and agree a revisedtimescale.
We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look intocomplaint, we shall aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went
- Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen
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 someoneelse, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A handwritten or typed letter signed by theperson concerned will be required unless the patient is incapable of providing this. Under these circumstancesalternative ways forward will be discussed with you.
Additional help and advice
If you are not happy with the practice response, there are other organisations you can contact forguidance. Here are the details:
Healthwatch
West Sussex
The contact details for Healthwatch West Sussex Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service are:
Post: PO Box 1360, Crawley, RH10 0QS Phone: 0300 0120122
Email: helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
NHS Sussex
Anybody wishing to initiate a formal complaint can do so either verbally or in writing (including by telephone oremail) to NHS Sussex. Any complaints received by the NHS Sussex ICB will be forwarded on to the ICBPatient Experience Team.
The ICB Patient Experience Team’s email address is: sxicb.complaints@nhs.net
NHS England
Any concerns or complaints about a General Practitioner (GP), dentist, pharmacist, or optician that cannotbe resolved locally with the practice manager must be referred to NHS England (NHSE).
Complaints about a GP that are of a clinical nature will be referred to NHSE as above, however, if thecomplaint is about a GP practice contractual issue, then the ICB will investigate.
Phone: 0300 311 2233
NHS England Customer Contact Centre PO Box 16738 Redditch
B97 9PT
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
Further information on the role and work of the PHSO is available from:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower
Millbank London SW1P4QP
Tel. Complaints Helpline 0345 015 4033 Email:phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
The Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS)
The Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service is a free, independent, confidential advocacyservice that can help individuals to make a complaint about any aspect of their NHS care or treatment. This includes treatment in a private hospital or care home that is funded by the NHS.
Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, in the event that a patient lacks capacity and does not have an appropriate nearest relative to act on their behalf, an IMHA (Independent Mental Health Advocate) can be allocated. Complainants may also receive support from specialist advocacy services or from the CitizensAdvice Bureau.