Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients.  We will always be willing to hear if there is any way that you think that we can improve the service we provide.

Making a complaint

If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  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 that is within 12 months of the incident.

The Practice Manager address your concerns and deal with any complaint. They will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.   You can make your complaint:

In person     –   ask to speak to the Practice Manager

In writing –   some complaints may be easier to explain in writing – please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of the Practice Manager as soon as possible

What we shall do

Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible, and we follow the guidance set out in the “Putting Things Right” procedure.  Under “Putting Things Right” you can complain about any aspect of the services provided by our GP Practice.

We take complaints seriously and adhere to the NHS Complaints procedure and Duty of Candour policy.  We strive to provide high quality, safe and compassionate care to all our patients.  Openness and honesty are integral to the care we provide to patients so that you feel confident in the care you receive from us.  The Duty of Candour policy applies if the care we provide has, or may have contributed to unexpected or unintended moderate or severe harm, or death.

We shall acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have investigated your complaint within 30 working days of the date when you raised it with us.  We shall then be able to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.

When we investigate your complaint, we shall aim to:

• find out what happened and 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 make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.

At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.

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 someone else, we must know that you have his or her permission to do so.  A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

What you can do next

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure.  We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.

If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complaint under the first 2 stages, you have the right to ask the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to review your case (see below).

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales:
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae,
Pencoed,
CF35 5LJ

Tel: (01656) 641 150
Fax: (01656) 641 199

Web Address: www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk