Suggestions, comments and compliments
We welcome your suggestions, compliments and comments. You can submit suggestions directly to us via email at ddicb.admin.staffahealth@nhs.net. Alternatively you can leave your review of us on NHS choices. We review all the complaints, comments and suggestions we have received and make changes and improvements where necessary.
Complaints
We constantly strive to provide high-quality care to all our patients and willingly receive complaints, although we sincerely hope that you will not be given cause to complain. Sometimes we can alleviate your concerns with an informal conversation and explanation and our reception team will always try and resolve your problem in the first instance.
How to complain
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. 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 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem
Written complaints should be addressed to the Patient Liaison Officer who works alongside our Practice Management Team. They can be reached by mail via your local surgery or by email to ddicb.admin.staffahealth@nhs.net. You may also ask for an appointment with the Patient Liaison Officer to discuss your concerns. The discussion can be in person or on the telephone. They will explain the complaints procedure and ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.
What we shall do
We shall endeavour to acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 1 month of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation. Usually this is in writing but can be in a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint we will aim to:
- find out what happened
- make sure you receive an appropriate response
- make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned
- identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality and Data Protection Legislation. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned or verbal permission will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this e.g. because of illness. This does not apply to deceased patients as the rules around confidentiality and data protection are no longer in place.
Complaining To Other Authorities
The Patient Liaison Officer and the Practice Management Team hope that if you have a problem you will use the practice complaints procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us you can bring your complaint directly to our commissioner, Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board. You cannot bring the complaint to both of us at the same time however. If you would prefer to complain to our commissioner you can contact their Patient Advice and Liaison Team on 0800 032 32 35 or via email ddicb.pals@nhs.net
Independent Advice
For Independent Complaints Advice you can contact the NHS Complaints Advocacy run by Cloverleaf Advocacy.
If you need an advocate to help you please contact them by:
- Downloading an advocacy referral form
- Telephone: 01924 454875
- Email: referrals@cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk
Further Action
We hope that if you have a problem you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this gives us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice.
Those who are dissatisfied at the end of the local resolution stage may ask for a review by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who should be contacted within 12 months of the conclusion of this local procedure.
You can contact this service by email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk or telephone: 0345 015 4033. The postal address is: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Their website is https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/
More information
More information about how to complain about NHS Services can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/