Compliments, Complaints and Suggestions

We are always happy to hear from our Patients. If you have any positive or negative feedback, please complete our feedback form.

Friends and Family Test

If you have had a recent interaction with the surgery please rate us on ‘how likely you would be to recommend us to your friends and family’. You can also leave comments on your recent experiences. Please complete our online NHS Friends and Family Test.

Procedure for Complaints

Why Complain?

Although we try hard to give a good service, inevitably things sometimes go wrong. We hope you will let us know so that your problem can be sorted out. Often this can be done easily and quickly at the time it happens and with the person concerned. However, sometimes you may wish to make a more formal complaint. When you make a complaint, we aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
• Wherever possible, put the problem right
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
• Give you the opportunity to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this

Our complaints procedure is part of the NHS system and meets national requirements.

How to Complain

Please complete our online form. Alternatively, you can write to our, Complaints Officer.

When writing, it will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about the reason(s) for your complaint.

What will Happen Next?

We will acknowledge your complaint (within 3 working days) and then investigate what has happened. We will then aim to respond to you in writing within 12 weeks of the date that we received your complaint.

Sometimes we may ask you to meet with us, or contact you to find out more information about the circumstances. If you would like to meet to discuss your concerns, please let us know.

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else we will need to know that you have their permission. You can ask them to complete the section on the complaint form or we will need a note signed by them, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

Time Limits

We would like you to let us know about your complaint as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. It may not be possible to investigate your complaint if you do not contact us within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.

Help to Complain

If you would like help or advice in making a complaint you may like to contact the Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy (ICA) for Wirral. They offer free, confidential support to anyone wishing to make a complaint about the NHS. You can contact them by:

Telephone: 0151 230 8957

Email: info@healthwatchwirral.co.uk

You may also contact NHS England who are now responsible for the commissioning of GP services. They can be contacted on 0300 311 2233 or email england.contactus@nhs.net.

If You Are Not Satisfied

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint please let us know. If you feel that you cannot approach us or if you are not satisfied with the final outcome of our investigation then you can approach the Health Service Ombudsman and ask them to look into your complaint. The Health Service Ombudsman is responsible for ensuring that NHS complaints are dealt with properly. The Ombudsman will usually investigate a complaint only after it has already been addressed locally.

You can write to:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Telephone: 0345 015 4033 (08:30-17:30)

For more information, please see the Ombudsman’s website.