Compliments, Comments and Complaints

Theale Medical Centre is always looking for ways to improve the services it offers to patients. To do this effectively, the practice needs to know what you think about the services you receive. Tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. Only by listening to you can the practice continue to build and improve upon the service it offers.

Tell us about our service by completing the comments form in this leaflet.

  • Could you easily get through on the telephone?
  • Did you get an appointment with the practitioner you wanted to see?
  • Were you seen within 20 minutes of your scheduled appointment time?
  • Were staff helpful and courteous?

Practice Complaints Procedure

If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this practice, please let us know. The practice operates a Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
Note: If you make a complaint it is practice policy to ensure you are not discriminated against, or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.

How to Complain

We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. You should address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager (you can use the attached form below ). He/she will make sure that we deal with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible.

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality (a separate leaflet giving more detail on confidentiality is available on request). If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this. A Third Party Consent Form is provided.

What we will do

  • When a complaint is received by a staff member, they will try hard to resolve the issue immediately (or within 24 hours) to the satisfaction of the complainant if that is within their role and realm of responsibility, or involve another colleague or more senior staff member.
  • Staff will apologise to the complainant in respect of the need to complain in the first instance and explain the complaints process.
  • If a complaint can be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction within 24 hours, it is not necessary to go through the formal complaints process.
  • If we cannot resolve the complaint within 24hrs, then we will acknowledge the complaint within three working days and we may offer a meeting to discuss the complaint.
  • We will fully investigate the complaint.
  • We will aim to have fully investigated the complaint and respond within 30 working days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances; make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate, and take steps to make sure any problem does not arise again.
  • You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations.

Complaining to Other Authorities

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, or you are dissatisfied with the response received from us, you can contact any of the following 2 bodies:

PALS Contact 01189 822829
South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit 023 8062 7444

Contacting the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried out by this Practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website: www.cqc.org.uk

PALS, ICAS & Ombudsman

Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS provide a confidential service designed to help patients get the most from the NHS. PALS can tell you more about the NHS complaints procedure and may be able to help you resolve your complaint informally.

Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS)

ICAS is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS Care or treatment.

Ombudsman

As a last resort, if you are not happy with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England. You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or www.ombudsman.org.uk or Text phone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298