There are three main ways to feedback about your experience of our GP Surgery and the service we provide.
Friends and Family Test
The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It’s a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving NHS care or treatment.
We use the information captured via the Friends and Family Test to improve our service. It is anonymous, so if you would like to discuss your experience, it is better to contact us through our general feedback form.
Feedback and Compliments
We are continually looking to turn your feedback into real improvements in our services. We use it to focus on what matters most to our patients, their carers and their families.
If you want to share your experience or have a suggestion on how we can do things better to improve our patients’ experiences, please complete the below form. We’d also like to hear from you if you are pleased with the service you’ve received. We’ll let the staff involved know and share the good practice across our teams.
If you can’t complete the form or would find it easier to discuss your experience you can call us on 01263 822 066.
Complaint 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 practices operates a complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
Please 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 and no information regarding complaints or feedback are kept on your medical records.
How to complain
In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the staff member concerned. Where the issue cannot be resolved at this stage, please contact Pauline Craske (practice Manager) or Emma Clarke (Management Team Assistants) who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaints procedure. If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaints, please let us know as soon as possible, ideally in a matter of days. This will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint.
If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:
- Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem.
or
- Within 12 months from when the complaint comes to your notice.
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days.
The practice will contact you to discuss the complaint, to agree with you how the complaint is going to be investigated and the timescale for this to be completed. An action plan will be implemented.
When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:
- Ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint.
- Make arrangements for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
- Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that Sheringham Medical Practice keeps strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.
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, you can contact any of the following bodies:
You can contact the ICB Complaints team by:
- E-mail: [email protected]
- In writing: Complaints Manager, NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL
- Telephone: 01603 595857 (This is an answer machine service. Please leave a message requesting a call back).
If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this Practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website www.cqc.org.uk
NHS England
PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Telephone: 0300 3112 233
Email: [email protected]
CQC (The Care Quality Commission)
If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616 161, or alternatively visit the CQC website.
PALS, ICAS and 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. Your local PALS office can be found on:
Email [email protected] or Telephone 01603 289036
To write to our PALS team, please address your concerns to:
The PALS and Complaints Manager
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane
Norwich
NR4 7UY
NHS complaints advocacy service
This is a national service that supports people who want to make a formal complaint about their NHS Care or treatment.
Your local service can be found on:
Telephone: 0300 456 2370
Email: [email protected]
Ombudsman
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 Textphone (Minicom) 0300 061 4298
For more information regarding feedback and complaints within the NHS in England please visit the NHS website.