Feedback and Complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this Practice, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure in line with the NHS complaint criteria.

We aim to provide the highest standard of care for people using our services. If you have a complaint of concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this Practice, please let us know.

We encourage complainants to speak openly and freely about their concerns, we would like to reassure you that you will not be discriminated against for making a complaint against the Practice.

We hope that most problems can resolved easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If we cannot resolve in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible 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 12 months of the incident that caused the problem, or
• Within 12 months of you becoming aware of the matter

When you make your complaint, please tell us.

• What the problem is/was
• When and where it happened
• Your full name and address
• The person’s name if you are complaining on behalf of someone else
• What you would like to happen

Complaints should be made to the Practice Manager by:

• Telephone: 0117 986 2343
• Completing a complaint form available at reception
• Or Feedback and complaint form available on our website.
• Post: St Augustine’s Medical Practice, The Chocolate Factory, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2GN

Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager to discuss your concerns. She will explain the Complaints Procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are investigated. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have investigated your complaint within a maximum of 30 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, if appropriate. 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 this is appropriate.
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

If we are unable to meet our timescale, we will keep you update with our progress. The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and your right to refer the matter further to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (details shown elsewhere in this leaflet) if you remain dissatisfied with the response.

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know you have their permission to do so and will require written authority from the person concerned unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

If you have a complaint about another service provider (for example a hospital or community service) then please contact that provider directly.

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 your complaint has been investigated by the practice and you are not happy with how the practice has managed this, then you may consider contacting the following;

• Bath and North east Somerset Patient Advice and Liaison Service. This is impartial and will work with you to try to resolve a difficulty or problem and can act on your behalf if you wish. We will discuss with you the best ways to resolve your concerns or problems and will agree with you what action to take for your individual circumstances, contact us on:

Freephone: 0300 561 0250

Email: scwcsu.palscomplaints@nhs.net

• The Health Service Ombudsman 

Post: Millbank Tower, 30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP

Website: http://www.ombudsman.org.uk

http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint(to complain online or download a paper form)