Springfield Medical Practice

Springfield Medical

Practice

Keresley Green Medical Centre

Bennetts Road South

Coventry

CV6 2FL
024 76332628
www.springfieldmedical.co.uk
How to complain or comment about our service.

If you would like a copy of our Complaints Policy or a Complaint Form please ask at reception.

March 2014

INTRODUCTION

Springfield Medical Practice is committed to providing a high quality patient focused service. We combine our available skills and resources in the most effective way possible and strive to provide an excellent service to our patients.

On occasion you may feel that the service you have received is less than you expected. If you have a complaint or are concerned about the service you have received from any of our team working within the practice please let us know so that we can investigate this for you and by acting fairly and proportionately we can seek to put things right and seek continuous improvement.
MAKING A COMPLAINT
Wherever possible you should try and speak to someone about your complaint as soon as the event occurs with whoever you feel most comfortable . We will record the complaint and inform the practice manager of the details and outcome if your issue is resolved.
We hope that most of our problems can be sorted out quickly in this way.
If they are not , you may wish to go through our Complaints Procedure which we hope you will use to give us the opportunity to look into, and where necessary, to correct any problems that may have arisen or mistakes that may have been made.
We can provide a copy of our Complaints Policy upon request or see our website www.springfieldmedical.co.uk
Complaints are not recorded on your medical records and any complaint you make will not impact on your right to or standard of care.
You should raise your complaint with the Practice Manager who will take full details of your complaint and decide how best to undertake the investigation.
It is often better if your complaint is written at the outset so any misunderstandings as to its nature can be avoided.
Please send your complaint to the Practice Manager, Springfield Medical Practice, Keresley Green Medical Centre, Bennetts Road South, Coventry CV6 2FL. Alternatively email to [e-mail] and use “Complaint” in your email heading.
If you need support to make your complaint contact an advocacy agent which is free, independent and confidential:
POhWER telephone on 0300 456 2370. Email www.pohwer. Postal address PO Box 14043, BIRMINGHAM B6 9BL.
Normally, it will only be possible to investigate a complaint if it is made within 12 months of the event or within 12 months of you realising you have something to complain about.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Please remember, we have to keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of another person we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A signed note from the patient concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.


WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN I COMPLAIN?
If you make a complaint to our practice we will aim to: -

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  acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days
  

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  Offer an opportunity to discuss the complaint either face to face or by telephone and agree a method and timescale of investigation.
  

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  Find out what happened and what went wrong.
  

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  The practice manager may need several working days to gather further information.
  

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  When the practice manager has all of the information she will meet with the relevant members of the team.
  

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  The practice manager will keep you informed of progress and agree with you an extension if we cannot resolve the complaint in the agreed timescale.
  

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  Make sure you receive an apology where appropriate.
  

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  Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again if indicated.
  

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  A written summary of the outcome will be distributed to the complainant and relevant staff and partners as appropriate.
  

WHAT IF I AM STILL UNHAPPY?
If you are still unhappy after our complaints procedure has been followed and completed and you have received a full response you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to look at your case.
They are completely independent of the NHS and the Government. If you want advice as to whether to ask them to investigate you can contact:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower Millbank London
SW1P 4QP Tel: [phone]

The Ombudsman is not obliged to investigate every complaint put to them, and they will not generally take on a case which has not first been through the NHS Complaints Procedure, or a case which is being dealt with through the courts.

HOW TO COMMENT, COMPLIMENT OR MAKE A SUGGESTION?
If you have an idea or suggestion which you feel would benefit other people who use our services, please let us know. You can either talk to a member of staff or a member of our Patient Participation Group, who will take note of your comments. We will always acknowledge in writing any ideas or suggestions you make to us.

COMPLIMENTS
If you are pleased with the services we have provided please tell us. Staff always welcome comments from patients and clients who have been satisfied with the care and service they have received. Compliments will be used to highlight good practice and will be communicated widely so that others may benefit.