How to Complain
We aim to provide the best care we can, however, we know that occasionally problems can arise. We can only put things right if they are brought to our attention. If you are in any way unhappy with the service that you have received from us, then please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure as part of an NHS System for dealing with complaints, and our complaints system meets the relevant national criteria. The Practice uses the knowledge gained to help improve the services that we offer to our patients.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise, and with the person concerned. However, if your problem cannot be sorted out 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 allow us to establish what happened more easily.
If it is not possible to let us do that, please let us have details of your complaint within 6 months of the incident or within 6 months from the point of discovery of the problem, as long as this is no more than 12 months since the incident.
Complaints should be addressed to:
Communications and Patient Contact Manager
The Grange Medical Centre
Highfield Road
Hemsworth
Pontefract
West Yorkshire
WF9 4DP
Complaints can also be emailed directly to the practice - wyicb-wak.grangemedicalcentre@nhs.net - whereby they will be forwarded to the Communications and Patient Contact Manager for her attention:
Alternatively, please contact the Communications and Patient Contact Manager directly on 01977 624272.
Complaining on Behalf of Somebody Else
Please note that we adhere to the Code of Medical Confidentiality; if you are complaining on behalf of someone else then we must have their written permission before we are able to investigate the complaint and provide a response.
What Shall We Do?
We shall acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within 3 working days and will aim to investigate your complaint and provide a response within 28 working days.
Some complaints however are more complex than others and may need additional time to ensure that all investigations are completed fully. If this is the case we shall write to you within the 28 working-day timescale to advise you that we are still carrying out our investigations and will continue to contact you, each time within 28 working days of the previous contact, either to provide a detailed response to your complaint or to issue an additional holding letter.
When we investigate your complaint we shall aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong
- Provide an opportunity for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like to do this
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
If You Do Not Wish to Complain Directly to the Practice
If you have a problem, we hope you will liaise with the Practice in the first instance. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong. However, if you find it challenging to raise your concerns with us because, for example, there has been a breakdown in the patient-practice relationship, you can raise your complaint with the West Yorkshire ICB, who commission and pay for the NHS services you use or Healthwatch Wakefield for help, advice and support in making your complaint.
West Yorkshire ICB
- In writing to:
Complaints Team
West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
White Rose House
West Parade
Wakefield
WF1 1LT
- Email - wyicb.pals@nhs.net
- Telephone – 01924 52150
Lines are open:
Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.30 pm
The telephone lines are closed over the bank holidays.
Please note that the team receives many telephone calls daily and may be unable to respond instantly.
Please note: You cannot ask the ICB to consider the same concerns or complaints you raised with us.
Healthwatch Wakefield
Citizens Advice Bureau
also provides information and advice about making complaints.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
If you remain unhappy after receiving our final reply, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint independently.
Before taking this step, we hope you would let us know what aspect of the complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily and provide an opportunity for us to consider whether there is anything further that could be done locally to resolve matters.
The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and free to use. It can help resolve your complaint and tell the NHS how to put things right if it has got them wrong.
The Ombudsman only has legal powers to investigate certain complaints. You must have received a final response from the Practice before the Ombudsman can look at your complaint. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, it will generally not investigate your complaint if it happened more than 12 months ago.
- In writing to:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Tower 30
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
- Telephone – 0345 0154033
Lines are open:
Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm
Friday 8.30am to 12pm
Further information is available is available on their website at www.ombudsman.org.uk