Patient Feedback
The aim of everybody at Wetmore Road Surgery is to provide all our patients with the best care possible.
The surgery 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. You can give these in writing to the Practice Manager, using the comments form, suggestion box in the Reception Area or verbally to any of the Team.
Click here to download our Complaints and Comments Leaflet
Practice Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any members 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 make a complaint
In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the staff member concerned. Where the issue cannot be resolved at this stage, please contact the Practice Manager 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 complaint, please let us know as soon as possible, ideally within 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 make your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:
- Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem
OR
- Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the original incident
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days of this date you raised it with us. At this stage you should be offered an explanation or a meeting with the person(s) involved.
- Investigate 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 received an apology, where this is appropriate
- Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
If you feel that we have not responded to your concerns fully please do not hesitate to come back to us to discuss these further. However, if you feel this is not possible, please contact Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS).
What we shall not do
At no point will the fact that you have made a complaint be recorded in your medical record. All issues you raise will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not affect your current or future care.
Compliments and Suggestions
It is always appreciated when compliments are received and, as with complaints, we use this as a way of learning for the future. When we receive a compliment we share this with the team and encourage individuals to work to the high standards that your compliment has acknowledged. Please forward any compliments for the attention of our Practice Manager or one of the partners.
Equally your suggestions can help us change our processes and we often make minor changes to our administration systems following patient input. Please forward any suggestions to our Practice Manager.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that Wetmore Road Surgery 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, or you are dissatisfied with the response received from us, you can contact any of the following bodies:
- Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS) 0800 030 4563
- Healthwatch Staffordshire 0800 161 5600
- NHS England North Midlands Complaints Service 0300 311 2233
Contacting 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 Commissioning on 03000 616 161 or alternatively visit the following website: https://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.
Your local PALS office can be contacted on 0800 030 4563 or emailed via email on:
Healthwatch Staffordshire
Healthwatch Staffordshire is a local service that supports people who want to make a complaint about there NHS Care or treatment. Your local service is at:
Suite 2, Opus House, Priestly Court, Staffordshire Technology Park, Stafford, ST18 0LQ
Tel: 0800 161 5600 Email: [email protected]
NHS England North Midlands Complaints Service
If the practice cannot resolve our complaint please contact NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Email: [email protected]