The Nuffield Practice

Complaints Procedure

 

We welcome constructive feedback - good and bad

If you have a comment, or a complaint, or are pleased about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We discuss feedback regularly and try to learn from your experiences.

Complaints Procedure

We always try to give you the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel that this has not happened. This leaflet explains what to do if you have a complaint about the services we provide for you. 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. Our practice complaints procedure is part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints and meets national criteria.

We cannot deal with questions of legal liability or compensation through our complaints procedure. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into, and if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes that have been made.

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  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 - ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

You can make a verbal or written complain, written complaints should be addressed to Rachel Simmonds, Practice Manager, there is a Complaints and Comments form you can request at Reception if you wish.  Alternatively you may contact her by email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  to discuss your concerns.  We will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

What we shall do

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days, and aim to have looked into your complaint within 6 weeks, depending on the nature of your complaint.  If for any reason we need to take a little longer, we will keep you informed.  When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:

1. Find out what happened and what went wrong
2. Respond to your complaint with the outcome
3. Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
4. Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn't happen again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so before we can discuss his or her care. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

Alternative method of complaint

You can take your complaint to the South East Complaints Hub, NHS Frimley ICB, who will then manage your complaint for you. They can be contacted at:

Phone: 0300 561 0290 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, excluding English Bank Holidays)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address: 
South East Complaints Hub
NHS Frimley ICB
Aldershot Centre for Health
Hospital Hill
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1AY

Sources of help and advice

Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
Kingfisher Exchange
3rd floor
Kingfisher House
Walton Street
Aylesbury
HP21 7AY
Telephone: 01296 468170

If you remain unhappy you can complain to the Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is completely independent of both the NHS and Government and can be contacted at: