Let the Practice know your views
Central Gateshead Medical Group 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. We would like to hear your view—tell us about what we do best, what we don’t do well and any ideas or suggestions you may have. By listening to your comments & suggestions we can continue to work together to improve our services.
Tell us about our service by completing the comments form at the bottom of this page:
Practice Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this practice, please let us know. The practice Complaints Procedure operates as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints procedure meets national criteria.
If you make a complaint, it is our policy to ensure you are not discriminated against, or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.
How to Complain
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 or Deputy Practice Manager, who will try and resolve the issue. 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 raise 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
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days. Our aim is to have investigated your complaint within 15 working days of the date you raised it with us. At this stage you should be offered an explanation.
When the practice investigates your complaint we aim to:
- Ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint
- Be open and honest with you
- Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
Central Gateshead Medical Group 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
If you are still unhappy with the outcome, please let us know we may be able to offer you the chance to have a meeting/discussion with us. If you are still not satisfied of the outcome you can contact NHS England:
- Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
- Email: [email protected] (Please state “For the attention of the complaints team” in the subject line)
- Post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT.
Ombudsman
As a last resort you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS IN ENGLAND.
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Or
www.ombudsman.org.uk
North East NHS Complaints Advocacy
NHS Complaints Advocacy is there to provide you with practical support, advice and information if you want to make a complaint about an NHS service you or someone you know has received.
Telephone: 0191 478 8350
Email: [email protected]