If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from Angel Lane Surgery, please let us know. We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets national criteria.
How to complain
We hope that we can sort most problems out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. Please ask to speak with one of the management team to discuss any concerns. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible- ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.
You should address your complaint to the Practice Manager either in writing or verbally. She will make sure that we deal with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible.
If you would like help making the complaint we can direct you to local Advocacy services. Please contact the Practice Manager for information or visit www.essex.gov.uk/advocacy
Alternatively, you can send your complaint directly to NHS England
By post to:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.
What we will do
We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and we will negotiate with you a suitable timeframe to send our completed response. This will depend on the complexity of the complaint. If we expect it to take longer than the agreed time frame we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances using what resources are necessary and provide a full response to you. Depending on the complaint this could include reviewing your medical records, listening to telephone recordings, discussions with staff members etc. We will make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate, take steps to make sure any problem does not arise again and offer an opportunity to discuss the letter further if you so wish.
Taking it further
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter the Ombudsman by writing to The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, City Gate, 51 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HQ. Tel: 0345 015 4033 or email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk