Comments and Complaints

Comments

We welcome all suggestions and comments on the services provided by the practice.

  • We endeavour to give our patients the best care and attention possible.
  • We regularly review our service and complaints/suggestions allow us to see areas in which we can improve.
  • We are continually looking to turn our patients’ feedback into real improvements in the services we provide.
  • We use it to focus on the things that matter most to our patients, carers and families.
  • We would like to hear from you if you have a suggestion or comment on how we can do things better to improve our patient’s experiences.
  • We would also like to hear from you if you are pleased with the service you have received. We will let the staff involved know and share the good practice across the team.

MAKE A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION

 

Making a complaint

If you wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps to establish what happened more easily.

In any event, this should be

  • Within 12 months of the incident
  • Or within 12 months of discovering you have a problem

State your case clearly giving as much detail as possible.

If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care. You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority.

You can provide your complaint in your own format providing it covers all the necessary information

MAKE A COMPLAINT

Send your written complaint to our Practice Complaints Manager by post: Practice Complaints Manager Trumpington Street Medical Practice 56 Trumpington Street Cambridge CB2 1RG

 

What we do next

We will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days and then we will look to reply to your complaint in the timescales standards as advised by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman guidance namely:

Complexity rating Timescale for completion - from date of receipt to issue of our final response Timescale for completion - from date of receipt to issue of our final response
Straightforward/single issue 95 % within 3 months 100% within 6 months
Complex/multiple issue or issue involving multiple organisations 50% within 3 months 80% within 6 month

This means that unless you have specified otherwise, you will receive a formal reply to your complaint in writing either by email or letter within 3 months of logging your complaint. If for any reason the matter is likely to take longer than this timeframe we will let you know and inform you of the timeframe in which you will receive your complaint response.

Where your complaint involves more than one organisation (e.g. social services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you can receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent in order to do this and will contact you if it is required.

The final response letter will include the details of the results of your complaint and also your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.

 

Complaining of behalf of someone else

We keep to the strict rule of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are happy for you to complain on their behalf.

Please ask at reception for the complaints form which contains a suitable authority for the patient to sign to enable the complaint to proceed.

Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide this information if appropriate when you contact us.

Please note we are unable to discuss any complaints if you are not the person involved and do not have express permission to do so, which must be in writing unless the circumstances above apply.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. 

HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO PHSO

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