Complaints

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 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 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/Complaints Manager who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advise 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 raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:

  • Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem
  • OR, within 12 months from when the complaint comes to your notice

If you wish to make either a verbal or written complaint, you can request to speak to our Practice Manager, Philip Owen-Halley to discuss your complaint. You may be asked to forward your complaint in writing. It would be a great help if you could be as specific as possible about your complaint.

Mr Philip Owen-Halley
Practice Manager
Wellington Practice
Aldershot Centre for Health
Hospital Hill
Aldershot, Hampshire.
GU11 1AY.

What we shall do

The Practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days.
The Practice will arrange a meeting with you to discuss the complaint, to agree with you how the complaint is going to be investigated and the timescale for this to be completed.

When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:

  • Ascertain 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 receive an apology, where this is appropriate
  • Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that Wellington Practice 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 the Other Authorities

The practice management team hope that if you have a problem with the service you have received, that you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure.

However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, you can contact either of the following 2 official bodies:

Frimley ICB (North Hampshire & Farnham Area)
Aldershot Centre for Health
Hospital Hill
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1BJ

NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
england.contactus@nhs.net – FAO The Complaints Manager
0300 311 22 33 – Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm

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 Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us

Advocacy Service for NHS Complaints

This is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS Care or treatment. Your local service can be found on: http://www.pohwer.net/our-services/nhs-complaints-advocacy

Ombudsman

If you have not received a satisfactory response from this practice, your local Clinical Commissioning Group, or NHS England, you can then refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.

You can contact them on 0345 015 4033 for advice or write to them at:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Or visit their website at www.ombudsman.org.uk

Please see the PDF information leaflet in the viewer below. To view the original accessible PDF in a new browser window, please click here.

Please see the PDF information leaflet in the viewer below. To view the original accessible PDF in a new browser window, please click here.

Please see the PDF information leaflet in the viewer below. To view the original accessible PDF in a new browser window, please click here.