As a patient of Orchard Medical Centre, you have a right to have your complaint acknowledged and investigated properly. This organisation takes complaints seriously and ensures that they are investigated in an unbiased, transparent, non-judgemental and timely manner.
Orchard Medical Centre will maintain communication with the complainant (or their representative) throughout, ensuring they know the complaint is being taken seriously.
The complaints manager is Jade Shawcross Practice Manager. They are responsible for managing all complaints procedures.
Definition of a complaint versus a concern
NHS England defines that a concern is something that a service user is worried or nervous about and this can be resolved at the time the concern is raised whereas a complaint is a statement about something that is wrong or that the service user is dissatisfied with which requires a response.
It should be noted that a service user could be concerned about something and raise this matter, however, should it not be dealt with satisfactorily, then they may make a complaint about that concern.
Formal or informal?
There is no difference between a “formal” and an “informal” complaint. Both are expressions of dissatisfaction.
It is the responsibility of the complaints manager to consider whether the complaint is informal and therefore early resolution of an issue may be possible. If the complaints manager believes an issue can be resolved quickly then this organisation will aim to do this in around 10 working days and, with the agreement of the enquirer, we will categorise this as a concern and not a complaint.
However, if the enquirer is clear that they wish to formalise the complaint, then the organisation will follow this complaints policy in full.
Complaints information
Orchard Medical Centre has prominently displayed notices in Reception detailing the complaints process. In addition, the process is included on the organisation website and a complaints leaflet is also available from Reception.
If you are not happy with the care or treatment that you have received at Orchard Medical Centre then please contact the Practice Manager, Jade Shawcross either in writing to:
Orchard Medical Centre
10 Leigh Road
Boothstown
Worsley
M28 1LZ
Email: gmicb-sal.orchardmedical@nhs.net or call 0161 702 8579
The Practice Manager will aim to respond to all complaints within 14 working days and will investigate your complaint as quickly as possible, usually within 28 working days, but this can take up to 6 months due to pressures within the practice.
Most complaints are dealt with by the practice manager as the majority of patients are satisfied with the outcome of the investigation. But if you are not happy with this then there are further steps that can be taken.
The NHS complaints procedure explained
The NHS Constitution explains your rights when it comes to making a complaint. You have the right to:
- have your complaint dealt with efficiently, and be properly investigated
- know the outcome of any investigation into your complaint
- take your complaint to the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if you’re not satisfied with the way the NHS has dealt with your complaint
- make a claim for judicial review if you think you’ve been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of an NHS body
- receive compensation if you’ve been harmed
Most issues can be resolved without you having to make a formal complaint. Try having an informal chat with your doctor or a member of staff first. A formal complaint takes time and minor issues are resolved quickly if you just speak to a person on sight. For example, if you have problems booking a GP appointment speak to the practice manager about it. If you are worried about something during your hospital outpatient appointment talk to one of the nurses or the clinic manager.
NHS England calls this informal process ‘local resolution’ and urges everyone to see if things can be solved there and then before they escalate to a real problem.
However, if despite everything this doesn’t solve your problem, or even if it does but you would still like to make a formal complaint, you should follow the NHS complaints procedure as described below.
The NHS complaints process
Stage one: Making a complaint
If you don’t feel like you can solve issues informally then you should make a formal complaint to your service provider such as your GP, dentist, hospital or pharmacist. If you cannot make a complaint yourself, then you can ask someone else to do it for you.
Every NHS organisation has a complaints procedure. To find out about it, ask a member of staff, look on the hospital or trust’s website, or contact the complaints department for more information. You probably have to make the complaint in writing.
However, if you feel too uncomfortable to complain to the service provider directly then you can make a complaint to the commissioner of the services instead. NHS services are commissioned, planned and paid for by either NHS England or ICBs (integrated care boards).
Note: if you have already complained to your service provider then the commissioner will not be able to reinvestigate the same concerns. In this case you should proceed to stage two of the complaints process.
NHS England is responsible for purchasing primary care services such as GPs, dentists, pharmacists, optical services and some specialised services, and you should contact them if you wish to complain about any of these services.
When you contact NHS England via email (england.contactus@nhs.net) ensure you state ‘For the attention of the complaints manager’ in the subject line.
You should provide as much information as possible to allow NHS England to investigate your complaint, such as:
- your name and contact details
- a clear description of your complaint and any relevant times and dates
- details of any relevant healthcare providers or services
- any relevant correspondence, if applicable
When should I complain?
As soon as possible. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the date of the event that you’re complaining about, or as soon as the matter first came to your attention.
The time limit can sometimes be extended (so long as it’s still possible to investigate the complaint). An extension might be possible, for instance in situations where it would have been difficult for you to complain earlier, for example, when you were grieving or undergoing trauma.
If you made your complaint to NHS England you will receive the findings of the investigation together with an appropriate apology and the changes or learning that have taken place as a result of the investigation.
Stage two: I am not happy with the outcome of my complaint
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who is independent of the NHS and government.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s role is to make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved locally by either the organisation or the Integrated Care Board (ICB). The Ombudsman will look at complaints when someone believes there has been injustice or hardship because an NHS provider has not acted properly or has given a poor service and not put things right.
The Ombudsman can recommend that organisations provide explanations, apologies and financial remedies to service users and that they take action to improve services.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
If you have problems with your hearing or speech then you can use a textphone (minicom) on 0300 061 4298. (Calls to these numbers cost the same as a call to a UK landline.) You can also call using Text Relay.