We Aim to Provide Quality Care to All Our Customers

Myatts Field Medical Practice

COMPLAINTS POLICY

Internal complaints

Our internal complaints procedure helps us to develop a quality service to our customers. It provides a means for us to identify flaws in practice procedures and to rectify them at an early stage. We review complaints annually at one of our practice meetings

Complaints procedure

Please complete the form as requested by reception. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours. If this is not possible, the reason for the delay will be explained to you and a revised date for the completion of the investigation will be given.

Advocates

If required, advocates may be nominated by the customer to overcome language difficulty or infirmity. However, the customer (or guardian) will still be required to sign the complaint form to allow access to medical records, if required.

The question of confidentiality

It must be stressed that giving an investigator free access to all material relevant to the complaint can raise certain questions about confidentiality. Provided that the complainant is the patient or acts with the patient’s consent, disclosure to an investigator is justified. If the patient is a minor, (aged under 18 years), the situation is a little more complicated. The minor must be able to understand the implications of signing the form to agree to the disclosure of information. Although this information will remain within the practice, it is important that we obtain a signature before we can commence an investigation into the complaint. If the minor understands the implications, then his or her wishes will be observed.

A minor is considered to be incompetent to sign the form if he or she is unable to understand the full implications of signing the form and agreeing to the disclosure of confidential information. If this is the case, then a parent’s or guardian’s signature will be required.

What if I am not satisfied?

If after an internal investigation has been completed you are not satisfied with the outcome, then you are free to take the matter up with Lambeth PCT.

NHS Lambeth PALS, 1 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7NT. Tel: 0800 587 8078 (Monday-Friday, 9am–5pm)

Email:

Discussing your problem

Should you wish to discuss your problem with the Practice Manager or Doctor, please ask at reception and they will pass on your request. We will also accept verbal complaints or offer help to fill in the form if needed.

Updated January 2009

Myatts Field Medical Practice

Complaint Form (Please return for the attention of the Practice Manager)

Complainant’s details

Name:______

Address:______

______

______

Telephone:______

Patient’s details (if different from above)

Name:______

Address:______

______

______

Telephone:______

Date of Birth:______Usual doctor:______

Details of complaint (including date(s) of events and persons involved

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Complainant’s signature:______Date:______

Complaint Form (continued)

Where the complainant is not the patient

I ______authorise the complaint set out overleaf to be

made on my behalf by ______and I agree that the practice may

disclose to ______(only in so far as is necessary to answer

the complaint) confidential information about me which I provided to them.

Patient’s signature:______Date:______

Name and address:______

______

______

______

______
Problem report

Please send to:

The Practice Manager

Myatts Field Medical Practice

Patmos Road

London

SW9 6SE

From name: ______

Address:______

______

______

______

Signed:______Date: ______

Name and address of person reporting problem (if different from above)

______

______

______

______

Details of problem

Date problem arose:______Date problem reported:______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

(continue overleaf if necessary)

Action / Summary sheet (for internal use only)

Date complaint / problem received: ______by telephone/letter/in person

Date complaint / problem avknowledged:______

Complaint handled by:______

Action taken:______

______

______

______

______

Was the complaint investigation completed within 10 working days? Yes / No

If no, state reasons:______

______

Type of complaint:

Communication/Attitude

Premises

Practice/surgery management

Clinical

Other (specify)

Interview sheet

Name of person interviewed:______Date:______

Address:______

______

______

______

Name of interviewer:______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Content agreed with interviewee

Signed (interviewee):______Date:______

Updated January 2009