Complaining about your GP or Practice
As a first step, you could talk to:
- Your GP, or
- The practice manager at your GP surgery, or
- Your local PALS
In many cases, the problem can be solved straightaway, and you won’t need to take your complaint any further.
Please contact the Practice Manager Mrs Sharon Snape on 01538 399007
Getting help or advice
If you don't feel comfortable about talking to your GP or practice manager, you may want to seek advice.
All NHS trusts and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have a complaints manager who can advise you about making a complaint. Your GP surgery should also have someone who oversees complaints.
If you’re not sure who to contact, or you want advice about how to complain, you can contact your local PCT – NHS North Staffordshire – on 0845 602 6772 or at
Complaints Team
Morston House
The Midway
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 1QG
You can also get advice about your complaint from:
- Your local Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS), or
- Our local Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS)
PALS and ICAS
PALS provide a confidential service designed to help patients get the most from the NHS. PALS can tell you more about the NHS complaints procedure and may be able to help you resolve your complaint informally.
The local PALS – Tel: 0800 030 4563
Morston HouseV
The Midway V
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 1QG
ICAS is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS care or treatment. The local ICAS is:
Shropshire & Staffordshire ICAS
POhWER
Unit 25 & 32,
Stafford Business Village
Dyson Way
Staffordshire Technology Park
Stafford
ST18 0TW
Tel: 0300 456 2370
Minicom: 0300 456 2364
Fax: 0300 456 2365
Taking your complaint further
If your concerns are not resolved, you may decide to make a complaint. You can do this:
- Verbally by speaking to a member of staff at your GP surgery, or
- By writing to your GP surgery. You can send a letter or an email, or
- By writing to the local PCT complaints team.
Time limit for NHS complaints
You should make your complaint as soon as possible. The time limit for a complaint is:
- Twelve months from the date the event happened, or
- Twelve months from the date you first became aware of it
If you have a reason why you could not make the complaint i.e. due to illness, then please detail this and where possible, the complaint will be taken forward.
It is important to note that the longer the time since the event, the harder it is to investigate.
Local Resolution
You need to raise your concerns with either the practice or with the PCT’s complaint manager. Ideally this is done in writing, and ICAS can help with any letters.
If you do make a verbal complaint, a member of staff should record your complaint in writing. They should give you a copy of this written record, or send one to you.
Whether you complain verbally or in writing, you should receive an acknowledgment from your GP surgery or the PCT within three working days of the complaint.
Your complaint should be answered within six months, unless it is agreed that it can be answered within a different timescale.
This first stage is called local resolution. It aims to resolve complaints quickly and most cases are resolved at this stage.
The Next Stage
If you’re not happy with your GP surgery’s reply, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman carries out independent investigations into complaints about government departments, their agencies and the NHS. You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or see their website for more information about contacting the Ombudsman.
Useful Websites
ICAS - http://www.pohwer.net/how_we_can_help/independent.html
NHS North Staffordshire – www.northstaffordshire.nhs.uk
NHS Choices:
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1083.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=162
Department of Health - http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/ContactUs/ComplaintProcedures/index.htm
Ombudsman - http://www.ombudsman.org.uk
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