Have you any – Compliments? Comments/Suggestions? Concerns Complaints?
We want to hear about them
Please ask at reception for our leaflet on “Patient Complaint Leaflet”
We aim to provide patients with the best care we can. If you have any compliments, comments/suggestions, concerns or complaints about our service, we want to hear about it.
We would encourage you to speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with – your doctor, nurse a receptionist or manager – but if you would prefer to give your feedback in writing please send it to:
Mrs Benara Rahman, Bath Street Medical Centre, 73 Bath Street, Sedgley, Dudley DY3 1LS
We always try to provide the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. If you have any comments and suggestions to make please feel free to use the suggestion box based in the main waiting room.
If you have a complaint to make, please don’t be afraid to say how you feel.
We welcome feedback to help us improve our standard and you will not be treated any differently because you have complained. We will endeavour to put right anything that has gone wrong.
Making a formal complaint
If you feel you would still like to make a formal complaint please contact the Practice Manager, preferably in writing, or complete a complaint form as soon as possible after the event, ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. We look to settle complaints as soon as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days. You will receive a response within 7 days. A full written response will be offered.
We will carry out a full investigation of the matter and reply in writing or offer you a meeting to discuss the complaint, investigations and our findings if you so wish.
At your request, where your complaint involves more than one organization, we will liaise with that organization, to provide you with one co-ordinated response.
Taking your complaint further
You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.
From 1 July 2023 the way you make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner changed.
By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.
There are two ways you can make a complaint:
- You can make a complaint about the service you received at our practice directly to us. To do this please contact reception who will be able to assist you with your complaint.
- You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.
If you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact the Black Country Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.
You can do this by:
Telephone: 0300 0120 281
Email: bcicb.time2talk@nhs.net
Writing to us at: Time2Talk, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH
If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that did not change on the 1 July 2023.
Please see the Black Country ICB Compliments, concerns and complaints leaflet here.
Ongoing complaints
If you have an ongoing complaint placed on or after 1 July 2023, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that the Black Country ICB is now handling your complaint, this will include confirmation of your case handler.
If you have an ongoing complaint placed before 1 July 2023, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that your complaint is being retained by NHS England, this will include confirmation of your case handler.
Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service or visit the Time2Talk Customer Services page on our website.
We hope that at the end of our investigation, you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with your complaint thoroughly. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS. The service is confidential and free. There are time limits for taking a complaint to the Ombudsman, although they can waive them if they think there is a good reason to do so.
If you have any questions about whether the Ombudsman will be able to help you, or about how to make a complaint, you can contact their helpline on 0345 015 4033, email on phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk. Further information about the Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk.
You can write to the Ombudsman at:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Please ask for a complaints leaflet at reception for further information.