Every day, many people benefit from the services we offer. The partners and staff who plan, organise and provide these services, aim to give you the very best standards.
From time to time we understand that things do go wrong, therefore we welcome all feedback. If you would like to give feedback to the practice, please complete our online Feedback form. If your feedback is less positive, we would like to investigate your concerns and turn patient feedback into real improvements in the services we provide.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out in a quick, efficient manner, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.
Giving Feedback
To provide feedback:
- Take part in the Friends and Family Test
- Phone us on 01283 818100
All complaints will be dealt with in accordance with NHS complaints guidelines.
For further information, please see the ‘How to raise concerns about a general practice (PDF)‘ document
Making a complaint
We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known.
The period for making a complaint is normally:
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occured
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complaint’s notice
If you are a registered patient, complaints can be made to us in various ways;
- In person at the surgery
- By telephone on 01283 818100
- On our practice website, using the feedback form
- In writing to the practice manager:
Michelle Hurley
Heartwood Medical Practice
Civic Way
Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE11 0AE
Alternatively you may prefer to have you complaint handled by:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Phone
0345 015 4033
The Practice Manager will:
- Acknowledge your complaint within three working days.
- Find out what occurred and what went wrong.
- Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you wish.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate.
- Identify what can be done to ensure the problem does not happen again in the future.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep to strict patient confidentiality rules. If you wish to make a complaint, but are not the patient involved, we will require written consent from the patient. This is to confirm they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else regarding it.
If the patient is a child, the complaint should either be made by either parent, or in the absence of parents, the guardian.
Confidentiality
All complaint must be treated in the strictest confidence.
The surgery must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from the patient’s medical records.
The surgery has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning outcomes or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.