1. General information:

It is best to raise any concerns or problems as soon as they arise by telling a member of staff, who will try to resolve the issue. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and wish to make a complaint, please let us have the full precise details promptly. The sooner we look into the matter the easier it will be to establish the facts accurately. Complaints should be made in writing addressed to the practice manager by letter or e-mail ([email protected]), if you are unable to do this for any reason and wish to make a complaint orally (you may make an appointment to do so), we will write to you summarising your complaint to ensure that we have understood it correctly. We regard 12 months as a reasonable time limit for making a complaint; it may be possible to investigate a complaint beyond this if there is a good reason why the complaint could not have been made earlier and it is still possible to investigate it.

2. What we will do initially:

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt and invite you to discuss the manner in which your complaint will be handled, including the timescale.  Where your complaint is in connection with our aeromedical practice, we are obliged to inform the CAA, hence a copy of your complaint will be sent to the CAA.

3. What we ask of you:

Please tell us how you would like your complaint to be resolved, eg by telephone, at a meeting or a written response. Please also indicate the outcome you hope for.

4. Our complaint investigation procedure:

We will investigate the complaint to establish the facts and whether something went wrong or could have been done better; invite you to discuss the problem with those involved, if appropriate; offer an apology where this is appropriate; and review our procedures in order to improve our services and aiming to avoid similar problems recurring. A written report will be produced, you will receive a copy of this.

5. Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that medical confidentiality must be preserved. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, written consent signed by the patient indicating his or her consent for us to respond to your complaint on his or her behalf is required.

6. Complaining to other organisations, individuals or bodies:

We hope that if you experience a problem you will use our Complaints Procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of rectifying any deficiency and an opportunity to improve our practice. If you feel unable to raise your complaint with us or are dissatisfied with the outcome of our investigation, you may wish to contact another organisation or person. Possible sources of assistance are:

Citizens Advice Bureau www.citizensadvice.org.uk

General Medical Council www.gmc-uk.org/concerns/making_a_complaint/faqs.asp

Action against Medical Accidents www.avma.org.uk

7. Please remember:

We want you to let us know if you are unhappy or have a suggestion about how we might improve our service. All complaints are treated in the strictest confidence.