Smethwick Medical Centre

passionate about health

Complaints Procedure

 

 

If you wish to make a comment or complaint about any aspect of practice you may do so either in writing or verbally. Minor problems should be handled by either the Reception Supervisor or the Services Manager. If you have a serious problem you may wish to contact the Operations Manager who will investigate the matter on your behalf.

 

In the first instance all complaints should be addressed to the practice. Only if you have not been able to reach a satisfactory conclusion should you take the matter to the Primary Care Trust.

 

How to Complain


We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, preferably at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks. This is because it will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have the details of your complaint:


Within six months of the incident that caused the problem: or


Within six months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

 

Serious complaints should be addressed to Sandra Such Operations Manager or, in her absence Kath Jones Services Manager.


It will help us greatly if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

 

What we will do


We shall acknowledge your complaint within 10 working days of the date that you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint we shall aim to:


Find out what happened and what went wrong;


Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this;


Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

 

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else


Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

 

Complaining to the Primary Care Trust


We hope that if you have a problem you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. This does not affect your right to approach the local Primary Care Trust if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.

 

If you live in Sandwell you should contact: The Complaints Officer, Sandwell Primary Care Trust, Kingston House, 438 High Street, West Bromwich, B70 9LD. Tel: 0845 155 0500.

 

If you live in Birmingham you should contact: Complaints Department, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT, Bartholomew House, 142 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 9PA. Tel: 0121 224 4640

 

Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service
You may also wish to contact the local ICAS for help. They can be contacted on: 0845 120 3748.