Suggestions and Complaints

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We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately.  

Complaints Procedure

We try to provide an efficient and reliable service at all times. Regrettably, from time to time, things may go wrong. We welcome your comments so that we can improve our service. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or staff, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets National Criteria.

Dr Alison Fairley is the person with overall responsibility for complaints within the practice and our Practice Manager, Nargis Khan,  is the complaints manager who is responsible for managing and monitoring our complaints process.

How To Complain

You can complain orally, in writing or electronically. Ordinarily, complaints should be made within 12 months of an incident happening however, the limit will not apply if it can be shown that there were good reasons for not making the complaint sooner, or it is still possible to investigate matters effectively and fairly.

If you chose to make your complaint to the practice, please ask to speak with, or write to our Practice Manager, who will help you through the process and relevant procedures.

If you feel unable to raise your complaint with us, you may wish to make your complaint directly to NHS England Thames Valley Area Team, in which case you should address your written complaint to:

The Complaints Manager, The Complaints Department, Thames Valley Area Team, Jubilee House, 5510 John Smith Drive, Oxford Business Park South, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2LH.

Oral Complaints

We would hope to resolve most complaints informally within the Practice. If you make an oral complaint and the matter is resolved to your satisfaction no later than the next working day, then it is not subject to the regulations and the matter will be treated as closed.

If you make an oral complaint which can not be resolved by the next working day, it will be subject to the complaints regulations and will be recorded in the Practice Complaints Register. We will then write to you in acknowledgement, with an outline of your complaint.

Written Complaints

You may prefer to put your complaint in writing. If so, please address your written complaint to the Management Team who are the persons responsible for managing our complaints procedure here at the practice.

We aim to acknowledge your complaint in three working days. If you have chosen to write directly to NHS England, the practice will accept any request from NHS England to handle your complaint and will write to you acknowledging your complaint 3 working days following receipt of the request from NHS England.

Investigating Your Complaint

The practice will undertake a full investigation into your complaint. If your complaint concerns a member of the PCC/Admin team, the practice management team will investigate and reply to you.  If your complaint is clinical one of the partners will investigate and respond.

The Written Response

Under the Regulations, (see below) we are required to provide a written response as soon as reasonably practicable after completing the investigation. We will endeavour to provide you with a written response as soon as possible, however, in order to ensure that a full investigation can be undertaken, the Practice aims to provide you with a written response within 28 days from the date we acknowledged  your complaint. If the investigation has been delayed, we will keep you informed of the reasons and will update you on progress.

The written response will include an explanation of how the complaint was considered, any conclusions reached, an indication of any specific remedial action needed, plans to implement actions and actions already taken.

If, following receipt of the written explanation you do not feel that the matter has been dealt with to your satisfaction, please do contact the practice to discuss the matter further.

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

If you are complaining on behalf of another patient, 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. Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality.

Complaints About The Out-Of-Hours Service

If you need to make a complaint about Oxfordshire CCG Out of Hours service, please address it to the Complaints Manager, The Complaints Department, Oxfordshire CCG, Jubilee House, 5510 John Smith Drive, Oxfordshire Business Park South, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2LH. The Out of Hours service the Oxford Emergency Medical Service that provides a GP service between 6.00 pm and 8.00 am each weekday, at weekends and at bank holidays.

If You Are Dissatisfied With The Practice Procedure

We hope you will use our practice complaints procedure in the first instance. We believe this gives the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong, and gives us the best opportunity of improving the practice.

Our Procedure complies with the local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/309) which came into force on 1st April 2009.

If you are not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your complaint, you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman:

Their address is: 3300 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4HS. You can phone them on 0330 440 1614, or contact them via their website.

Other NHS Resources

If you wish to find out more about health service regulations, you can contact the Care Quality Commission the NHS regulatory body responsible for setting the minimum standards of compliance. You can contact them on 03000 616161, by Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by post at St Nicholas Building, St Nicholas Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1NB

You may wish to contact The Patients Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) which is based at the CCG (see above)

A leaflet about the National Health Service Executive Ombudsman can be obtained by telephoning the Health Literature Line on 0800 555777. Leaflets are available in a variety of languages