Here at Sutton Manor Surgery we take great pride in our practice and always look at areas of improvement for our patients. To do this effectively we need to know what you think about the services you receive. Please tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. By listening to you can we continue to build and improve upon the services we offer.

Who can make a complaint
A complaint can be made by anyone who is affected by an action, omission or decision of the Practice. If you are complaining for someone who cannot complain for themselves, we must consider if you are the right person to act on their behalf. We will normally need their consent for this. 

Are complaints confidential?
Confidentiality is respected at all times when a complaint has been made. If a complaint requires investigation this will involve gathering evidence from appropriate sources such as:

• Interviewing anyone who has been named in the complaint.
  
• Interviewing any witnesses, or potential witnesses
  
• Reviewing medical records
  

All evidence gathered relating to your complaint will be managed in line within data protection regulations. You, or the patient concerned, will not be discriminated against if you raise a concern and information is not kept within clinical records. Consent to share information will be required if your complaint also involves another organisation.

What is the time limit for making a complaint?
If you are unhappy about something, then it is always best to make your complaint as soon as possible and not more than 12 months after the incident or issue occurred. This time limit may sometimes be extended if there is a genuine reason why you could not make the complaint sooner

How to make a complaint
We hope that we can sort out most problems easily and quickly. Often this will be at the time they arise and with the person concerned. Please tell them what is worrying you and they will do their best to resolve your concerns. However, if they can’t or you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible. This will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint 

You can submit your complaint online by email to the Practice Manager.
email practice manager
If you do not have access to the internet or prefer to write to us instead, you can complete a complaint form (available from reception) or send a letter to your Practice, marked for the attention of the Practice Manager. 

What will happen as a result of my complaint
Your complaint will be managed by our management team. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have it fully investigated within ten working days from the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish.

When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances. You will receive a written response of the findings of the investigation, along with an apology if this is appropriate.

You will also receive an explanation if any lessons have been learned and/or any if changes will take place as a result of the findings of the investigation.

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution. The information on the NHS website  will guide you through the NHS complaints process, as well as the core requirements for NHS complaints handling.

The NHS encourages feedback because it's used to improve services. If you wish to share your views and experiences, positive or negative, simply speak to a member of staff. Many service providers have feedback forms available on their premises or website.

Sometimes the NHS will ask for your feedback. If you're unhappy with an NHS service, it's often worthwhile discussing your concerns early on with the provider of the service, as they may be able to sort the issue out quickly.

Most problems can be dealt with at this stage, but in some cases you may feel more comfortable speaking to someone not directly involved in your care.