BURNLEY GROUP PRACTICE – COMPLAINTS LEAFLET 

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the Doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know.  We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints.  Our complaints procedure meets national criteria.

HOW TO COMPLAIN
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, where possible at the time the complaint arises.  We would like to deal with the complaint as soon as possible, ideally within days or weeks, because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

For this to be dealt with in a timely manner please ask to speak to Mrs Julia Moseley, the practice Business Partner.  If she is not available at the time you are in the surgery, she will contact you by telephone to clarify details or concerns you may wish to discuss, or we can arrange a face to face appointment to discuss any concerns you may have. If however you prefer, you are welcome to put the complaint in writing.

HOW WE WILL DEAL WITH YOUR COMPLAINT
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have investigated your complaint within 25 working days of the date the complaint was initially raised.  We will then be in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved.  When we look in to your complaint, we will aim to:-

-	Find out what happened and what went wrong
-	Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned if you wish to do this.
-	Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
-	Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

Where your complaint involves more than one organization: We will liaise with that department or advise you who to contact if it is another organisation to this one. 

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 NHS ENGLAND - We hope that, if you have a problem you will use our practice complaints procedure, and are happy to discuss any queries or concerns you may have verbally or in writing. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve the systems and procedures within our practice.  However if you feel that you cannot raise your complaint with us, you should contact: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT in writing or by email to england.contactus@nhs.net or by telephoning 0300 311 2233. Alternatively if you have already made a complaint to the practice and you are unhappy with the response provided you may contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Tel: 0345 0154 033. 

You have a right to approach them directly, and this will not affect your position with the practice or your rights.

You may also seek help and advice from Advocacy Access on 0345 456 3210, who will put you in touch with the advocacy service for your area. The advocacy service is independent of the NHS and is available to offer you support with your complaint through the complaint process. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information.