Comments & Suggestions
We try to provide a friendly and quality service to our community. If you have any helpful comments or suggestions to make, please put them in writing to the practice manager. A comments and suggestions box is available in the waiting area and it is easily accessible for wheelchair users.
Complaints Policy
We endeavour to give you the best service possible at all times; but there may be occasions when you feel you wish to express your dissatisfaction. If you have any comments or suggestions please let us know. We offer an in-house procedure to deal with your concerns. This procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability or compensation, but we hope you will use it to give us an opportunity for looking into, and if necessary correcting, any problems that may have arisen or mistakes that have been made. Please note that we respect our duty of confidentiality to patients, and patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient directly.
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 an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets nationally agreed criteria.
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise, with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
How to complain
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise, with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If you are unable to do this, your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem. Complaints will be considered outside this time limit if the complainant has good reason for the delay and where it is still possible to investigate the complaint fairly.
Complaints should be addressed to Mira Rajan – Practice Manager, or to the doctor. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and ensure that your concerns are dealt promptly. The Practice Manager will take full details of your complaint and inform the outcome of the complaint after the investigation. We hope to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be taken. We trust that you will feel satisfied the matter has been resolved.
Making a complaint will not adversely affect the care you receive from the practice.
Please send your written complaint to:
The Practice Manager
Shrewsbury Road Surgery
Shrewsbury Road
Forest Gate
London E7 8QP
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.
What we will do
We will usually acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have fully investigated within 28 days of 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 and/or make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology where appropriate, and take steps to make sure any identified problem does not arise again.
You will receive a final response letter that will include details of the result of the investigation into your complaint and also your right to take matters further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.
If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complaint, you have the right to ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review your case. The Ombudsman is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide the service.
For further information or if you need any help from an independent body you may wish to contact the following regarding complaints:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Fax: 0300 061 4000
Email: [email protected]
NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group
4th Floor
Unex Tower
5 Station Street
London. E15 1DA
Tel: 020 3688 2300
Email. [email protected]
Website: [email protected]
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
Tel: 0203 598 6414
Email: [email protected]
NHS England
You have the right to approach NHS England if you feel you cannot raise your complaint directly with us. In the first instance you should contact them for further advice on how to go about this.
They can be contacted at:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
Email: [email protected]
If using email ensure that you state: ‘For the attention of the complaints manager’ in the subject line.
The Care Quality Commission
Details can be found at:
Lead partner for complaints: Dr G Purushothaman
Complaints Manager: Mira Rajan (Practice Manager)
Page checked and modified January 2021