PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Practice Procedure

Regrettably despite our best efforts there are times when Patients are unhappy with their treatment and wish to complain. It is important to us that our Patients have confidence in how we deal with their concerns.

How to complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise.

If you have a complaint please contact our Practice Manager. The Practice Manager will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. The Practice Manager will take detailed notes of the complaint from you.

It would be most helpful for the practice if this were within a matter of days, or at most weeks, after the event. The Practice would expect complaints to be made:

• within 6 months of the date of the incident that caused the problem

               or

• within 6 months of the date of discovering the problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.

Complaints should be addressed to Practice Manager or in her absence Admin Manager. The Doctors are responsible for the effective management of the complaints procedure on behalf of all the GP’s

What We Shall Do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days of the date you raised it with us. A copy of each complaint will be forwarded to all GPs. Written detailed notes of the complaint will be taken from those involved and compared with the notes from you. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. Details and correspondence relating to the complaint will be kept in a separate file from your medical notes to ensure confidentiality.

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else
Please note that we keep 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 required.

Complaining To The Department of Health

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. But this does not affect your right to complain to DOH. If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of your investigation then you should contact the DOHComplaints Officer:

Complaints Department
McKinney House (7th Floor)
Musgrave Park Hospital
Belfast
BT9 7JB

Tel: 028 9504 8000

Email: complaints@belfasttrust.hscni.net 

The Patient and Client Council (PCC) offer a freephone support service to support the public with questions, concerns or complaints they may have within their health and social care. They are also able to help the public with navigating their care should it be affected by pressures being faced by the Health Service caused by coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Tel: 0800 917 0222
Web: www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net
Email: complaints.pcc@hscni.net

Legal Liability 

Our Practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation.

An annual report on complaints will be compiled within the practice.

Practice Complaints Procedures and Form

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE AND FORM