We aim to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We are always keen to hear if there is any way we can improve our service.
Making a complaint
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for Sid Valley Practice, please let us know.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.
If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
- within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- within 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to your notice
You can make your complaint:
In writing – please give as much information as you can, then send your complaint using the online form below as soon as possible. Our online complaints and compliments form can be accessed here.
What we shall do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaint as quickly as possible.
We will have a discussion with you about how to resolve your complaint or concern.
We believe that swift resolutions have a positive outcome for you and avoids bureaucracy
If you wish to pursue a formal complaint an acknowledgement will be sent to you or your representative within 3 days and it will let you know how we will be investigating the complaint. This acknowledgement may be by telephone or in writing.
We will commence a complaints log
A meeting will be offered to discuss the complaint as it is important for you to understand what the outcome of the complaint may be and how it will be handled. It may include a include a further meeting with those involved if appropriate and you would like this
You will be advised of timescales and kept informed.
If your complaint has been sent to the wrong organisation, you will be contacted and advised for it to be sent on.
We will find out what happened and what went wrong.
Provide you with a clear statement of issues, investigations and findings
Offer an apology where appropriate
Identify what we can do to make sure it does not happen again
At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, in person or in writing.
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 his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless he or she is incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
What you can do next
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.
However, this does not affect your right to approach NHS Devon, our Commissioner
d-icb.patientexperience@nhs.net or 0300 3112233
The Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Complaints about other services e.g physio, hospitals, mental health services and childrens services are to be directed either to the service manager for those services if known or to PALS and Complaints Team for the service, or to NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Telephone: 0300 123 1672 or 1392 267665
Text: 07789741099
Email: pals.devon@nhs.net OR complaints.devon@nhs.net
Write: PALS (Patient Advice & Complaints Team), Freepost EX184, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QL
Or you can find out more information about the Patient Experience Service by visiting their website
https://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/information-for-patients/pals-and-complaints-team/100081
‘Thank yous’
We encourage all patients to give us positive feedback as well as bad. It is only through patient feedback that we can continually strive to improve our service. Please do let us know if there is anything working particularly well or if any particular member of staff has provided you with an excellent service.
Please Email any “Thank-yous” through our online compliments form
