We have different ways you can contact us if you want to give feedback or make a complaint.
Complete our feedback form (Friends and Family Test (FFT))
This is sometimes called ‘Friends and family feedback’ and you may have been directed here by someone at the practice.
You’ll be asked to answer a short form which asks you about the experience you’ve had using our services.
This type of feedback is anonymous, which means we will not know who it is from.
NHS Reviews
You can leave detailed reviews about the services you have received at our practice on the NHS website. This feedback is reviewed by the NHS.
Patient Participation Group
We would like to know how we can improve our service to you and how you perceive the Practice and our staff.
To help us with this, we have set up a Patient Participation Group so that you can have your say. We will ask the members of this group some questions from time to time, such as what you think about our opening times or the quality of the care or service you have received. We will contact you via email and keep our surveys succinct so it shouldn’t take too much of your time.
We would like to include as broad a spectrum of patients as possible to get a truly representative sample. We need young people, workers, retirees, people with long-term conditions and people from non-British ethnic groups.
If you wish to participate please complete a sign-up form, either on the link below or by popping into the surgery.
Non-urgent advice: Please note
The National Association of Patient Participation
This association aims to promote the role and benefits of PPGs to patients, the public and health professionals, to create more understanding of the value of true patient participation also to promote the support available from N.A.P.P. Find out more about them click here.
The information you supply us will be used lawfully, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to know what information is held about you and sets out rules to make sure that this information is handled properly.
Complaints
We always strive to provide a high standard of healthcare to our patients, but we do acknowledge that on occasion things can go wrong. We are committed to ensuring that all our patients (or their representatives) who have cause to complain about their care or treatment can have freely available access to the process and can expect a truthful, thorough, and complete response.
The process adopted in our practice is fully compliant with the NHS Regulations (2009) and the Care Quality Commission.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and directly with the person concerned.
However, if your problem cannot be resolved in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible.
Procedure
Who can a formal complaint be made to? Complaints should be made to Greenhead Family Doctors by completing our complaints form which is available at reception desk in practice or via the link below. Alternatively, you may send an email to our practice manager directly [email protected].
Greenhead Family Doctors would encourage our patients to first make their complaint to the practice. However, in the event of anyone not wishing to complain to the practice, you can make your complaint to The West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.
Information on how to make a complaint to West Yorkshire ICB can be sought from the guidance here
Who can make a complaint?
A complaint can be made by, or with consent, on behalf of a patient (i.e. as a representative); a former patient, who is receiving or has received treatment at the Practice; or someone who may be affected by any decision, act or omission of the practice.
A Representative may also be:
- either parent or, in the absence of both parents, the guardian or other adult who has care of the child; a person duly authorised by a local authority to whose care the child has been committed under the provisions of the Children Act 1989; or a person duly authorised by a voluntary organisation by which the child is being accommodated.
- someone acting on behalf of a patient/ former patient who lacks capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (i.e. who has Power of Attorney etc.) or physical capacity to make a complaint and they are acting in the interests of their welfare.
- someone acting for the relatives of a deceased patient/former patient.
In all cases where a representative makes a complaint in the absence of patient consent, the practice will consider whether they are acting in the best interests of the patient and, in the case of a child, whether there are reasonable grounds for the child not making the complaint on their own behalf. In the event a complaint from a representative is not accepted, the grounds upon which this decision was based must be advised to them in writing.
Who is responsible at the practice for dealing with complaints?
The practice “Responsible Person” is the Practice Manager who is charged with ensuring complaints are handled in accordance with the regulations, that lessons learned are fully implemented, and that no Complainant is discriminated against for making a complaint.
Time limits
The period for making a complaint is normally:
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred; or
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice.
- We aim to respond to your complaint within 28 days of the complaint. Please note that response time may vary depending on patient demand and capacity. Please accept our sincere apologies in advance for any delays that may occur.
Our Commitment to You
We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and give an appropriate response to your complaint within 28 days. The time taken to investigate your complaint will depend on its complexity and the number of people / departments involved. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting if that is more appropriate.
When we look into your complaint, we aim to:
- Find out what happened and what should have happened.
- Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned if this is your wish.
- Ensure the complaint is resolved to your satisfaction.
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
- Identify what needs to be done to ensure the problem does not arise again.
Our Principles are:
- To get it right
- To be patient focussed
- To be open and accountable
- To act fairly and proportionately
- To put things right
- To seek continuous improvement