We aim to provide patients with the best care we can, but we will sometimes fall short of the mark. If you have any compliments, comments, concerns or complaints we want to hear about it.

We would encourage you to speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with – your GP, a Nurse or Manager – However, if you are wanting to make a formal complaint please put this in writing to our Deputy Practice Manager (Patient Services), Tracy Carter, Fareham Health Centre, Osborn Road, Fareham, PO16 7ER or email her via the “Contact us” section of our website

www.farehamcentrepractice.co.uk.

Under the NHS Constitution each patient has the right to have any complaint you make about NHS Services dealt with efficiently and have it investigated properly.

You have the right to know the outcome of the investigation.

You have the right to take your complaint to the Independent Health Service Ombudsman if you are not happy with the way your complaint has been handled by the NHS.

Complaints will normally be investigated by the Responsible Officer and Complaints Manager but in their absence or if the complaint concerns them the deputies named above will investigate.

No correspondence concerning a complaint will be kept in a patient’s clinical record.

You can obtain independent support while making a complaint from PALS (part of The Patient and Customer Services Team) on 0800 917 6039 or emailing PALS@porthosp.nhs.uk  Alternatively you can contact Hampshire Advocacy 023 8077 6657 http://hampshireadvocacy.org.uk/patient-complaints-advocacy/  who can give advocacy support.

Primary care complaints can also be referred to NHS England, who you can also contact if you are unhappy with the way we handle your complaint. Their address is:

NHS Commissioning Board,

PO Box 16738

Redditch,

B97 9PT

0300 311 2233

England.contactus@nhs.net

You may also contact the NHS Ombudsman if you are unhappy with the way we handle your complaint. Their web address is: www.ombudsman.org.uk  and phone number 0345 015 4033.

The Care Quality Commission also takes an interest in feedback about services – whether good or bad.  It cannot investigate individual concerns but will use the information as part of its inspection process and this may lead to an inspection being brought forward or the service being asked for more information. The CQC can be contacted at www.cqc.org.uk or 03000 616161

On receiving your complaint, we will acknowledge receipt within three working days and give you an indication of how long it will take for us to investigate. You may be offered a meeting to discuss your concerns. All complaints are investigated thoroughly and where appropriate used as a learning tool within the practice to avoid similar events recurring. While investigating your complaint we will let you know if there is likely to be a delay in our response and give you reasons for the delay.

You can complain in writing, verbally or by email. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we will need their permission to discuss their care with you or if that is not possible, we will need confirmation that you are authorised to act on their behalf in terms of their health needs.

If your complaint also involves another Health Organisation, we will liaise with them so that you receive a co-ordinated response and agree with them which is the most appropriate to co-ordinate your response.

Your response will:

• Give an explanation of how the complaint has been considered
• Include the conclusions reached, including any matters for which the complainant specifies, or the responsible body considers, that remedial action is needed.
• Give confirmation that the responsible body is satisfied that action needed in consequence of the complaint has been or is proposed to be taken
• Give details of how you can take your complaint to the Health Service Commissioner (Ombudsman)
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If you have a complaint to make, please don’t be afraid to say how you feel. We welcome feedback and you will not be treated any differently because you have complained. We will do our best to put right anything which has gone wrong