Suggestions and Complaints

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At the Surgery we welcome any constructive suggestions.

We recognise that sometimes things can go wrong. If you have a problem with our service, please discuss it first with a doctor or Practice Manager, or write to the practice. We undertake to handle and resolve problems as fairly as possible.

Making a complaint

If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this 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 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or 
• Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.

The Practice Manager will be pleased to deal with any complaint.  She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.   You can make your complaint:

• via our secure online form
• In writing: some complaints may be easier to explain in writing - please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of  the Practice Manager as soon as possible

What we shall do

Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible. We follow the NHS Wales Putting Thing Right (PTR) Guidance (V3 2013).

We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 30 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.

When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again

At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.

In accordance with the PTR regulations, a final response should be provided with 30 working days of receiving the complaint. If it is not possible to complete the investigation within this timescale, you should be informed of the reasons for the delay and when you can expect to receive a response.

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 they are 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 the local Health Board if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the way we are dealing with your complaint. The Patient Advice Liaison Service based at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Preswylfa, Hendy Road, Mold, CH7 1PZ. LHB provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns you may have about the care we provide, guiding you through the different services available from the NHS.   Telephone: 01352 803434

If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complaint, you have the right to ask the Healthcare Commission to review your case.   The Healthcare Commission is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide service.  You can contact them on 020 7448 9200, or write to them at: Healthcare Commission (Complaints Team) Peter House, Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5AN. You can also visit their website here

Help us get it right

We constantly try to improve the service we offer.

Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.