Complaints Protocol

Complaints Procedure

Making a Complaint

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days,  as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

In any event, a complaint should be with us:

Within 12 months of the incident,
or within 12 months of you discovering that you have cause for complaint, giving as much detail as you can.

If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care. You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. See the separate section in this leaflet.

We are able to provide you with a separate complaints form to register your complaint and this includes a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else. Please ask at  reception for this.

You can provide this in your own format as long as this covers all the necessary aspects.

Send your written complaint to:

Portland Medical Centre, for the attention of the Management team.
184, Portland Road
SE254QB

Or

Use the feedback option via our website

What we do next

We look to settle complaints as soon as possible.

We will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days, and aim to have looked into the matter within 10 working days.

You may then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue.

If the matter is likely to take longer than this we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

When looking into a complaint we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can learn from this, and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you  would like to do so.

When the investigations are complete your complaint will be determined and a final response sent to you.

Where your complaint involves more than one organisation (e.g. secondary care services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do  this.

Where your complaint has been sent initially to an incorrect organisation, we may seek your consent to forward this to the correct person to deal with.

The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and also your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they  wish us to liaise with you about it.

Please ask at reception for a Complaints Form which contains a suitable authority for the patient to sign to enable the complaint to proceed.

Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this  in your covering letter.

Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply.

We may still need to correspond directly with the patient, or may be able to deal directly with the third party. This will depend on the wording of the authority provided.

If you are Dissatisfied with the Outcome

You have the right to approach the

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
Email: England.contactus@nhs.net

You can also contact the Health Service Ombudsman on 0345 015 4033 or by post to Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P or the Ombudsman website

The practice Complaints Managers are:

Lesly Baquero and Tracey Miller

Review January 2025