Patients and their carers are encouraged to voice their compliments, concerns and comments as they arise, directly with the healthcare worker or member of the administration team concerned.

Highgrove Surgery aims to provide a friendly and professional service to all our patients. However, if you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please let us know. Speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with – a doctor or nurse, our practice manager or our reception staff will be happy to help. In our experience the majority of cases and concerns can be resolved quite easily as long as we know about them.

When to complain

Please let us know the details of your complaint as soon as possible, but no later than

•  Within 12 months of the incident causing a problem or
•  Within 12 months of discovering that the incident is causing a problem

On occasions and if possible, we may consider investigating a complaint if notified after this time period if there is good reason for the delay.

How to complain

You may complain informally/formally by contacting the Practice Manager. We hope that most of the problems can be resolved easily and quickly often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be resolved this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to write to us as soon as possible as this will establish what happened more easily.

We will then respond to you within 3 days with a note to confirm receipt of your complaint and will tell you when to anticipate a reply. We will investigate your complaint thoroughly and send you a written reply. This will usually take 10 working days, but may occasionally take longer due to unforeseen circumstances like staff annual leave etc. If there is a delay, we will keep you informed with the reason.

Who can complain?

A complaint can be made by a patient or person affected, or likely to be affected, by the action or decision of an NHS organisation or primary care practitioner. Confidentiality issues

If you are not the patient, you must ensure that the patient has given their written consent before we can disclose clinical information to you..

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

We anticipate most if not all complaints to be resolved locally, but if you feel we have not dealt with the issues you have raised as you would wish, you have the right to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

In the case of complaints which cover both health and social care issues, the PHSO will work closely with the Local Government Ombudsman.

Unhappiness about the outcome of the complaints process is not sufficient cause for the PHSO to investigate; complainants will need to provide reasons why they are still dissatisfied and consider whether or not they have suffered hardship or injustice.

Contact details:
Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Textphone: 0300 061 4098

Your comments and suggestions are important to us, please click on the 'Suggestions Form' link, complete the form to send them to us.

Please note : only use this form for comments about the practice and suggestions as to how we can improve our service to you.

Medical matters and official complaints cannot be dealt with via this form. If you have a query regarding a medical matter please telephone reception to make an appointment to see the appropriate person.

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please complete this form and the practice manager will deal with your concerns appropriately.