If you have a complaint or are concerned about the Health Service treatment you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in our practice, please let us know.  We operate a Complaints procedure to deal with complaints which meets the criteria agreed for Health & Social Care Board.  It does not cover services provided under private arrangement between the practice and the patient.

How Can you Complain?

Hopefully most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often when they arise and with the person concerned.  If this is not possible, and you wish to formally make a complaint, let us know as soon as possible in order that we may find out what happened more easily.  We can however, consider complaints made within six months of the date of discovering the problem, provided this is within twelve months of the incident. 

If you wish to make a formal complaint, write to the Practice Manager (Carol Andrews).  The complaints procedure will be explained to you and you will be given assurance that your concerns are dealt with promptly, independently and in an unbiased manner.  It will be helpful if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.  .

What Happens Next?

We shall record your written complaint and acknowledge it either verbally or in writing, normally within two working days.  We aim to have investigated your complaint within 10 working days of the date that you raised it with us (longer if an honest broker is involved).  We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with those involved. 

In investigating your complaint we aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
• Ensure you receive an apology where appropriate
• Identify what can be done to make sure the problem does not happen again.

If you are dissatisfied with our initial response, enhanced local resolution methods could be investigated.  Alternatively if you feel that local resolution has been exhausted, you can take your complaint to the Ombudsman, freephone 0800 343424, or write to 33 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1  6HN or email ombudsman@niombudsman.org.uk.

Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else

The Practice must adhere to the rules of medical confidentiality.  If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we need to know that you have their permission ( an additional form is required|).  A parent or guardian can complain on behalf of a child.  A guardian may complain on behalf of a young person in care.  A relative/adult may issue a complaint on behalf of a deceased person.

Complaining to the Health & Social Care Board

You can contact the Complaints Officer,  Health & Social Care Board, Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8Bs or Tel 02895 363893.  Alternatively contact the Patient Client Council for help and support.  They can be contact at Houston’s Mill, Buckna Road, Broughshane, Tel 0800 9170222.

If you have difficulty in approaching the Practice to address your complaint, the Health & Social Care Board offers an “honest broker role”, where they can assist and advise you on taking your complaint forward.