Positive comments and suggestions for improvement are always welcome. We have a suggestions box in Prudhoe. If you wish to make a comment please ask the receptionist for a form and an envelope.

We regularly review all comments at full team meetings as well as doing twice yearly patient satisfaction questionnaires.

We then produce feedback notices for patients at both surgeries.

We are also promoting the NHS Friends and Family Test which comprises of a couple of questions asking if you would recommend our service to your friends and family. Each time you use any of our services you are welcome to complete the form. There are forms and boxes in Prudhoe.

We always appreciate your comments when you feel things have gone well and give your feedback to our loyal team of nurses and admin staff.

You can view some of our most recent feedback by clicking here.

CQC Report

You can view our most recent CQC Report by clicking here.

How to Complain

If you have a complaint or concern about the service that you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in the Practice, please let us know.

How to Complain

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 has happened more easily.

You should normally make a complaint within twelve months of the event, or within twelve months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about. However, these time limits may be waived if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier and if we are still able to investigate the complaint fairly and effectively in spite of the delay.

Complaints can be made either orally or in writing to the Practice Manager. Please ask at reception for contact details.

What We Will Do

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days in writing and will let you know how we will proceed with you complaint.

We will aim to investigate and deal with all complaints efficiently and speedily. We will send you a written response with a report on the investigation as soon as reasonably practicable. We will keep you informed if there are any delays in the process.

Some verbal complaints may be resolved on the same day and a formal response may not be necessary.

Complaints are filed separately from the doctors medical records.

When we look into your complaints, we will aim to:

  • -Find out what happened and what went wrong
  • -Advise you what we will do to put the matter right
  • -Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate
  • -Identify what we can do to reassure you the problem does not happen again
  • -If it is felt a meeting is needed you are able to bring a friend or a person from an advisory service

A written record of the meeting will be kept and you will be sent a copy, which you are free to comment on.

We hope that if you have a problem you will use our complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve the services provided by our Practice.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint at local level you can ask the Ombudsman to independently review your case by writing to:

The Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman

Millbank Tower

Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

Or email

Phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Or phone: 0345 015 4033

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

If you would like help making a complaint you can use Independent Complaints Advocacy in Northumberland (ICAN). They can be contacted at: Free post, PO Box 205, Hexham, NE46 9EA or by phone on 03332 408 468.

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 their permission to do so. A letter signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this. Parents/Guardians are usually able to complain on behalf of their child.