How To Complain
In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the staff member concerned.
Where the issue cannot be resolved at this stage, please contact the Practice Manager (Janice Preece) who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaints procedure.
If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaint please let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days; this will enable the practice to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint.
If it is not possible to raise your complaint immediately, please let us have details of your complaint within the following timescales:
- Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem
OR
- Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days of the date you raised it with us.
At this stage you should be offered an explanation or a meeting with the person(s) involved.
When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:
- Ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint
- Make arrangements for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
- Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else
Please note that The New City Medical Centre keeps strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality.
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so.
A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.
Complaining To Other Authorities
The practice management team hope that if you have a problem you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, or you are dissatisfied with the response received from us, you can contact any of the following 3 bodies:
PALS (Patient Advice Liaison Services) Sunderland City Hospital
Telephone free phone 0800 587 6513
Email: [email protected]
Sunderland CCG Tel: 0191 5128484
Contacting The CQC
If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this Practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website: http://www.cqc.org.uk
PALS, ICAS & Ombudsman
Patient Advisory Liaison Service
PALS provide a confidential service designed to help patients get the most from the NHS. PALS can tell you more about the NHS complaints procedure and may be able to help you resolve your complaint informally. Your local PALS office can be found on Please Find Details here.
Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS)
ICAS is a national service that supports people who want to make a complaint about their NHS Care or treatment. Your local ICAS service can be found here.
Ombudsman
As a last resort, if you are not happy with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.
You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or www.ombudsman.org.uk or Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298