Practice Complaints Procedure 

 

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Your feedback is important in helping us plan for the future and continually improve our services, so please do tell us how we can do things better, or if we are doing something well. This will help us to understand what is important for you as a patient, carer or relative and we are grateful for you taking the time to contact us.

 

What to do when things don't go to plan

We also appreciate that things don’t always go to plan and want to work with you to resolve any problems you may experience. Many enquiries and complaints can be looked into and resolved quickly by discussing them directly with the person who is providing your care, or the Practice/Reception Manager. This is best done at the time you became aware of the problem, so that the people responsible for providing the service can help solve the matter for you straight away.

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from any of the staff working at Shirley Health Partnership, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

 

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time that they arise and with the person concerned. If your complaint 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 happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

  • Within twelve months of the incident that caused you the problem
  • Within twelve months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that this is within twelve months of the incident

Complaints should be addressed to the Practice Manager, Reception Manager or to any of the doctors. We will explain the complaints procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

Complaints and the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We welcome feedback and complaints, and we want to understand your experience in your own words.

We are committed to handling complaints fairly, openly and compassionately, in line with the Public Service Ombudsman's NHS Complaint Standards.

Some people choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help write complaints or emails. We understand that these tools can be helpful in organising thoughts or expressing concerns.

However, AI-generated text can sometimes:

  • include information that is inaccurate or not relevant;
  • use overly formal or legal language;
  • make complaints longer or more complex than necessary; or
  • make it harder for us to clearly understand your personal experience.

This can occasionally delay our review or mean we need to contact you to clarify the details before we can respond fully.

The most helpful complaints are usually clear and concise, and explain:

  • what happened;
  • when it happened;
  • how it affected you; and
  • what you would like us to do to resolve the matter.
A short explanation in your own words is often more helpful than a long or highly formal letter.

However, if you choose to use AI tools, we recommend that you:

  • check the wording carefully to ensure it reflects your own experience;
  • remove any information that is inaccurate or not relevant; and
  • take care when including sensitive personal information.

Further guidance on using AI to support a complaint

Please be aware that some AI tools may store or use information entered into them.

If you need support to make a complaint—for example due to language needs, disability, learning disability, or mental health or communication difficulties—please let us know. We will do our best to support you in a way that works for you.

 

What we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to have looked into your complaint and respond to you as soon as we are able. We will then be in a position to offer you an explanation or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint we will aim to:

  • Find out what happened and what went wrong
  • Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
  • Make sure that you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
  • Identify what we can do to make sure that the problem doesn't happen again
 

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 note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

 

Complaining – unsure what to do?

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. Alternatively, if you do not want to contact the practice directly, or you are unsure what to do or who to contact, please get in touch with the Patient Experience and Complaints Team at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, who will explain the options available and help you decide how you would like your enquiry or complaint to be managed, this includes any NHS service provided within Hampshire and the Lisle of Wight: 

For patients within Hampshire and Isle of Wight, please email: hiowicb-hsi.patientexperience@nhs.net   

If you need to speak to a member of the Team, please dial 0300 561 2561

Please write ‘For the attention of the Patient Experience Service’ in the subject line.

Patient Experience & Complaints
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
Omege House
112 Southampton Road
Eastleigh
SO50 5PB

Website

 

Further Information – The Public Service Ombudsman 

You also have the right to request an independent review if you feel that you cannot raise your complaint with us, or NHS England or if you are dissatisfied with the result of any investigation. If you wish to pursue this option you should contact the Public Service Ombudsman at the following address:

The Public Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester M2 3HQ

Their role is to investigate complaints that individuals have been treated unfairly or have received poor service from government departments and other public organisations and the NHS in England. They are a free service open to everyone.

 

Support with NHS Complaints Advocacy 

The Advocacy people provides independent health complaints advocacy, offering you support if you have not received the service you expected from a service provided or paid for by the NHS:

The Advocacy People
PO Box 375
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 9HU

You can also visit The Carers Federation website

Charity and membership organisation POhWER provides advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion. Visit the POhWER website or call 0300 4562370

Charity VoiceAbility is one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. It is an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS), which may be able to support you. This is a free, independent and confidential service that offers help and information in making a complaint about the NHS. Visit the VoiceAbility website or Telephone: 0300 3031660

Healthwatch Southampton NHS Complaints Advocacy Service, delivered by The Advocacy People, can also help resolve issues or concerns you may have about your local health services. Their service is free, confidential, and independent of the NHS:

Healthwatch Southampton
Southampton Voluntary Services
Kingsland Square
Southampton
SO14 1NW