Compliments & complaints

Compliments

We are always keen to hear positive feedback on the services we provide. If you wish to compliment us on the service you have received then please tell the doctor or member of staff. If you wish to compliment us more formally then you can write to Governance Manager, Dorking Healthcare Ltd, Holmhurst Medical Centre, 12 Thornton Side, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 2NP. Or via email to patientfeedback.dhc@nhs.net

We will always pass these comments on to the relevant individuals involved in your care.

Complaints

Should you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from our staff, please let us know. We operate a complaints procedure according to the wider NHS regulations for patient complaints.

How to make a complaint

We hope that any member of staff can sort out most problems easily and quickly, and hopefully on the spot. If your problem can not be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a formal written complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible.

Ideally complaints should be addressed to Governance Manager, Dorking Healthcare Ltd, Holmhurst Medical Centre, 12 Thornton Side, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 2NP. Or via email to patientfeedback.dhc@nhs.net

The complaints procedure will be explained to you and we will 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.

If you feel uncomfortable about contacting us directly, please get in touch with the Patient Experience Team at NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group using the details below:

• Email: syheartlandsccg.complaints@nhs.net
• Phone: 0300 561 1200
• Text: 07917 087 560

Please note that due to COVID-19, the CCG offices are closed for routine business. Post is not being collected and complaints sent by post will not be handled until further notice.

You can find out more about contacting NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group here

What happens next?

Whichever route you take you will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint, verbally or in writing, within 3 working days. We shall investigate and respond to you as quickly as possible. We will ask how you would like to be informed of the outcome. When we look into your complaint, we shall 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 you receive an apology, where we have made an error
Find a solution to any immediate concern, where possible
Identify what we can do in the future to make sure the problem does not happen again

You can be assured that you will not be discriminated against because you have made a complaint, and that your care and treatment will not be affected in any way.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality and Data Protection. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note of consent, signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

Independent support during the complaint process

Should you require independent advice or advocacy with the NHS complaints procedure you can contact SEAP
(website: www.seap.org.uk, or call 0330 440 9000).

The Patient Experience Service at Surrey Downs CCG can also give you advice (see above).

What to do if you are still unhappy with our response

You can ask us for a meeting to explain our response or discuss other possible resolution options such as involving the Surrey Independent Lay Conciliation Service. If, after this, you still feel that your concerns have not been resolved, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman for an independent review of your case, within 12 months of raising it initially. You can telephone the Ombudsman’s office on 0345 015 4033 (www.ombudsman.org.uk).