Complaints and Suggestions

Orchid House Surgery – The needs of sick people and their carers are complicated and not always easy to anticipate. As doctors, nurses and receptionists, we try to remember how stressful and worrying it is to be a patient – we too get stressed by the nature of the work and the long hours involved. If you tell us where problems have arisen it gives us the chance to try and put things right. We try to provide the best possible service, but sometimes things do go wrong. If you think this has happened in your case, please write to our Practice Manager, all complaints will be acknowledged and responded to following investigation.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and suggestions should be placed in the suggestions box in the waiting room or handed in to the receptionist on duty who will relay them to the Practice Manager.

Alternatively please use our feedback form, available to Download Here or to complete ONLINE.

Click below to download a copy of our Complaints & Suggestions Patient Information Leaflet

Dorset Advocacy – Help with NHS Complaints is a free and independent service that listens, offers support and representation to people who are unhappy about their experience with the NHS. You may already have started a complaint, or you may just be wondering what to do next; we may be able to help you. Call us on 0300 343 7000, email on nhscomplaints@dorsetadvocacy.co.uk or use the contact form on our website www.dorsetadvocacy.co.uk to speak to one of our trained Independent Complaints Information Officers, who can tell you about the options for taking your complaint forward. If you decide that you want to make a formal complaint, they can help you to set it out clearly and effectively. For more complex complaints we provide Independent Complaints Advocates who offer face to face support. They may attend complaints hearings with you, helping you to prepare and put forward your case.

Dorset Advocacy also provides the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service for Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth. By law people who are unable to make decisions about serious issues and have no one to speak up for them must be referred to the IMCA service. Enquiries can be made from staff, relatives or friends by calling the hotline 0845 3891762 – however a formal referral must be made by health or social care staff before work can begin.

NHS Dorset (Dorset ICB) – The NHS is made up of numerous different organisations. NHS Dorset is the organisation responsible for Commissioning or purchasing primary care services (such as GPs, dentists, opticians, pharmacies etc.) You can make your complaint directly to them if you prefer. Contact details:
Phone: 01305 368900 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm excluding English Bank Holidays). They will take a note of your complaint and arrange for it to be passed to the complaints manager.
Email; feedback@nhsdorset.nhs.uk with “For the attention of the complaints manager” in the subject line.
Write to: NHS Dorset, Barrack Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1TS
Website: Feedback – NHS Dorset

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Ombudsman will normally only take on a complaint after you have first tried to resolve the issue with the surgery and have received a response from them. The Ombudsman believes the surgery should be given a chance to respond to your complaint and, where appropriate, try to put things right before they get involved.

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint, you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.

Contact details:
Phone: 0345 015 4033 or textphone 0300 061 4298. Helpline is open 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. To request a call back text “call back” with your name and mobile phone number to 07624 813005
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Fax: 0300 061 4000
Write to: The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent health and adult social care regulator. Their job is to make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care. They do that by monitoring, inspecting and regulating services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and they publish what they find, including performance ratings to help people choose care. The CQC doesn’t manage individual complaints about GPs and their services but you can still let them know about your experiences should you wish to do so. Contact details:
Phone: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
Online form at http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/contact-us-using-our-online-form

Action Against Medical Accidents – the UK charity for patient safety and justice. They provide free and confidential advice and support to people affected by medical accidents and can refer to a panel of specialist clinical negligence solicitors or other sources of support where appropriate.
Phone: 0845 123 2352 (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm)
Website: www.avma.org.uk

Healthwatch Dorset – Healthwatch is the independent consumer champion created to gather and represent the views of the public. The aim of Healthwatch is to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality. Although they can’t deal with individual complaints they can use your experience of the care you have received to help make services better in the future. Contact details:
Phone: 0300 111 0102 (calls cost the same as 01 or 02 numbers)
Email: enquiries@healthwatchdorset.co.uk
Write: FREEPOST RTJR-RHUJ-XBLH, Healthwatch Dorset, 896 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH7 6DL
Use our online “Speak Out” form at http://www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk/content/your-story-can-change-local-health-and-care-services
You can also find us at Citizens Advice Bureau offices across Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth