Let Us Know Your Views

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at Statham Grove, please let us know. You can make a complaint either in writing or verbally. However, this procedure does not deal with matters of legal liability or compensation.  Our practice complaints system meets national criteria, and is based on – NHS England Complaints Policy – Updated September 2023

We will ensure that your comments and complaints are listened to and acted on effectively. Patients will not be discriminated against for making a complaint. 

Making a complaint

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and by speaking with the person concerned.  If your problems cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint our reception staff will explain our complaints procedure to you.  All complaints will be dealt with promptly and confidentially.  

You may fill out a complaints form, make a complaint verbally to the Practice Manager, or write to:

Dylan Reynolds, Practice Manager, Statham Grove Surgery, Statham Grove, London, N16 9DP

Please tell us about your problem as soon as possible - ideally within a matter of days or at the most a few weeks - this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  If it is not possible to do that, please let us have specific details of your complaint:

• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem or
• Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

The Practice Manager or Partner GP has the discretion to extend the time limits if the complainant has good reason for not making the complaint sooner, or where it is still possible to properly investigate the complaint despite extended delay.

When considering an extension to the time limit it is important that the Complaints Manager takes into consideration that the passage of time may prevent an accurate recollection of events by the clinician concerned or by the person bringing the complaint. The collection of evidence, Clinical Guidelines or other resources relating to the time when the complaint event arose may also be difficult to establish or obtain. These factors may be considered as suitable reason for declining a time limit extension.

What we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days, or if this is not practicably possible, as soon as is reasonably possible.  We then aim to look into your complaint and provide you with a full response within 7-28 days of receiving your complaint or within an agreed time scale of the date you raised it with us. We will then be in a position to offer an explanation or a meeting with the people involved. 

Provide a written response to the patient as soon as reasonably practicable ensuring that the patient is kept up to date with progress as appropriate. Where a response is not possible within 28 working days provide an update report to the patient with an estimate of the timescale. The final reply will include a full report and a statement advising them of their right to take the matter to the Ombudsman if required.

When we look into your complaint, we aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Give a clear explanation of the issues to be investigated
• Make it possible 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 we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again
• A statement of the right to escalate the complaint, together with the relevant contact detail

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 signing this.

Where the patient is a child

• by either parent, or in the absence of both parents, the guardian or other adult who has care of the child;
• by a person duly authorised by a local authority to whose care the child has been committed under the provisions of the Children Act 1989  
• by a person duly authorised by a voluntary organisation by which the child is being accommodated  

Assistance for your complaint

If you need independent, confidential and free support and information about making a complaint about any NHS service, please contact:

The Advocacy Project

• Tel: 020 3960 7920
• Make a referral
• Visit their website for more contact options

Complaining To NHS England 

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of your investigation, you can contact NHS England The Complaints Team on 0300 311 22 33 or find out how to make a complaint.

Alternatively you can write to: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT

You Are Unhappy With The Response To A Complaint

You should allow your complaint to be investigated first, but if you remain dissatisfied following receipt of the response and any further discussion you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and government.

• 0345 015 4033 
• For more contact options please visit their website
   

Healthwatch Hackney

If you experience difficulties in contacting any of the organisations above, or would like to share your experiences of any health and care services, please contact:

• Tel: 020 3960 7458
• Freephone number 0808164 7664
• For more contact options please visite their website
• Hackney's Health and Social Care Complaints Charter website