Complaints Policy

Making a complaint

If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for Rolle Medical Partnership, please let us know. 

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.

If your problem 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 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• within 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to your notice

Mrs Joanna Coulam will be pleased to deal with any complaint. She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your complaint:

In person: ask to speak to Mrs Joanna Coulam, Business Manager

In writing: some complaints may be easier to explain in writing - please give as much information as you can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of Mrs Joanna Coulam, Business Manager, as soon as possible.

What we shall do

Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaint as quickly as possible.

• We shall acknowledge your complaint immediately (or within 24 hours)
• We will have a discussion with you about how to resolve your complaint or concern.
• We believe that swift resolutions have a positive outcome for you and avoids bureaucracy

If your wish to pursue a formal complaint an acknowledgement will be sent to you or your representative within 3 days and it will let you know how we will be investigating the complaint. This acknowledgement may be by telephone or in writing.

We will commence a complaints log

A meeting will be offered to discuss the complaint as it is important for you to understand what the outcome of the complaint may be and how it will be handled. It may include a include a further meeting with those involved if appropriate and you would like this

• You will be advised of timescales and kept informed.
• The Clinical Lead for Complaints is Dr Fergus Bostock.
• The Investigating Manager is Mrs Joanna Coulam.
• If your complaint has been sent to the wrong organisation, you will be contacted and advised for it to be sent on.
• We will find out what happened and what went wrong.
• Provide you with a clear statement of issues, investigations and findings
• Offer an apology where appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure it does not happen again
• At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, in person or in writing.

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 his or her permission to do so.  A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless he or she is incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

What you can do next

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 the opportunity to improve our practice.

However, this does not affect your right to approach NHS Devon, our Commissioner

How to contact One Devon

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Complaints about other services e.g physio, hospitals, mental health services and childrens services are to be directed either to the service manager for those services if known or to PALS and Complaints Team for the service, or to NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.   Pals.devon@nhs.netcomplaints.devon@nhs.net.

For help that is independant of the NHS please contact SEAP Advocacy Tel: 0330 440 9000

Help us get it right

We constantly try to improve the service we offer.

Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.

Rolle Medical Partnership
Exmouth Health Centre
Claremont Grove
Exmouth
EX8 2JF

Telephone: 01395 226540