If you have a complaint about the service you have received from any member of staff working in this practice, please let us know. The practice operates a Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria. Note: If you make a complaint it is practice policy to ensure you are not discriminated against, or subjected to any negative effect on your care, treatment or support.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

In the first instance please discuss your complaint with the Senior Receptionist who will try to resolve the issue and offer you further advice on the complaints procedure. If your problem cannot be resolved at this stage and you wish to make a formal complaint please contact Mr Carl Raynes who is our Patient Services Manager.

It would be better at this stage if your complaint could be in writing, but we will take your complaint in any format suitable to yourself. Please complain as soon as possible after the date of the event that you are complaining about. If this is not possible complaints should normally be made within 12 months.

The Practice will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and formulate a plan with you of how your complaint will be addressed. Where possible we aim to respond to your complaint within 10 working days. In some cases more time may be required, if so we will keep you informed.

When the practice looks into your complaint it aims to:

• Ascertain the full circumstances of the complaint
• Offer you the opportunity to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
• Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
• Identify what the practice can do to make sure the problem does not happen again

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE

Please note that Dinnington Group Practice keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.

HELP WITH YOUR COMPLAINT

The Management Team hope that if you have a problem you will use the Practice Complaints Procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, you can contact any of the following bodies:

OMBUDSMAN

If you are not happy with the response from this practice, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman who investigates complaints about the NHS in England.

You can call the Ombudsman’s Complaints Helpline on 0345 015 4033 or http://www.ombudsman.org.uk or Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298

Address: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

CONTACTING THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

If you have a genuine concern about a staff member or regulated activity carried on by this Practice then you can contact the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or alternatively visit the following website: https://www.cqc.org.uk.

The Patient Participation Group was established at the Practice in 2007. The purpose of the group is to ensure that the Patients in the Practice receive the best possible GP / Health / Community Care.

There are currently 15 members made up from patients representing Dinnington, Anston, and Woodsetts, Practice Managers and a Partner.

The PPG has written Terms of reference which are regularly reviewed.

Terms of Reference 2024.docx

Meetings are held to ensure that patients have a voice on the running and development of the Practice and to discuss current activities and proposed changes. The PPG also helps to set the priorities for the Practice.

There are monthly informal meetings where we focus on specific projects. One project was to discuss ideas and how this new website would look and what it would include. Lately we have concentrated on a PPG blog published in YourMag, informing patients about the surgery.

Some group members are also involved with the Rother Valley South Community Forum  that meets bi -monthly.

The PPG has responsibility for agreeing the issues which have priority. The PPG reviews Practice feedback from a multitude of sources such as in house survey results, the National Access survey, NHS CHOICES and Friends and Family Test.

The main minutes and other PPG news are displayed on the PPG noticeboards at each site.

Copies of Meeting Minutes  and Patient Surveys are in the documents section of this web page.

If you are a patient and would like to share your views, please get in touch with your local Patient Participation Group members. The Practice can put you in touch with them. They will be happy to hear from you or meet up at the surgery. Alternatively contact the Practice Manager, Kathryn Allen on 01909 517433, who can put you in touch with other members.

If any patient is interested in becoming a member of the group and attending the meetings or being part of a virtual email group please contact Kathryn Allen by email: kathryn.allen7@nhs.net.

If you are happy for us to contact you occasionally by email please click the link below to open the sign-up form and complete all the fields.

• To offer opinions in a constructive manner and to put forward ideas on behalf of other patients.
• To improve the provision of health care.
• To improve communication between surgery, patients and the wider community about matters concerning the surgery and health in general.
• To provide assistance in development of new services.
• To encourage a spirit of self help and support amongst patients to improve their health and social care.