We are continually looking to turn patient feedback into real improvements in the services we provide. We use it to focus on the things that matter most to our patients, carers and their families.
Giving feedback
To provide feedback:
- phone us on 01639 502 792
Making a complaint
Putting Things Right
Our aim is to provide the very best care and treatment and it is important that we welcome comments and learn from people’s experiences. Sometimes things might not go as well as expected and, when that happens, we need to look at what went wrong so that we can improve our service.
If you have a concern about the service you have received from the Doctors or any of the Staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to complain
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 this, please let us have 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.
A complaint can be made verbally or in writing. Please ask to speak to, or address your complaint to Julie Tobin, Practice Manager. Additionally, you can email your complaint to practice.manager.w98031@wales.nhs.uk.
Your complaint will be acknowledged within 2 working days and we will explain the process of how your concern will be investigated and when you can expect a response (within 30 working days, unless a longer time scale is necessary, in which case we will inform you).
If you do not wish to raise your concern with the practice, you can contact the Health Board on 01639 684500 who will advise you on the next steps.
If you need help with raising your concern:
Llais can support you to raise a concern and give advice on the most appropriate course of action. You can contact your local Llais office at the following address:
Advocacy Service
Llais-Neath Port Talbot and Swansea Region
First Floor
Cimla Health and Social Care Centre
Neath
SA11 3SU
Tel: 01639 683490
Email: nptandswansea.enquiries@llaiscymru.org
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.
If you wish to make a complaint but are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient. This is to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.
Please ask at reception for a complaints form which includes a statement of authority that the patient can sign. Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter. Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the above circumstances apply.
Confidentiality
All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.
Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, the practice manager must inform the patient or person acting on his or her behalf if the investigation will involve disclosure of information contained in those records to a person other than the practice or an employee of the practice.
The surgery must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from the patient’s medical records.
The surgery has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning issues or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.