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:
- fill out a feedback form
- take part in the Friends and Family Test
- leave a review on the NHS website
- phone us on 01384 458 229 or visit the surgery
Making a complaint
We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably within writing, as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.
The period for making a complaint is normally:
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice
If you are a registered patient, you can complain about your own care.
Complaints can be sent in writing to:
Steppingstones Medical Practice
Stafford Street
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 1RT
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.
What Will We Do?
Firstly, your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days. We will aim to have looked at your complaint within 25 working days of receiving it. You may be invited to an informal discussion and we hope that we will be in a position to offer you an explanation.
We will aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong.
- If you wish we can arrange an appointment for you, to discuss the problem with the person concerned.
- Make sure that you receive an apology, where appropriate.
- Identify what we can do to prevent the problem recurring.
We hope that if you do have a problem, you will use our complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right any problems quickly.
Making a complaint to the NHS Commissioner
From 1st July 2023 the way you make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.
After 1st July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact the Black Country Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.
You can do this by:
- Telephone: 0300 0120 281
- Email: bcicb.time2talk@nhs.net
- Writing to us at: Time2Talk, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH
If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023.
Please see the Black Country ICB Compliments, concerns and complaints leaflet.
Ongoing complaints
If you have an ongoing complaint placed on or after 1 July 2022, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that the Black Country ICB is now handling your complaint, this will include confirmation of your case handler.