We welcome comments about any aspect of our service, and suggestions for improvement. Please raise these issues with your doctor, any staff member; or with our Practice Manager Nicky Hall.

Medical matters and official complaints cannot be dealt with via this form. If you have a query regarding a medical matter please telephone reception to make an appointment to see the appropriate person.

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

However, 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 the most a few weeks, this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

Complaints or concerns about the service you received from the practice should be addressed, preferably in writing to Nicky Hall.

Please be as specific as possible. We operate a Practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints, meeting the national criteria. If a complaint is made it should be:

• Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem
• Or, within 6 months of discovering you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

We shall acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days.

We shall then be in a good position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• 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 doesn’t happen again.

Please note that we adhere 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 will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

The process for patient wanting to make a complaint about services commissioned by NHS England.

NHS England is responsible for the direct commissioning of:

• GP Services
• Dental Services
• Community Pharmacy Services
• Optometry Services
• Health Visiting Services
• Screening Services

If you are unable to discuss your complaint directly with your provider, you can ask the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) to look into your concerns. The contact details for our local ICB - BLMK ICB are:

Telephone: 0800 148 8890 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm, excluding English Bank Holidays).

Email: blmkicb.contactus@nhs.net (Marked ‘For the attention of the Office of CEO and Chair’)

Postal Address:

 Office of CEO & Chair,

3rd Floor, Arndale House,

The Mall,

Luton.

LU1 2LJ

Patients are advised they will need to provide as much information as possible to allow NHS England to investigate their complaint. Include some or all of the following:

• your name and a valid email or home address for reply
• a clear description of your complaint
• copies of earlier associated correspondence between yourself and BLMK ICB and
• any valid correspondence case reference numbers.