Our passion is to deliver the highest quality of care for our patients, but we know that sometimes, things go wrong. If you feel that the treatment or service you received fell short of your expectations or you have cause for concern, please let us know. We take all complaints very seriously, treat them confidentially, investigate each one individually, and will respond as quickly as possible. We acknowledge the importance of complaints and use them as an opportunity to learn how to improve our services and all aspects of the patient experience.

Complaints

You can make a complaint either by sending a letter to Sarah Tomkins, Chief Executive or by completing the enquiry form on our contact us page. If you would like to discuss your complaint in person, please contact Linda Warnes, Clinical Governance Manager on 01737 775463 or linda.warnes@nhs.net. 

Visit this page for more information.

Due to the Data Protection Act and patient confidentiality responsibilities, we cannot disclose any information to a third party without the written consent of the patient. If you are complaining on behalf of a relative or friend, we will need a signed letter from them giving their consent to discuss details of their care.

Download our Complaints Policy

Complaints policy

Compliments

We are always pleased to receive positive feedback about your experiences of our services. Please contact the service directly, write to our Chief Executive, Sarah Tomkins, or complete the enquiry form on our contact us page. Your compliments will be passed on to the relevant staff member(s).

Need help to make a complaint? 

If you live in Surrey and are unhappy with the NHS treatment you have received, you can access free, confidential and independent support to help you make a complaint about an NHS service.  This team is called the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy service. It is provided by Healthwatch Surrey in partnership with SILC (Surrey Independent Living Charity).

You can contact the team via: 

What happens after you have made a complaint?

The local resolution process

Acknowledgement

When your formal complaint is received, whether it is made orally or in writing, the managing director is notified and the investigation begins. If possible we will contact you by telephone to discuss your concerns and agree a way forward. A letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint is sent within two working days of it being received.

The investigation

A lead investigator is appointed who will interview the staff who have been involved in your care and are ask for comments on the matters you have raised. If the complaint concerns your clinical care, your medical records will be consulted.

The response

As soon as responses are received from staff, they are checked to ensure they are sufficiently clear and detailed. If this is the case, the responses are incorporated into a reply which the managing director reviews and signs. You can expect to receive a reply within the timescale previously agreed and in normal circumstances, this will be within 25 working days of us receiving your complaint. Some complaints can be dealt with more quickly, but more complex issues can take longer to resolve. If the investigation is delayed we will keep you informed of progress.

Outstanding concerns

We hope that the written response answers all your concerns satisfactorily. If it doesn't, please let us know and we will continue our enquiries. We will make every effort to ensure that all your concerns are resolved, but if you are not completely satisfied there is another stage to take things further.

Independent review

Should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of the local resolution process, you are entitled to go to the second stage of the NHS complaints procedure and request that your complaint is considered by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for England.

Details for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and other useful contacts can be found here.