How to make a complaint

Last Updated: Friday, 05 April 2024

Making a formal complaint

If you wish to make a formal complaint, you should do so in writing, as soon as possible after the event, and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

In any event, this should be: within 12 months of the incident, or  within 12 months of you discovering that  you have a problem.

State your case clearly giving as much detail as you can. You can use our template complaint form linked on this page or simply write a letter.

You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written consent.

Our standard template includes a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else.

Please make sure any and all complaints are addressed to the Practice Manager.

The details of our Practice Manager can be found in the Administration section of  our Meet The Team page

What we do next

We look to settle complaints as soon as possible. You should hear back from the Practice Manager within 6 weeks of placing your complaint. You may then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person(s)concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

When looking into a complaint we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can earn from it, and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you would like to do so.   

When the investigations are complete your complaint will be determined and a response sent to you.

How to Escalate

Most of the organisations that you can escalate your complaint to will require you to have first taken up your complaint with the Surgery.

You can escalate a complaint to

  • The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
  • NHS England
  • The Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) who commission GP services
  • Healthwatch can support you with a complaint and are also able to arrange someone to act as your advocate.