We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the Office Manager or Practice Manager and they will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

The Health Service Ombudsman in England

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website contains detailed information on raising a complaint about any aspect of the NHS in England. There is also a leaflet explaining the procedure of bringing a complaint to the ombudsman.

All practice staff are trained in information security and confidentiality.  There are strict rules in place to make sure your information is safe, whether it is on paper or computer files.  Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

Anyone who received information from your Doctor is under a legal obligation to keep it confidential.  Your Doctor needs information about you to be able to treat you, or decide if they need to see you again.

It may be shared with other organisations involved in your care should it be necessary, for example

• To help protect the health of the public generally.  A GP is required by law to notify the Government of diseases such as meningitis and measles.
• To investigate complaints of legal claims (with your consent).
• To pass on information which we must do by law, such as to notify a birth or death.
• For research purposes (with your consent)

Your information may be used in anonymous form (this means details which would identify you are removed e.g.:

• To carry out other health research by use of statistics
• To plan for the future—this includes sending information to other NHS organisations and Dept. of Health.

Your Doctor will only ever pass on information about you if it is in your interest with regard to your health, or it is thought to be in the best interest of safeguarding your child.

The Practice is registered with the Information Commission with the Data Protection Act 1988.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.

The CQC make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage them to improve.

They monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and publish what is found, including performance ratings to help people choose care.

Our GP Practice has recently undergone a CQC inspection and the results are now freely available on the CQC Website.  You can access the report below.

The Greenway Medical Practice was inspected by the Care Quality Commission on Tuesday 31st May 2016. Their report concluded that the practice is ‘GOOD’ at providing a Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well led service to our patients.

As GPs we also have the right to ask a patient on our list to find another Doctor’s surgery.  We would only do this in exceptional circumstances and only after considerable discussion between all the partners (and the Practice Manager if appropriate).

Broadly speaking, our reason for requesting somebody to find another Doctor to look after them would be if we felt that the relationship between the patient and the doctor had broken down to such an extent that the mutual trust which is essential in all our dealings with patients, has been lost on either side.

We never remove patients from our list on the grounds of age or because their treatment is “too expensive”.

Examples of situations in which we may consider asking  a patient to find a new Doctor include:

• Aggressive behaviour, threats of or actual violence.
• Repeatedly not attending appointments without cancelling them.
• Evidence of prescriptions being altered by a patient (which is illegal).
• Evidence of Statements of Fitness to work being altered by a patient (which is illegal)

We would always do our best to discuss any problems with the patient concerned before reaching the point of asking them to find another Doctor.

Violence or threats to any member of the team

We are never prepared to tolerate violence, or threats of violence, or verbal abuse to any member of our team. In the event of actual violence within the surgery building, we would always inform the Police immediately. We would always press charges in this situation.

Threats of violence for whatever reason, are extremely frightening for our staff and other patients who may witness them. For this reason we feel that such behaviour is unacceptable, and a reason to ask someone to find a new Doctor immediately or be registered with the Safe Haven Service in Huddersfield.

You and Your General Practice

You and your general practice (YYGP) has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their general practice and how they can get the best from their GP team. YYGP also enables patient to provide feedback or raise concerns with their GP Practice, Healthwatch or the integrated care board (ICB). The YYGP document published by NHS England can be found below.

You and Your General Practice

If you wish to provide feedback or express a concern, your GP practice is the first point of contact. However, if you are not comfortable sharing your feedback directly with your practice, you can get in touch with NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). The ICB is responsible for overseeing GP services in West Yorkshire, and you can find a feedback form by clicking this link:

https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/you-and-your-general-practice