Raising a Concern
PRACTICE RAISING CONCERNS PROCEDURE
(known as “Putting Things Right”)
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the Doctors or any of the Staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets the national criteria as set out in the National Health Service (Concerns, Complaints and Redress Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2011.
Who should I talk to about my concern?
If you feel able to do so, the best place to start is by talking to the staff who were involved with your care and treatment. They can try to sort out your concern immediately. If this doesn’t help or if you do not want to speak to staff who provided the service, then you can contact Aneurin Bevan Health Board direct.
Complaints should be addressed to Mr Ian McLeish the Practice Manager or Dr DM Edwards the Senior Partner at:
Ian McLeish
Practice Manager
Abersychan Group Practice
Old Road
Abersychan
Pontypool
NP4 7BH
Tel: 01495 772 239
Alternatively, you may ask to speak with Mr McLeish in order to discuss your concerns. He will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
If this doesn’t help or if you do not want to speak to staff who provided the service, you can then contact Aneurin Bevan Health Board direct:
Chief Executive
Aneurin Bevan Health Board
St Cadoc’s Hospital
Lodge Road
Caerleon
Newport
NP18 3XQ
Tel: (Customer Care Centre) 01495 745 656
e-mail puttingthingsright.ABHB@wales.nhs.uk
Getting help to raise your concern
If you need help to raise a concern, Llais – your voice in health and social care can help you do this. Llais is an independent body and its free Advocacy service and can provide information, advice and support to members of the public who may wish to raise a concern.
Llais can support you to raise a concern and give advice on the most appropriate course of action. You can contact your local Llais office at the following address:
Advocacy Service
Llais – Gwent Region, Raglan House
6-8 William Brown Close
Llantarnam Business Park
Cwmbran
NP44 3AB
Tel: 01633 838516
e-mail: gwentadvocacy@llaiscymru.org
To access Llais’ website go to Your voice in health and social care | Llais (llaiswales.org) (opens in new window)
Who can raise a concern?
If this is something that has happened to you, you can raise the concern yourself. If you prefer, a Carer, friend, relative or local CHC can represent you, but you will be asked to agree to this.
Raising a concern on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of Medical Confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A letter signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness etc) of providing this.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days (weekends and Bank Holidays not included) and aim to have looked into your complaint and reply to you within thirty working days (weekends and Bank Holidays not included) of the date we received your complaint. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we will:
a. Ask you if you have any particular needs that we should be aware of in dealing with your concern
b. Ask you how much you want to be involved and get your consent to accessing your health records, if this is needed.
c. Investigate your concerns.
d. As part of the investigation, decide whether we need to get specialist advice with sorting out your concern.
e. Let you know what we have found and what we are going to do about it.
f. In most cases, let you have a final reply within 30 working days of the date when we first received your concern (weekends and Bank Holidays not included). If we can’t reply to you in that time, we will give you the reasons why and let you know when you can expect a reply.
What you should do if you are still unhappy
If you are not satisfied with the explanation given by the Practice, you can contact Aneurin Bevan Health Board (see contact details above). You then have the right to contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales:
Tel: 0300 790 0203
e-mail- ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk
Address:
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed. CF35 5LJ