Complaint Procedure

The Gardens Surgery encourages patients to let us know if you have any feedback about the care and service we provide. If you feel you have cause to complain please let us know verbally as in line with NHS.

England’s complaint guidance, we would like the opportunity to resolve any issues quickly and informally in the first instance. Any member of staff can assist you. However, you can contact the practice directly in writing if you prefer.

Some people choose to use AI to assist them in writing letters or emails. If you do, it will not affect the way the practice manages your complaint and seeks to address your concerns. The practice also recognises that sometimes AI can help people organise their thoughts and what they want to say.

Unfortunately, AI generated complaints can also be:

• Longer and more complicated than is necessary to say what you want to say.
• Use formal or legal language which may make the complaint more difficult to understand.
• Refer to information, such as guidelines, legal rights or responsibilities which are out of date, inaccurate, and not relevant to what has happened to you.

These factors may create delays in responding to your complaint or mean the practice may need to contact you to clarify the points you want to make.

The most helpful complaints are usually in your own words, and tell the practice:

• What happened to you.
• When and where did it happen.
• Who was involved, including any practice staff (the practice will give you this information) and other members of your family and people who support you.
• How did what happened affect you and anyone else.
• What would you like to happen as we seek to address your concerns and resolve the matter.

In most cases there is no need to write a long, complicated or formal letter to say this.

If you do use AI the practice recommend you spend time reviewing your letter or email to check that:

• The correspondence accurately reflects what has happened to you.
• Remove any information that is repetitive or not relevant. 

At this stage it is very unlikely references to the law or national or local guidance will assist in handling your complaint and these can be addressed at a later date if necessary.

The Public Service Ombudsman oversees complaints within the NHS and has provided the following guidance which may assist you in terms of helping an AI tool understand what you want it to do.

Useful prompts for Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help with your complaint

If you do need any support in making a complaint the practice will work with whatever you suggest, such as family members, carers, or other health or social professionals who help look after you, to assist you, providing you are happy to share such information with them.

At this stage, copying your complaint to other organisations, such as NHS England, the GMC or your MP, is unnecessary and may delay the practice’s response. You can contact any of these organisations, or the Ombudsman, at a later date if this would be helpful. 

The practice’s complaints policy is available on our website.