What to do when things aren’t right
“A complaint that is not heard by the organisation is more damaging than a complaint that is received, acknowledged and remedied”
Francis Report, 2013.
We hope you will have a really good experience of healthcare in Surrey Heartlands, but if you aren’t happy with the service you have received, we want to make sure that you know what you can do.
If you have an issue or situation to discuss, first try talking to the health professional treating you. Often many problems can be resolved quickly and locally this way.
Quick links
- Who should I complain to?
- Complaints about GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
- Complaints about hospital care (acute trusts)
- Complaints about emergency services (999)
- Complaints about non-emergency patient transport services
- Complaints about mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services
- Complaints about adult community health services
- Complaints about NHS 111 and GP out-of-hours service
- Complaints about children's community nursing and therapy services
- Complaints about Surrey Wheelchair Service
- Not sure what to do? Contact our patient experience team
- What is the time limit for making a complaint and what happens once you have complain to the CCG?
- What happens once you have complained to the CCG?
- Getting support once you've made a complaint
- Independent Review - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
- Annual complaints report
- CCG complaints policy
Who should I complain to?
A formal complaint about any aspect of care is best made direct to the provider of that care. Contact details for our main providers are given below. Please visit their websites to find out more about their complaints procedures.
Complaints about GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
NHS England is responsible for investigating complaints regarding these services:
- Phone: 0300 311 22 33
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT.
- Website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/
Complaints about hospital care (acute trusts)
If your complaint relates to hospital care you will need to contact the hospital Trust directly. All local hospitals have their own complaints procedures and, in most cases, a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) too.
They can help you with any problems that have arisen and can help with any complaints relating to their services. Details of hospital trusts most commonly attended by patients in Surrey Heartlands and their contact details are provided below.
Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Phone: 01932 722 612
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals Complaints
Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Phone: 020 8296 3092
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Epsom and St. Helier Hospitals Complaints
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Phone: 0208 934 3993
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Kingston Hospital Contact us
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- Phone: 01483 464 831
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Royal Surrey NHS Trust Contact us
St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Phone: 020 8725 3492
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please read the trust’s email correspondence disclaimer here before using this service)
- Website: St. George's University Hospital Complaints and Compliments
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Phone: 01737 768 511 ext. 6825
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Complaints and Compliments
Complaints about emergency ambulance services (999)
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) NHS Foundation Trust (999 ambulance service)
- Post: Patient Experience Team, Nexus House, 4 Gatwick Road, Crawley RH10 9BG
- Text/SMS only: 07824 625 370
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 0300 1239 242
- Website: South East Coast Ambulance Service Raise a Concern
Complaints about Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services
South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) NHS Foundation Trust provides Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (PTS) eligible patients in Surrey except for those registered in the former Surrey Downs CCG geography; Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust provides PTS for these patients.
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust PTS
- Phone: 0300 123 9280
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: South Central Ambulance Service Non-emergency patient transport service
Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust PTS
- Post: Complaints, 70 East Street, Epsom, KT17 1HB
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 020 8296 3092
- Website: Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals Complaints
Complaints about mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services (all ages)
Surrey and Borders Partnership (SABP) NHS Foundation Trust
Complaints about adult community health services e.g. community nursing and therapy services
For patients registered with a GP in Guildford and Waverley, contact Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.
- Phone: 01483 464 831
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Royal Surrey Hospital Trust Contact us
For patients registered with a GP in West Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Woking contact CSH Surrey.
- Phone: 01483 362 900
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: CSH Surrey Complaints and Compliments
For patients registered with a GP in Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge contact First Community Health and Care.
- Phone: 01737 775 463
- Online feedback form: First Community Healthcare Contact us
- Website: First Community Healthcare Complaints
For patients registered with a GP in East Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley contact Surrey Downs Health and Care.
- Phone: 020 8296 309
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Complaints about NHS 111 and GP out-of-hours service (only accessible via NHS 111)
Practice Plus Group
- Phone: 0203 402 1245 (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm)
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Practice Plus Group Integrated Urgent Care Service
Complaints about children’s community nursing and therapy services
Children and Family Health Surrey (services provided by CSH Surrey, First Community Health and Care and Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust)
- Phone: 01483 948 967
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Children and Family Health Surrey Contact us
Complaints about Surrey Wheelchair Service
Millbrook Healthcare Limited
- Post: Millbrook Healthcare Limited, Nutsey Lane, Calmore Industrial Park, Totton, Hants SO40 3XJ
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Website: Millbrook Healthcare Contact us
- Phone: 0330 124 4492
Patient Experience Team at Surrey Heartlands CCG
If you are unsure what to do or who to contact, please get in touch with the Patient Experience Team at Surrey Heartlands CCG using the details below:
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 0300 561 1200
- Text: 07917 087 560
You can also use these details to make a complaint to the CCG about our own commissioning responsibilities including policy and funding decisions. Please refer to our Complaints Policy to understand how your complaint will be handled.
Please note that due to COVID-19, all our offices are closed for routine business. Post is not being collected. If you wish to make a complaint, please contact us using either our email address or telephone number.
Complaints sent by post will not be handled until further notice.
What is the time limit for making a complaint?
You should normally complain within 12 months of the event(s) concerned or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about. NHS organisations have discretion to waive this time limit if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier.
What happens once you have complained to the CCG?
We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We will advise on how your complaint is going to be investigated. This process may involve:
- Meeting or speaking with you to gain your personal view of the issues you have raised.
- Sharing your details with an outside organisation, with your permission. However, if we have serious concerns about a person’s welfare, the CCG will apply its own safeguarding policy and procedures, as detailed in our Complaints Policy.
- Using your information for other purposes, such as monitoring the complaints process or improving service quality. Where possible, only anonymous information will be used. If identifiable data is needed for other purposes, then your consent will be obtained.
Once the investigation has been completed, you will receive our response, including any improvements that have been, or will be made, as a result of your complaint. Whenever possible this will be within 25 working days; if there is going to be a delay we will let you know and explain the reasons why.
Please be assured that your future care and treatment will not be affected in any way because you have made your concerns known to us.
Getting support when making a complaint
Making a complaint is not always easy to do. If you need independent advice or support you can contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service. This is provided by Healthwatch Surrey here in partnership with Surrey Independent Living Council (SILC). They can support you and represent your views when making a complaint.
Contact details for the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service:
- Website: www.surreyilc.org.uk
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 01483 310 500 - open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays)
- Text: 07704 265 377
Independent Review - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
You have the right to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and they will decide if they are able to investigate your complaint.
The Ombudsman will normally only take on a complaint after you have first tried to resolve the complaint with the organisation involved and have received a response from them.
You can contact the PHSO using the following methods:
- Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 0345 015 4033 - open 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday (charged at a local rate)
- Sign video: If you use British Sign Language, visit www.ombudsman.org.uk/accessibility/signvideo-bsl-live
- Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298
- Call back service: 07624 813 005
- Post: The Parliamentary & Health Services Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP
CCG Annual Complaints Reports
CCGs must publish a report on the complaints they have received in the previous year, identifying themes and learning to improve care for the future.
Surrey Heartlands CCG is a new organisation as of 1 April 2020 but the 2019/20 report of complaints related to East Surrey, Guildford and Waverley, North West Surrey and Surrey Downs CCGs will be published here in September 2020.