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:
Tel: 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.
For information please visit their 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
Tel: 01932 722 612
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk/patients/your-feedback/complaints
Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Tel: 020 8296 3092
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/complaints
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Tel: 0208 934 3993
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/contact-us.aspx
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Tel: 01483 464 831
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/useful-contacts/
St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Tel: 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: https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/contact-and-find-us/compliments-and-complaints/
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Tel: 01737 768 511 ext. 6825
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/contact-us/compliments-and-complaints/
Complaints about emergency ambulance services (999)
South East Coast Ambulance Service 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.
Tel: 0300 1239 242
Website: http://www.secamb.nhs.uk/contact_us/raise_a_concern.aspx
Complaints about Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services
South Central Ambulance Service 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
Tel: 0300 123 9280
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.scas.nhs.uk/our-services/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.
Tel: 020 8296 3092
Website: https://www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/complaints
Complaints about mental health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services (all ages)
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust instructions for making a complaint are detailed on this webpage: https://www.sabp.nhs.uk/contact/pals
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
Tel: 01483 464 831
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/useful-contacts/
For patients registered with a GP in Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Woking contact CSH Surrey
Tel: 01483 362 900
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.cshsurrey.co.uk/our-services/complaints-and-compliments
For patients registered with a GP in Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge contact First Community Health and Care
Tel: 01737 775 463
Online feedback form: https://www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk/contact-us
Website: https://www.firstcommunityhealthcare.co.uk/about-us/complaints
Complaints about NHS 111 and GP out-of-hours service (only accessible via NHS 111)
Care UK Tel: 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: https://www.surreynhs111.nhs.uk/gp-out-of-hours-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)
Tel: 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: https://childrenshealthsurrey.nhs.uk/contact
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: https://www.millbrook-healthcare.co.uk/contact-us/feedback/
Phone: 0330 124 4492
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. 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
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.
pdf NHS Surrey Heartlands CCG annual complaints and patient experience report 2019/20 (844 KB)