The purpose of the policy is to ensure that all patients (or their representatives) who have the cause to complain about their care or treatment can have freely available access to the process and can expect a truthful, full and complete response and an apology where appropriate. Complainants have the right not to be discriminated against as the result of making a complaint and to have the outcome fully explained to them. The process adopted in the practice is fully compliant with the relevant NHS Regulations (2009) and guidance available from defence organisations, doctors` representative bodies and the Care Quality Commission. Everyone in the practice is expected to be aware of the process and to remember that everything they do and say may present a poor impression of the practice and may prompt a complaint or even legal action.
The general principle of the practice in respect of all complaints will be to regard it first and foremost as a learning process, however in appropriate cases and after full and proper investigation the issue may form the basis of a separate disciplinary action. In the case of any complaint with implications for professional negligence or legal action, the appropriate defence organisation must be informed immediately.
Procedure
Availability of information
The practice will ensure that there are notices advising on the complaints process conspicuously displayed in all reception/waiting areas and that leaflets containing sufficient details for anyone to make a complaint are available without the need to ask. The practice website and any other public material (Practice Leaflet etc.) will similarly provide this information and also signpost the complainant to the help available through the NHS Complaints Advisory Service.
Who can a formal complaint be made to?
ONLY TO – either the practice -OR – NHS England
In the event of anyone not wishing to complain to the practice they should be directed to make their complaint to NHSE at:
By telephone: 03003 11 22 33
By email: england.contactus@nhs.net
By post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
In those cases where the complaint is made to NHS England, the practice will comply with all appropriate requests for information and co-operate fully in assisting them to investigate and respond to the complaint.
Who can make a complaint?
A complaint can be made by or, with consent, on behalf of a patient (i.e. as a representative); a former patient, who is receiving or has received treatment at the Practice; or someone who may be affected by any decision, act or omission of the practice.
A Representative may also be
- by either parent or, in the absence of both parents, the guardian or other adult who has care of the child; by a person duly authorised by a local authority to whose care the child has been committed under the provisions of the Children Act 1989; or by a person duly authorised by a voluntary organisation by which the child is being accommodated
- someone acting on behalf of a patient/ former patient who lacks capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (i.e. who has Power of Attorney etc.) or physical capacity to make a complaint and they are acting in the interests of their welfare
- someone acting for the relatives of a deceased patient/former patient
In all cases where a representative makes a complaint in the absence of patient consent, the practice will consider whether they are acting in the best interests of the patient and, in the case of a child, whether there are reasonable grounds for the child not making the complaint on their own behalf. In the event a complaint from a representative is not accepted, the grounds upon which this decision was based must be advised to them in writing.
Who is responsible at the practice for dealing with complaints?
The practice “Responsible Person” is Dr Jonathan Davis. They are charged with ensuring complaints are handled in accordance with the regulations, that lessons learned are fully implemented, and that no Complainant is discriminated against for making a complaint.
The practice “Complaints Manager” is the Practice Manager and they have been delegated responsibility for managing complaints and ensuring adequate investigations are carried out.
Time limits for making complaints
The period for making a complaint is normally:
(a) 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred; or
(b) 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice.
The practice has discretion to extend these limits if there is good reason to do so and it is still possible to carry out a proper investigation. The collection or recollection of evidence, clinical guidelines or other resources relating to the time when the complaint event arose may also be difficult to establish or obtain. These factors may be considered as suitable reasons for declining a time limit extension, however that decision should be able to stand up to scrutiny.
Action upon receipt of a complaint
A) Verbal Complaints: It is always better to try and deal with the complaint at the earliest opportunity and often it can be concluded at that point. A simple explanation and apology by the Practice Manager at the time may be all that is required.
A verbal complaint need not be responded to in writing for the purposes of the Regulations if it is dealt with to the satisfaction of the complainant by the end of the next working day, neither does it need to be included in the annual Complaints Return. The practice will however record them for the purposes of monitoring trends or for Clinical Governance and that record will be kept and monitored by the Practice Manager. Verbal complaints not formally recorded will be discussed when trends or issues need to be addressed and at least annually, with minutes of those discussions kept.
If resolution is not possible, the Complaints Manager will set down the details of the verbal complaint in writing and provide a copy to the complainant within three working days. This ensures that each side is well aware of the issues for resolution. The process followed will be the same as for written complaints.
B) Written Complaints: On receipt, an acknowledgement will be sent within three working days which offers the opportunity for a discussion (face-to-face or by telephone) on the matter. This is the opportunity to gain an indication of the outcome the complainant expects and also for the details of the complaint to be clarified. In the event that this is not practical or appropriate, the initial response should give some indication of the anticipated timescale for investigations to be concluded and an indication of when the outcome can be expected.
It may be that other bodies (e.g. secondary care/ Community Services) will need to be contacted to provide evidence. If that is the case, then a patient consent form will need to be obtained at the start of the process and a pro-forma consent form included with the initial acknowledgement for return.
If it is not possible to conclude any investigations within the advised timescale, then the complainant must be updated with progress and revised time scales on a regular basis. In most cases these should be completed within six months unless all parties agree to an extension.
The Investigation
The practice will ensure that the complaint is investigated in a manner that is appropriate to resolve it speedily and effectively and proportionate to the degree of seriousness that is involved.
The investigations will be recorded in a complaints file created specifically for each incident and where appropriate should include evidence collected as individual explanations or accounts taken in writing.
Final Response
This will be provided to the complainant in writing (or email by mutual consent) and the letter will be signed by the Responsible Person or Complaints manager under delegated authority. The letter will be on headed notepaper and include:
- An apology if appropriate (The Compensation Act 2006, Section 2 expressly allows an apology to be made without any admission of negligence or breach of a statutory duty)
- A clear statement of the issues, details of the investigations and the findings, and clear evidence-based reasons for decisions if appropriate
- Where errors have occurred, explain these fully and state what has been or will be done to put these right or prevent repetition. Clinical matters must be explained in accessible language
- A clear statement that the response is the final one and the practice is satisfied it has done all it can to resolve the matter at local level
- A statement of the right, if they are not satisfied with the response, to refer the complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP or visit the ‘Making a complaint page‘ at http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint (to complain online or download a paper form). Alternatively the complainant may call the PHSO Customer Helpline on 0345 015 4033 from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday or send a text to their ‘call back’ service: 07624 813 005
The final letter should not include:
- Any discussion or offer of compensation without the express involvement and agreement of the relevant defence organisation(s)
- Detailed or complex discussions of medical issues with the patient’s representative unless the patient has given informed consent for this to be done where appropriate.
Annual Review of Complaints
The practice will produce an annual complaints report to be sent to the local Commissioning Body (NHSE) and will form part of the Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme.
The report will include:
- Statistics on the number of complaints received
- The number considered to have been upheld
- Known referrals to the Ombudsman
- A summary of the issues giving rise to the complaints
- Learning points that came out of the complaints and the changes to procedure, policies or care which have resulted
Care must be taken to ensure that the report does not inadvertently disclose and confidential data or lead to the identity of any person becoming known.
Confidentiality
All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence and the practice must ensure that the patient etc. is made aware of any confidential information to be disclosed to a third party (e.g. NHSE).
The practice must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints, but such records must be kept separate from patients’ medical records and no reference which might disclose the fact a complaint has been made should be included on the computerised clinical record system.
Unreasonable or Vexatious Complaints
Where a complainant becomes unreasonable or excessively rude or aggressive in their promotion of the complaint, some or all of the following formal provisions will apply and must be communicated to the patient by the Responsible Person in writing:
- The complaint will be managed by one named individual at senior level who will be the only contact for the patient
- Contact will be limited to one method only (e.g. in writing)
- Place a time limit on each contact
- The number of contacts in a time period will be restricted
- A witness will be present for all contacts
- Repeated complaints about the same issue will be refused unless additional material is being brought forward
- Only acknowledge correspondence regarding a closed matter, not respond to it
- Set behaviour standards
- Return irrelevant documentation
- Detailed records will be kept of each encounter
Complaints involving Locums
It is important that all complaints made to the practice regarding or involving a locum (Doctor, Nurse or any other temporary staff) are dealt with by the practice and not passed off to a Locum Agency or the individual locum to investigate and respond. The responsibility for handling and investigating all complaints rests with the Practice.
Locum staff should however be involved at an early stage and be advised of the complaint in order that they can provide any explanations, preferably in writing. It would not be usually appropriate for any opinions to be expressed by the Practice on Locum staff. Providing their factual account along with any factual account from the practice is the best way to proceed.
The practice will ensure that on engaging any Locum, the Locum Agreement will include an assurance that they will participate in any complaint investigation where they are involved or can provide any material evidence. The practice will ensure that there is no discrepancy in the way it investigates or handles complaints between any Locum staff and either practice Partners, salaried staff, students or trainees or any other employees.
“Informal complaints”
The collection of data about informal complaints – often referred to as “grumbles” – is a good tool for identifying trends for low-level dissatisfaction with services or the way they are offered to patients.
Staff are encouraged to raise these issues at practice meetings and these will be logged in the Learning Event reporting and analysis system.
All information acquired in our work, whether by a doctor, nurse, receptionist, or by any staff, is highly confidential. Therefore, other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not be able to discuss medical conditions with anyone other than the patient. Parents of children under the age of 16 are able to act on behalf of their child, however once the child reaches the age of 16 we will not be able to discuss their condition with a parent without the patient’s explicit consent. If you want us to be able to discuss your health with a relative you will need to let us have written authority to consent to the sharing of your information. Please ask at reception for details.
Useful Telephone Numbers
| NHS Direct Royal Shrewsbury Hospital RJAH Orthopedic Hospital District Nursing (Ans. Machine) Shropshire Health Severn Hospice Shrewsbury Police |
08444 068888 (01743) 261000 (01691) 404000 (01691) 663430 (01743) 277500 (01743) 236565 0300 333 3000 |
The doctors will carry out examinations for insurance and other purposes. An appointment may be made through our receptionists who will also advise regarding fees.
This medical practice aims to provide you with a high quality of service, where you as the patient:
- are treated courteously at all times;
- are given an appointment on the day of the request if your need is urgent;
- can generally expect to be given a routine appointment within 48 hours of request;
- are seen within 20 minutes of your appointment, or be given an explanation for the delay (emergency situations will always take priority);
- have your medical information held at the surgery treated in confidence;
- are given a full explanation about your treatment and can ask the receptionist to arrange for you to speak to the doctor or nurse directly if needed.
- Antenatal/Postnatal
- Family Planning including Coil and Implant fitting
- Cervical Smears
- Baby and child immunisations
- Travel advice
- Minor Surgery
- Asthma checks
- Diabetes Clinic
- Heart Disease Clinic
- NHS Health Checks
- Social Prescribing
Community Health Care Team
District Nursing Team: (01691) 663609 option 1
Health Visitor: https://www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/health-visiting
School Nurses: https://www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/school-nurses-shropshire
Please download and complete this assessment questionnaire and bring or send it to the surgery before you attend for your Travel Health appointment.
The information that you provide will assist our Nurses to give you the best advice possible to keep you safe when you are travelling.
You can email a copy of the completed questionnaire to stw.knockin@nhs.net
Knockin Medical Centre is an accredited Veteran Friendly GP Practice. We are proud to support our Armed Forces community.
As a Veteran Friendly GP Practice we:
• Have a clinical lead for veteran health
• Ask patients ‘Have you served?’ to identify veteran patients
• Support veteran patients to access dedicated health services
• Undertake specialist training to meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant
If you are a veteran patient, please let us know that you have served so that we can make sure that we understand your health needs. Nearly 1,100 practices are now Veteran Friendly accredited. To find out more about the Veteran Friendly Practices accreditation scheme, visit rcgp.org.uk/veterans
The Veteran Friendly Practices accreditation scheme is run by the Royal College of General Practitioners in partnership with NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Armed Forces healthcare briefing and latest updates on COVID-19
The surgery is accessible by wheelchair and there are toilet facilities for the disabled.
Please click the following link below where you can find a step-by-step guide to the practical help, support and advice that’s on offer and how to get it, including how to look after someone. If you require any further information regarding care please get in touch with the practice.
If you require any advice or help please take a look at our self-referral leaflet below:
Self referral IAPT.
Alternatively you can Click Here to view the Shropshire Primary Care Psychological Therapies Service.
We are a Dementia Friendly practice, for more information click here.
| Item | Net | VAT | Total Cost | |
| Adoption Medical | ||||
| Examination and Report | £110.00 | 20% | £132.00 | |
| AH2 Form | £25.00 | 20% | £30.00 | |
| Access to Medical Records | ||||
| Fee for copying manual medical records | £50.00 | exempt | £50.00 | |
| Fee for printing off computerised records | £10.00 | exempt | £10.00 | |
| Insurance Medicals | ||||
| Full GP Insurance Report | £110.00 | 20% | £132.00 | |
| Targeted Report and opinion only (No Examination) minimum | £30.00 | 20% | £36.00 | |
| Targeted Report and opinion only (No Examination) maximum | £75.00 | 20% | £90.00 | |
| Dependent on complexity of form and questions | ||||
| Certificates | ||||
| Private Sick Note | £15.00 | exempt | £15.00 | |
| Shotgun / firearms report for police (basic) | £30.00 | 20% | £36.00 | |
| Holidays and Travel | ||||
| Fitness to travel | £30.00 | 20% | £36.00 | |
| Travel cancellation | £30.00 | 20% | £36.00 | |
| Certificate of immunisation | £15.00 | exempt | £15.00 | |
| Driving | ||||
| HGV / PSV / Taxi | £110.00 | 20% | £132.00 | |
| Sporting Fitness | ||||
| Full examination and report | £110.00 | 20% | £132.00 | |
| Report and opinion only (No Examination) minimum | £30.00 | 20% | £36.00 | |
| Report and opinion only (No Examination) maximum | £75.00 | 20% | £90.00 | |
| Dependent on complexity of form and questions | ||||
| Private Consultation (not available to NHS registered patients) Price per 10 minute consultation. Excludes cost of prescription, drugs or investigations. | £45.00 | exempt | £45.00 | |
| Private Prescription – Issue only, cost of drugs not included. | £10.00 | exempt | £10.00 | |
| Vaccinations not covered by NHS | ||||
| Japanese Encephalitis – 2 doses required for full course – price per course. | £150.00 | 20% | £180.00 | |
| Rabies – 3 doses required for full course – price per course | £180.00 | 20% | £216.00 | |
| Tick Encephalitis – 2 or 3 doses required for full course – cost per dose | £56.00 | 20% | £67.20 | |
| Malaria Tablets Cost of medication plus Private Prescription | ||||
| Private Prescription – Issue only, cost of drugs not included. | £10.00 | exempt | £10.00 | |
| Atovaquone / Proguanil Pack of 12 tablets | £27.50 | 20% | £33.00 | |
| Atovaquone / Progranil Paediatric Pack of 12 tablets | £15.00 | 20% | £18.00 | |
| Doxycycline Pack of 10 tablets | £6.00 | 20% | £7.20 |
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in Knockin Medical Centre in the last financial year was £86,003 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full-time GPs and 1 part-time GP who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Personalised care for veterans patient information
We are always looking for ways to improve the care that we can give to our patients. If you or a member of your family is a Military Veteran, please read the information in this leaflet.
Please inform Reception of the details of the Veteran and we can make sure that any additional support is available if needed.
The quickest and easiest way to order your repeat medication is via one of the Online Access systems. Please contact the surgery for details of how to register or click the link on the front page of this website. Alternatively you can bring in your paper repeat slip to the dispensary having clearly marked the items that you require. If you cannot use either of the above methods you can telephone the surgery and choose option 2 to speak with the dispensary.
Please note that you need to allow seven days before you come to collect your medication. This is to allow for safety checks to take place.
Vaccinations
This guide can help you understand the vaccines offered in the UK and when to have them. It also explains how they work and why they're safe and important. There's separate information travel vaccinations.