It is important that GP surgeries listen to feedback whether it is provided formally or informally.
There are many ways for patients to provide their feedback to us.
As much as we try to provide all our patients with a safe, caring and effective service there may be times when you have a concern about your care that you want to raise with the practice.
Before making a formal complaint you might want to discuss the matter verbally with the Practice Manager. They wont always be available right away but will usually be able to phone you back within one working day.
In the majority of cases this can lead to your concerns being resolved and sparing you the trouble of having to commit your concerns to writing.
Sometimes a patient will feel so strongly about a matter that they want to want to make a formal complaint.
Learn more about how you can make a formal complaint.
Whether you raise your matter verbally or in writing we aim to treat all patient concerns with respect and compassion.
The GP Patient Survey is an independent survey run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England. The survey is sent out to over two million people across England. The results show how people feel about their GP practice
The surveys are sent to a randomly selected sample of patients for each practice between January and April each year. The results are normally published in July
The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It's a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving NHS care or treatment.
Since the FFT was launched in 2013, millions of patients have submitted feedback. It's used by most NHS services, including community care, hospitals, mental health services, maternity services, GP and dental practices, emergency care, and patient transport
We collect FFT feedback via text messages which are sent out to patients shortly after they have been to the surgery for an appointment. There is also a paper version available at reception.
We are always pleased to get any feedback from our patients. It all helps us to better understand how patients feel about the service we provide.
You can send feedback to us in any written form. If your comments are negative we would prefer it if you gave us the chance to consider it before you go to any of the many public forums. It could be a relatively simple thing to put right.
If you have positive feedback for the surgery or any of our large clinical team then of course we would be delighted to hear it.
We have an active patient participation group (PPG) at the practice.
PPGs have an increasingly important role to play in helping to give patients a say in the way services are delivered to best meet their needs, and the needs of the local community.
PPGs can help GPs to develop an equal partnership with their patients. They can help them to communicate accurately and honestly with individual patients, and with the wider community about key health matters.
They can also help to reduce costs and improve services by identifying changes that the practice may not have considered, allowing resources to be used more efficiently. What is more, they can develop mutually supportive networks for patients and the practice, outside of individual appointments
Healthwatch Sefton is your health and social care champion. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, they want to hear about your experiences.
They have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback and improve standards of care. We also help people to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.
We work closely with Healthwatch and monitor the feedback provided via their patient experience website.