PatientFirst Social Enterprise tries hard to look after you, but sometimes things go wrong. We value comments, good or bad, to help us improve the service. This page tells you what to do if you are not happy with our service.  

 

 

 

 

First talk to the staff who provided you with the service that you are concerned about. If you are not sure who to speak to, ask the receptionist or person in charge who you should talk to first. Often they will be able to deal with the problem straight away. If you do not want to do this, you can contact the complaints manager in Patient First Social Enterprise.

 

​

 

You can complain if it is about something that happened to you. If you agree, someone can complain for you. This could be a relative, carer or friend, or your advocate can complain for you. 
Normally, you must complain within 12 months. If you think you have missed your chance, tell us anyway. Sometimes we can deal with a complaint even if it is late. 

​

​

​

A complaint letter/email need not be long or detailed, but it should include: 
- Who or what you are complaining about, including the names of staff if you know them;
- Where and when the events of the complaint happened. If you are complaining about several matters, make it clear which are the most important ones; 
- What, if anything, you have already done about the issue;
- What you would like from the complaint (for example: an apology or an explanation, or changes to services).  

​

​

​

You can complain in person, by phone, letter, fax or e-mail. 
Be sure to include your name and address so that we can contact you, we will keep information about you private. We will makes a record of your details and complaint, and use it to make our services better. 

 

 

 

 

When you make a complaint, you should receive a letter /email acknowledging your complaint within 3 working days. The person dealing with your complaint will then investigate it to find out what happened. This may mean talking to staff who have been involved in your care and looking at parts of your health records. If you object to staff looking at your records, make sure the people dealing with your complaint know this. If you would like to talk through your complaint with those concerned, ask for a meeting. 
You will receive a written reply within 25 working days of making your complaint. 

 

 

 

 

We can help you through the complaints process, but you might want independent help and support. 
You can get advice or help with making a complaint from any local advice service, for example the Ombudsman.
If you are still unhappy contact the Care Quality Commission on:
Call: 03000 616161 
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk 
Visit: www.cqc.org.uk 
Write to the CQC at: Care Quality Commission Citygate, Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA 

​