Suggestions & Complaints

Combs Ford Surgery aims to give a friendly and professional service to all our patients. However, if you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please let us know. Speak to whomever you feel most comfortable – your GP, our practice manager or our reception staff will be happy to help. In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily.

However, if you feel we have not dealt with the issues you have raised as you would wish, you can write to the Practice Manager (or email jane.crawford@gp-d83079.nhs.uk or sally.pearce@gp-d83079.nhs.uk).  Full details of your complaint will be taken and a full investigation will be initiated. 

You will receive an acknowledgement letter within 2 working days and we will endeavour to answer your queries within 10 working days. 

We also welcome your comments and praise for our staff! 

 Please ask our Reception staff for a copy of our leaflet “How To Make A Complaint/Compliment”. 

Other useful contacts –

PALS (Patient Advocacy & Liaison Service)
Suffolk Community Healthcare

The Akenham Suite

The Hub Business Centre

Paper Mill Lane

Bramford IP8 4DW

Tel: FREEPHONE 0800 389 6819

Email: pals@suffolkpct.nhs.uk

Patient Confidentiality

We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure.  It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible care.  

This information may be used for management and audit purposes. However, it is usually only available to, and used by, those involved in your care.  You have the right to know what information we hold about you.  If you would like to see your records, please call our practice manager on 01449 678333.  You also have the right to withhold your clinical information from IT systems used by the wider-NHS.  If you would like more information please ask your doctor or ask our Reception staff for more information. 

Patient and Staff Protection

We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff or patients. If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.

Freedom Of Information Requests

Background

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 aims to ensure that general practice contractors providing general or personal medical services are open to the public concerning the way we operate.

Routinely Published Information

In compliance with the Act, the surgery has developed a Publication Scheme, which details all of the information that we routinely publish. If you would like a copy of the Scheme please contact 01449 678333 or see our website www.combsfordsurgery.org.uk.

Who can request information?

Under the Act, any individual is able to make a request to the surgery for information.  An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing by the surgery, whether the surgery holds information required and if this is the case, to have the information communicated to him/her.

How can a request be made?

Requests must –

• Be made in writing (this can be electronically eg mail/fax)
• State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence
• Describe the information requested

What will the surgery do?

Following a request the surgery will reply within 20 working days of the request being made to say if the information is available or not.  The surgery will then try to provide the information in the preferred format of the applicant.  Information may be shared on a website or on hard copy. 

Do I Have to Pay for Information?

As a general rule:

• Anything listed in the Publication Scheme is available free of charge if providing one copy in paper-format or if it is downloaded from our website or sent electronically.

Contact Details

Please send requests by letter to:

The Practice Manager

Combs Ford Surgery

Combs Lane

STOWMARKET

IP14 2SY

Please send requests by email to: jane.crawford@gp-d83079.nhs.uk

Is There Any Information that the Surgery Will Not Give me?

The surgery will make every effort to provide you with a copy of the information requested and may have to ask you a few questions to make sure that we provide you with what you want. There may be some documentation or certain parts of that documentation which we are not allowed to release. Some examples of information we would not be allowed to release under this Act are:

• Someone else’s medical records (protected by the Data Protection Act 1998)
• Personal information (protected by the Data Protection Act 1998)
• A company’s trade secrets.
• Any information held in Court records