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Complaints procedure
At Custom House Surgery, we are committed to providing the highest standard of care and service to all our patients. We welcome feedback, comments, compliments, concerns, and complaints as they help us improve the services we provide.
We aim to deal with complaints openly, fairly, and efficiently and will ensure that making a complaint does not adversely affect your care or treatment.
How to make a complaint
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care or service you have received, please let us know as soon as possible so that we have the opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue.
Complaints can be made:
- In writing
- By email using our secure online form
- By telephone
- In person at reception
You may make a complaint on your own behalf or, with appropriate consent, on behalf of someone else.
Practice contact details
Custom House Surgery
16 Freemasons Road
Custom House
London
E16 3NA
Telephone: 020 7476 2255
Local complaints team
NHS North East London Complaints Team
- Email: Nelondonicb.complaints@nhs.net
- Telephone: 020 8 221 5750
- Address: 20 Churchill Place Canary Wharf London E14 5HJ
Complaints lead
The Practice Manager is responsible for overseeing the management of complaints received by the Practice. In-house complaints may be investigated by the Operational Manager, with escalation to the Practice Manager where required.
What happens next?
When we receive your complaint:
- We will acknowledge it within 5 working days.
- We may contact you to discuss your concerns and agree how your complaint will be handled.
- We will investigate the issues raised thoroughly and fairly.
- We will keep you informed of progress and notify you if there are any delays.
- We will provide a written response explaining the outcome of our investigation and any actions taken as a result.
Where possible, concerns raised at the time of the incident may be resolved immediately.
Complaints about a member of staff
If your complaint concerns a member of staff, it will be handled sensitively, confidentially, and fairly.
The complaint will be investigated impartially and, where appropriate, in accordance with the Practice's Human Resources policies and procedures. Any learning identified will be used to support service improvement, staff development, and the prevention of similar issues occurring in the future.
Please note that while we will inform you of the outcome of our investigation, we may not be able to disclose confidential employment matters relating to individual staff members.
Duty of candour
Custom House Surgery is committed to being open and honest when things go wrong.
In line with our Duty of Candour responsibilities, where appropriate we will:
- Explain what happened.
- Provide a truthful account of the facts known at the time.
- Offer a sincere apology where required.
- Explain what actions have been taken to address the issue and prevent recurrence.
- Keep patients informed throughout the process.
Learning from complaints
We view complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve.
All complaints are recorded, reviewed, and monitored to identify trends and areas for improvement. Lessons learned from complaints are shared with staff through team meetings, training sessions, and clinical governance activities to support continuous improvement and ensure changes made are effective.
Where appropriate, anonymised complaint themes, outcomes, and service improvements are also shared with our Patient Participation Group (PPG) to encourage patient involvement in improving our services.
Time limits for making a complaint
Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of:
- The event giving rise to the complaint, or
- The date on which you became aware of the matter.
However, each case will be considered on its individual circumstances.
If you are not satisfied
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final response, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), who provides an independent review of NHS complaints.
Independent support
If you would like help making a complaint, you can contact the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service for free, independent, and confidential support.
NHS complaints advocacy service
- Telephone: 0300 303 1660
Our commitment
We will:
- Treat all complaints seriously and respectfully.
- Handle complaints confidentially.
- Investigate complaints fairly and impartially.
- Keep complainants informed throughout the process.
- Ensure that raising a complaint does not affect the care or treatment you receive.
- Use feedback and complaints to improve the quality and safety of our services.