We are continually looking to turn patient feedback into real improvements in the services we provide. We use it to focus on the things that matter most to our patients, carers and their families.
Giving feedback
To provide feedback:
- fill out a feedback form
- take part in the Friends and Family Test
- leave a review on the NHS website
- phone us on Moore Health Centre 01451 820 242 or Westwoods Surgery 01451 860 247
Making a complaint
We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably within writing, as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.
The period for making a complaint is normally:
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred
- 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice
If you are a registered patient, you can complain about your own care.
Complaints can be sent in writing to:
Cotswold Medical Practice
Moore Health Centre
Moore Road
Bourton On The Water
Cheltenham
GL54 2AZ
Westwoods Surgery
Bassett Road
Northleach
Cheltenham
GL54 3QJ
Raising a complaint with the use of AI
We want to hear about your complaint in your own words. We know some people find Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT helpful when completing forms but please be aware that AI-generated text can sometimes make complaints too complicated or include legal references that are not relevant. This may increase the time it takes us to review your complaint or we may need to ask you to resubmit it. We follow the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman – Good Complaint Handling standards. Information about using AI to raise a complaint, has been taken from their guidance.
When you bring a complaint to us, we need to understand your personal experience and how the issues have affected you. Simple, clear language that explains what happened to you will always be more helpful than complicated, formal writing.
We know some people find AI tools useful to support with their writing. It is important to remember the risks of sharing your information with AI tools. Providers of these tools may use it to train their AI systems and may process it in different countries. Avoid entering sensitive personal information unless you are confident about how it will be used and protected.
Here are some suggestions to get the best results from AI tools while making sure it still sounds like you and your complaint:
- Keep your prompts focused on your experience and how it made you feel. A prompt is a question or instruction that you type into an AI tool to tell it what you want help with. You can use these examples (from the PHSO website) of
Useful AI prompts to help with your complaint
- Do not ask AI to add legal arguments, use formal legal language or reference laws to try and make your complaint sound more ‘official’.
- It is important to check any AI-generated text to make sure it reflects your own personal experience and contains accurate facts.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.
If you wish to make a complaint but are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient. This is to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.
Please ask at reception for a complaints form which includes a statement of authority that the patient can sign. Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter. Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the above circumstances apply.
Confidentiality
All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.
Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, the practice manager must inform the patient or person acting on his or her behalf if the investigation will involve disclosure of information contained in those records to a person other than the practice or an employee of the practice.
The surgery must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from the patient’s medical records.
The surgery has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning issues or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.