Silverbirch Medical Practice, Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland

Complaints policy

Silverbirch Medical Practice welcomes comments, complaints and suggestions - we are constantly seeking to improve our services and welcome feedback, both positive and negative.

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible - ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint.

Should you have any reason to make a complaint about our service you can ask to speak to the practice manager either on the phone or in person, or you can put your concern in writing. Your complaint will be treated with complete confidentiality. As well as speaking to the practice manager and putting your concern in writing, complaints, comments and suggestions can be made by completing a complaint form and placing it in the suggestions box in reception or you can send a comment, suggestion or complaint directly from the website via our online comments and complaints form.

What we shall do

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing and endeavour to respond, after fully investigating, within 10 working days to:

  • Find out what happened and what went wrong.
  • Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned if you would like this.
  • Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
  • Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
  • Write to you on completion of a complaint investigation explaining how it has been resolved, what appropriate action has been taken and advising you of your right to take the matter to the Health Services Ombudsman if you are still unhappy.

If you wish to complain on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

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