Practitioner Services - Enabling Primary Care

Complaints Procedure

Making a Complaint

Practitioner Services is committed to providing you with an efficient and courteous service, but we recognise that things may go wrong occasionally.

Let us know when this happens so that we can put matters right as soon as possible.

Comments and Suggestions

Equally, if you have any suggestions about how we might improve our service, we will be happy to listen. Use our Feedback Form, or alternatively contact us by mail or telephone (see the contacts page for details).

Complaints

If you have a concern about the service you have received from Practitioner Services you should, in the first instance, telephone our main switchboard on 0131 275 6000 who will put you in contact with the relevant department or section.  They will be happy to discuss your concerns with you and may be able to resolve the matter immediately.

If you wish to make a formal complaint about the service you have received, you should write to our Complaints Officer at:   

Gyle Square,

1 South Gyle Crescent,

Edinburgh,

EH12 9EB.

Normally this should be within 6 months of the event you want to complain about or within 6 months of you becoming aware of the issue.

Full details of the National Support Services (NSS) complaints procedure is provided in the complaints leaflet. Alternatively you can visit the Health Rights Information Scotland website for detailed information on your rights as an NHS patient.

Independent Advice and Support Service

If you are complaining either as a patient or on behalf of a patient you can access local support through Citizens Advice Bureau to guide you through the process. Our divisional officers will be able to direct you to this service.

Our Commitment
On receipt of your complaint we will:

Acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days
Investigate your complaint
Write to with the outcome of the investigation. This will usually be within 20 working days of receiving your complaint, unless a longer investigation is needed. If so, we will advise you and provide you with updates at regular intervals, but not less than every 20 days.

Taking things further
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is independent of the National Health Service, and may be able to take up a complaint on your behalf. The Ombudsman will normally only be able to act if you have followed the step above.

To find out about the Ombudsman's work, visit the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman web site, or use the contact details below.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
4 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7NS
telephone - 0800 377 7330
text - 0790 049 4372
fax - 0800 377 7331