Feedback and complaints
For us to continue to improve, we need to know what we’re doing well and what we can do better.
Friends and family test
The NHS friends and family test is a short, anonymous survey. It gives patients the opportunity to give feedback on their experience with our GP practice. It asks whether you would recommend our services to your friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment. The test is part of a national NHS initiative to help healthcare providers understand what they are doing well and where improvements can be made.
Anyone who uses our services is welcome to take part. This includes patients who have had face-to-face appointments, telephone consultations or accessed any other service we offer. Taking part is completely voluntary and the survey takes less than a minute to complete.
The feedback we receive is reviewed regularly. It helps us understand what matters most to our patients, highlight areas of good practice and identify where changes are needed. Your comments play an important role in helping us improve the quality of care we provide.
Positive feedback
If you would like to thank a member of our team, please phone the practice or send us a letter. Your positive feedback helps us celebrate our colleagues who do a good job. You can do this by emailing coquetmedicalgroup.a84022@nhs.net.
Complaints procedure
If you have a complaint, it’s important that we try to resolve it. Complaints should be raised with our practice lead. This can be done by phoning the practice. You can also send a written complaint to our practice if you would prefer. In most cases, our practice lead will be able to resolve your issue.
If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint, you can raise it with Northumbria Primary Care’s complaints team at nencicb-nor.npc.complaints@nhs.net.
Your care will not be affected by making a complaint. You can also speak to a local advocacy group, like Healthwatch or PALS, to support you with your complaint.
Complaints should be made within 12 months of the event that is the subject of the complaint.
If the complaint is on behalf of someone else, we will need written consent from the patient to discuss their care with the complainant. If you are unhappy with the way your complaint has been dealt with and would like to take the matter further, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (0345 015 4033). The PHSO makes final decisions on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England.