Suggestions and feedback

We aim to provide patients with the best care that we can but sometimes, we may fall short of your expectations.  If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the practice, please let us know.  We operate a complaints procedure that fully conforms with the NHS complaints arrangements.

How to complain

We would encourage you to lodge any suggestion or complaint directly with the practice, as this allows us to attend to it more efficiently.  There are several ways that you can do this:

• Make an appointment to discuss the matter with the Assistant Practice Manager, Mrs Jane Mills; or
• Ask for our suggestions and complaints form at reception and place it in our suggestion box which you will find in the waiting area; or
• Write a letter to the practice.

If you wish to make a complaint, we would be grateful if you could let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days, because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  If this is not possible please provide us with your complaint within:

• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred; or  
• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant's notice.

Alternatively, you may complain directly to NHS Cheshire & Merseyside:

• Address: Patient Experience Team, No. 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington, WA1 1QY
• Telephone: 0800 132 996
• Email: enquires@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk

What we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and we will inform you of the timescales for investigating and concluding your complaint, which can take up to 25 working days or more depending on the complexity of the complaint.  All suggestions or complaints will be treated in confidence. 

We will look into your complaint to: 

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Invite you to discuss the problem with those involved, if you would like this
• Apologise, where this is appropriate
• Identify what we can do to try to prevent the problem from happening again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Medical records are protected by the Data Protection Act 2018 (General Data Protection Regulation).  If you are complaining on behalf of another adult, we need to know that you have their permission to do so.  We require a written note to this effect signed by the patient concerned, unless they are incapable of providing this due to illness or disability.

If you are not satisfied

If you are not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your complaint, you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman:

• Address: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP
• Telephone: 0845 015 4033
• Fax: 0300 061 4000
• Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk.

Getting help

Healthwatch Sefton can help you make a complaint by providing a free, confidential and independent service, designed to help you understand your rights and make informed choices.  They can help you to:

• Explore the options available at every stage of the complaints procedure
• Provide confidential support from someone who is independent of the NHS
• Write effective letters to the right people
• Prepare for meetings and maybe even go with you
• Contact and speak to third parties if required.

If you do not need the support of their fully trained advocates but want some advice on the best way to make a complaint, they can send you a pack which will support you to make a complaint.  Their contact details are as follows:

• Telephone: 0800 206 1304
• Email: info@healthwatchsefton.co.uk.

The GP Patient Survey is an independent survey run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England. The survey is sent out to over two million people across England.  The results show how people feel about their GP practice.

The surveys are sent to a randomly selected sample of patients for each practice between January and April each year.  The results are normally published in July.

In 2024, our highlights were:

• 92% describe their overall experience of this GP practice as good
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 76%
  • National result: 74%
• 99% find the reception and administrative team helpful
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 84%
  • National result: 83%
• 61% find it easy to contact this GP practice by phone
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 48%
  • National result: 50%
• 60% usually get to see or speak to their preferred healthcare professional when they would like to
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 40%
  • National result: 40%
• 68% were offered a choice of time or day when they last tried to make a general practice appointment
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 49%
  • National result: 53%
• 87% felt they waited about the right amount of time for their last general practice appointment
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 70%
  • National result: 66%
• 97% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practice appointment
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 93%
  • National result: 92%
• 98% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment
  • Cheshire and Merseyside result: 91%
  • National result: 90%

The Friends and Family Test (FFT) is an important feedback tool, which supports the fundamental principle that people who use NHS services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.  Listening to the views of patients and staff helps identify what is working well, what can be improved and how.

The FFT asks people if they would recommend the services they have used and offers a range of responses.  When combined with supplementary follow-up questions, the FFT provides a mechanism to highlight both good and poor patient experience.  This kind of feedback is vital in transforming NHS services and supporting patient choice.

The FFT asks how your recent experience was at The Corner Surgery.  We have a number of ways that you can submit a form:

• FFT forms are available at our reception - you can complete one during your visit to the surgery & submit it to our reception staff
  • Please click here to open a copy of our FFT form
• You can contact the surgery by telephone & ask for one of our reception staff to complete an FFT form on your behalf

The latest results of the FFT are published at monthly intervals on the NHS England website and we will publish our recent data on this page from time to time:

We read all of your feedback comments each month, and we use these to thank our staff for their hard work and find new ways of improving our service.  Thank you very much for your continued support.  

Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) has been established for a number of years.  The group is made up of several volunteer patients, our Care Co-ordinator (Mr Kyle Pointon) and one of our GP Partners (Dr David Smith).  It meets regularly during the year to discuss the services we offer, and how improvements can be made for the benefit of patients and the practice.

PPGs can play a number of roles, including:

• Advising the practice on the patient perspective
• Organising health promotion events
• Communicating with the wider patient body
• Running volunteer services and support groups to meet local needs
• Carrying out research into the views of those who use the practice (and their carers)
• Influencing the practice or the wider NHS to improve commissioning
• Fundraising to improve the services provided by the practice.

We believe that a strong relationship between patients and the practice is critical to the provision of high quality care.  Feedback from our PPG has already been instrumental in us making changes to our appointments, purchasing a new telephone system and commissioning this website.  If you would like to join our PPG, please contact our Care Co-ordinator, Mr Kyle Pointon.