If you have received particularly good service from any health service provider or you have any comments or suggestions to make, please let us know.
Positive feedback is always welcomed and helps us to understand what is important for you as a patient, carer or relative. Your feedback is valuable and we are grateful for you taking the time.
However, if you are unhappy, we want to hear from you.
Feedback
Feedback may be positive or negative and may need to be shared with the relevant person or organisation.
For example, the feedback might say that a community outreach session was useful. Alternatively, if someone says they received poor care at the same session or suffered an access issue, that might be viewed as a complaint and managed through our complaints process.
Concerns
Concerns may refer to issues that require follow-up but are not serious enough to be treated as formal complaints.
They should all be documented by the ICB and, where appropriate, discussed with the relevant GP practice or Primary Care Network and any corrective action agreed.
For example, if 10 people raised a concern that they could not access online consultation tools every afternoon, the ICB should monitor this and agree corrective action with the practice or Primary Care Network.
Complaints
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction and can be received either in writing, by telephone or in person.
If the ICB considers an expression of feedback or concern is actually a potential complaint that needs to be managed under the formal complaints process by the ICB complaints team, the patient should be made aware the issue may be managed as a complaint.
Examples of when a concern may need to be treated as a formal complaint include issues relating to clinical safety, patient privacy or dignity, or potential breaches of legal obligations by the practice.
For example, a patient may raise a concern that a practitioner did not obtain appropriate consent before sharing their medical information with a family member. As this is a legal obligation, the practice or ICB may treat this as a formal complaint.
If a formal complaint is made, NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB will follow the complaints procedure documented in our Complaints Handling Policy.
Aim of NHS complaint investigations
NHS complaint investigations aim to provide a meaningful explanation and apology to the complainant, put things right for them personally, and drive wider improvements to NHS services to prevent similar issues from recurring.
A complaint investigation may have any or all of the following outcomes for complainants:
- A full explanation of what happened
- A meaningful apology
- Putting things right
- Feeling heard and acknowledged
- Answers to their questions
It is important to note what the complaints process cannot achieve for complainants:
- Cannot determine legal liability: The process is separate from legal action or medical negligence claims and cannot award court-level compensation.
- Cannot discipline or dismiss staff: While a complaint may trigger separate internal disciplinary or regulatory (e.g., General Medical Council) investigations, the complaints procedure itself is not a disciplinary process.
Need help making a complaint?
If you are unhappy with the NHS treatment you have received, and would like free, confidential and independent support to help you make a complaint, please contact your local Health Complaints Advocacy Service.
If you live in Surrey
The Health Complaints Advocacy Service in Surrey is provided by Healthwatch Surrey in partnership with SILC (Surrey Independent Living Charity).
You can contact the team via:
- Telephone: 01483 310 500
- Text (SMS): 07704 265 377
- Email: nhsadvocacy@surreyilc.org.uk
- Website: Surrey Independent Living Charity
If you live in East Sussex or Brighton and Hove
In East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, the Health Complaints Advocacy Service is provided by The Advocacy People and is available to support you and represent your views when making a complaint about the NHS.
You can contact The Advocacy People via:
- Telephone: 0330 440 9000
- Email: info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk
- Post: PO Box 375, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 9HU
- Text: 80880 start your message with PEOPLE
- Website: The Advocacy People
If you live in West Sussex
In West Sussex, the Health Complaints Advocacy Service is provided by Healthwatch West Sussex.
You can contact the team via:
- Telephone: 0300 012 0122
- Email: helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
- Post: PO Box 1343, Crawley, RH10 0QH
- Website: Healthwatch West Sussex
You and your general practice: share your feedback or raise a concern
The NHS England You and your general practice guide includes information, but is not limited to, what patients should expect in relation to their practice’s opening hours, online access and types of appointments.
As part of this, the guide advises patients and their representatives that their GP practice should be the first point of contact if they would like to give feedback or raise a concern.
Feedback may be positive or negative information provided by a patient. If a response is not requested then the information will generally be considered as feedback, to be shared with the relevant people, as opposed to a concern.
However, should you not wish to give feedback or raise a concern with your GP Practice, you can contact us at NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.
Share your general practice feedback or raise a concern
You can also telephone 0300 561 2500 or write to us at this address:
You and your general practice
NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB
Block C, 1st Floor
Dukes Court
Woking
Surrey
GU21 5BH
Alternatively, you may wish to share your views with your local Health Complaints Advocacy Service:
- If you live in Surrey: Share your views with Healthwatch Surrey
- If you live in East Sussex or Brighton and Hove: Share your views with The Advocacy People
- If you live in West Sussex: Share your views with Healthwatch West Sussex
Who should I complain to?
Under section 7 of the NHS Complaints Regulations, the person raising a complaint has a choice of complaining to the provider of the service, or to the commissioner of the service.
However, a formal complaint about any aspect of care is best made direct to the provider of that care.
If you have any concerns about the service that you have received from a healthcare provider (such as at a GP practice or hospital) you can raise your concerns directly with the provider.
Please visit their websites to find out more.