Raising a Concern
Complaints in the NHS
Should I complain?
Our primary aim is to deliver a high standard of care.
If you are not happy with the service you or your relatives have received from our practice, we would like to know.
Anyone who is receiving or has received NHS treatment or services can complain. If you are unable to complain yourself, then someone else, usually a relative or a close friend can complain for you, but would require your consent.
When can I complain?
You should complain as soon after receiving poor treatment as possible.
This should be within 6 months of realising that that you have something to complain about, but not more than 1 year of the event itself.
Time limits may be waived if there are good reasons why you could not complain sooner.
To whom should I complain?
The first point of contact should be the surgery itself. Our practice manager will be happy to deal with your complaint. They can be contacted as follows:
Practice Manager
Cwm Garw Practice
Victoria Street
Pontycymmer
Bridgend CF32 8NN
You may telephone the practice manager to discuss your complaint, by phoning the Pontycymmer branch of the surgery on 0303 303 1029. You may also put your complaint in writing or via email: Cwmgarw.practice@wales.nhs.uk .
However, if you would prefer to speak to someone not directly involved in the matter, you can request to speak with a doctor, nurse or manager as appropriate.
Whoever looks into your complaint will do their best to sort it out as soon as they can and any patient specific information will be kept confidential and will only be shared with those staff involved in investigating the issues.
We aim to reply to any written complaints with a letter from the practice manager within four weeks. However, this is not always possible and in these circumstances we will write and let you know.
What happens if local resolution is unsuccessful?
If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint at a practice level, you may seek further advice from the Cwm Taf Health Board.
You can find their contact / procedure here
If you want further clarification of your rights under the NHS Complaints Procedure, you can seek a copy of the leaflet entitled "Listening…Acting…Improving"
Your local Community Health Council may also be able to assist you through the complaints process. They are an independent body set up to represent the views of the public on the Health Service.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg Community Health Council (CHC) is the independent watchdog of NHS services across Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil.
About Us - Cwm Taf Morgannwg Community Health Council (nhs.wales)
The Health Information Service Wales can also let you have information about how the complaints system works.
What cannot be dealt with under the NHS Complaints Procedure?
These issues include:
· Complaints about private treatment including insurance reports, DLA reports, etc.
· Complaints about local authority social services
· Events requiring investigation by a professional disciplinary body
· Events about which you are already taking legal action
Any complaints that are received are viewed positively as an opportunity to learn lessons. We encourage people to let us know when they have concerns so that we can try to put things right and avoid something going wrong again.