HOW TO COMPLAIN

Should the service that you receive from our practice not meet your requirements and the high standard aspired to by the practice then please let us know. We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If this is not possible then please inform us as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days.

Please email your complaint to to [email protected]

or write to us at the following address;

The Beeches Medical Centre, 20 Ditchfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8QS

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days by letter or email and aim to fully investigate your complaint within 10 working days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when you can expect our response. When we review your compliant , we will investigate the circumstances; make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology if appropriate and take steps to prevent such problems arising again.

You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigation.

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE

We have to adhere to strict rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone you will need to obtain their written consent to do so, (unless there is incapacity through illness). 

TAKING IT FURTHER – What happens if I prefer to complain directly to the commissioning organisation?

How you make a complaint about primary care services is changing on 1 July 2023 

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, and this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK. 

From 1 July 2023 the way members of the public make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.  

 By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services. 

There are two ways you can make a complaint: 

• You can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example a GP surgery or dental surgery.   

• You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received. 

After 1 July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact NHS Cheshire and Merseyside integrated care board instead of NHS England. 

You can do this by: 

• Telephone: 0800 132 996

• E-mail: [email protected]

• Writing to us at:  Patient Experience Team, No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington, WA11QY.

If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023. 

Members of the public with ongoing complaints received on/after 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is now handling their complaint with confirmation of their case handler. 

Members of the public with any ongoing complaints received before 1 July 2022 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that their complaint is being retained by NHS England with confirmation of their case handler. 

Find out more about how to feedback or make a complaint about an NHS service 

You can also complain to CQC – Care Quality Commission tel: 03000 616161.

We invite and welcome patient discussion and feed back. 

If you have any suggestions or compliments regarding the practice, please use the feedback form below and the management team will discuss your suggestions with the Partners of the practice.

Please do not use this feedback form to make a complaint

Please see our dedicated new registration page by clicking below;

This applies between the hours of 18:30 – 08:00 on weekdays, all hours on weekends and Bank holidays when the surgery is closed.

Patients should use the appropriate option for their medical needs;

NHS 111

111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It’s fast, easy and free. Call 111 and speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones and is also available online at http://111.nhs.uk

PC24 – Primary Care 24

PC24 is our out of hours provider and is commissioned by NHS England and Cheshire and Merseyside ICB (formerly Halton CCG)

Please contact PC24 on 0151 254 2553

999

For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, you should call 999.

Local Pharmacies and Care at Chemist

A pharmacist could help you if you have any of the following conditions;

• skin conditions, such as mild acne and mild eczema
• coughs and colds, including nasal congestion and sore throat
• minor cuts and bruises
• constipation and haemorrhoids (piles)
• hay fever and allergies
• aches and pains, such as headaches, earache and back pain
• indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms
• period pain and thrush
• warts and verruca’s, mouth ulcers and cold sores
• athlete’s foot
• nappy rash and teething
• For a list of local pharmacies and how they can help please click here

Please click below for a list of local pharmacies in the Halton area.

GP record access – how to understand test results

Your GP record is written to help medical staff look after you. This means that sometimes you may not understand everything you see. We have shared this information to help patients understand their test results, but if you have any further questions please speak to a member of our team.

Viewing your results in the NHS App, Patient Online and other apps

From November 2022 you may be able to view the results of your blood tests in the following apps:

• Patient Access
• MyGP
• TPP SystmOne AirMid
• NHS App
• Patients Know Best

Each app shows the results slightly differently.

For example, Patient Access can show some results over time with a graph, whereas the NHS App currently doesn’t.

You need to consider what if you see some worrying results before your GP can speak to you.

If you tend to worry about what your results might mean, too much, you can:

• Ask for this feature to be turned off, or
• Learn what’s ‘normal for you.’ This is particularly important if you have a long-term illness, as your results may be different to other people’s, or,
• Use the reliable, high-quality websites we highlight below to check and understand your results.

Know your numbers – learn what’s ‘normal for you’

Important things to consider about your results

• A test result outside the reference range may not indicate a problem. Equally, if all results are within the reference range, this does not completely guarantee there isn’t a concern.
• Not all abnormal results will be flagged as abnormal on the report. This is because there are some results that laboratories cannot report an abnormal flag for. This is particularly true for text results.
• Always look out for comments attached to results. Often these have critical information about the test and how to interpret the result.
• Comments may have been added automatically by a laboratory computer or by a laboratory scientist or doctor. Generally, comments are written for the doctor requesting the test rather than the patient, and so they may not be particularly meaningful to you.

Always talk to the requesting doctor if you have concerns about a report.

Recommended websites to help understand your results

Lab Tests Online-UK is written by practising laboratory doctors and scientists to help you understand the many clinical laboratory tests that are used in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease. It is produced by the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine in collaboration with the Royal College of Pathologists and the Institute of Biomedical Science. ​

ADA.com – https://ada.com/blood-test-results/ is a medical app designed to help people understand, manage, and get care for their symptoms.  Clinical advice written by clinicians. Ada includes a comprehensive section on blood test results.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the reference ranges (normal ranges) for tests?

The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results. These are standardised reference ranges, but they will not apply to everyone. They do not take into account things like your gender, age, ethnicity or health conditions. The reference ranges mean a computer may flag a result as out of range or abnormal, but for you this might be a normal result. Whilst the ranges are helpful, it is important to follow the advice of the doctor who interprets the result.

What does it mean if my result is outside the reference range?

Your test results are interpreted by your health care provider within the context of other tests that you have completed. These results are also measured against other factors like your medical history. The medical significance of a single result that is slightly high or slightly low may be difficult to determine. This is why a doctor may repeat a test, and why they may look at results from your previous tests. However, a result outside the reference range may indicate a problem and warrant further investigation. Your doctor will evaluate your test results in the context of other relevant factors and determine whether a result that falls outside of the reference range presents a significant issue.

If my results are normal, does that mean I have nothing to worry about?

If your results are within normal limits, it’s certainly a good sign. But one set of tests offers a snapshot of certain aspects of your health rather than a guarantee. There is a lot of overlap among results from healthy people and those with diseases, so there is still a chance that there could be an undetected problem. If you’re trying to follow a healthy lifestyle, take test results that are within range as a good sign, and keep it up. However, normal results do not mean that unhealthy habits will not have consequences in the future. Your health care provider may want to monitor you with a series of tests to make sure you’re still on track and to document any trends. A rise or drop in results, even if they are still within normal limits, could provide meaningful information.

If my result is abnormal, does that mean I have a problem with my health?

Not necessarily. A test result outside the reference range signals to your doctor to further investigate your condition, but it may or may not indicate a specific problem. You can have a value outside the range and have nothing. It is possible that your result is within that 5% of healthy people who fall outside the statistical reference range. In addition, there are many things that could throw off a test without indicating a major problem, such as not preparing for the test properly. Your doctor may want to rerun the test. Some abnormal results may resolve on their own, especially if they are on the border of the reference range. Your doctor will also seek explanations for an abnormal result. Key points your doctor will consider include how far outside of the reference range the results are and whether repeated tests also produce abnormal results.

I have had a blood test or dropped a sample at the practice, but what happens now?

Blood tests and other samples have to be sent away to a hospital laboratory for analysis. An NHS courier collects samples from us each day in the early afternoon.

• If your result needs urgent action we will contact you by phone to discuss what action needs to be taken.
• If your result needs action, but not urgently, we will contact you within an appropriate timescale to explain what action needs to be taken.
• If your result is normal, or if the doctor has some information for you following your test, we may send this by text message, however, we may not contacts you has the clinician is satisfied with your test result.
• We aim to inform you of all results, but due to the volume we received, if no action is required the practice will not contact you but you are free to check your results on the NHS App or contact the practice to get your result.
• If you need to discuss your result with a doctor or nurse, please ask the receptionist to take a message for the doctor or nurse. They will either telephone you or you will be asked to make an appointment to see them.

Why does the result take so long?

The person who asked you to have your test or the person who took your test will tell you approximately how long it will be for your test to be analysed. Most tests are analysed within 1 week, however, there are certain tests which require several weeks to be analysed. If you have a urine test, it may take several days to grow the bacteria and see which antibiotic will work.

What does the doctors’ comment mean?

• GP: Appointment with GP – The doctor would like to speak to you to explain the result(s). The doctor may ask for this to be in person or by telephone.
• Nurse: Appointment with Practice Nurse – The doctor would like you to speak to a practice nurse regarding your results. The follow-up appointment with a nurse may be in person or by telephone.
• Ask patient to repeat test – Small fluctuations in test results are common and slightly abnormal results usually return to normal without the need for treatment. The GP would like to check your result has returned to normal or remained stable. We will tell you how long you should wait before rechecking your blood test.
• Discussed with patient or patient informed: The doctor has already discussed this result with you.
• GP: Normal no action needed – This means that the doctor has looked at the result and deemed it to be within the normal and no further investigation or treatment is needed.
• GP: Clinician reviewed no further action required /GP Abnormal no action required – The doctor has looked at the result and deemed them stable and the result is not concerning or is normal for you based on your medical history. We will continue to monitor and the doctor may or may not tell you if you need a repeat test in the future depending on their clinical judgement.
• GP Prescription Done: The doctor has started you on a medicine as a result of your recent test. For example, your test result has shown an infection and the GP has prescribed antibiotics.
• Inadequate specimen: Unfortunately very occasionally samples are lost or damaged. Sometimes there is a delay in samples reaching the laboratory which can affect the quality of the specimen making it unusable. On other occasions an incorrect bottle or label may have been used. Occasionally an incorrect test is requested in which case a repeat may not be needed. The doctor will usually ask you to repeat the test.
• GP: Telephone appointment with Practice Pharmacist– Our practice pharmacist will contact you to discuss the result. This is usually because your result has indicated we should make changes to your medications or start a new medicine.

Urgent Mental Health Support – 24/7

If you need urgent mental health support, you can call the freephone crisis line on 0800 051 1508. The crisis line is open 24/7.