Further Information – Queens Road

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Complaints

We are always pleased to receive suggestions for improving our services and we like getting compliments as well. We hope you will never have cause for serious complaint but if you do, we have a complaints procedure aimed at the quick resolution of problems. Please initially either speak directly to your GP or write to our Practice Manager, John Blackburn-Wood.

The doctors and staff at Queens Road Surgery strive to deliver high quality patient care at all times and in all areas of contact with the patient or patient’s representative, and are realistic enough to appreciate that there are times when less than efficient service may be given or instances where the patient is less than happy with the service he has received.

In order to attain and maintain high standards of care, feedback is needed from those to whom the care is delivered, one mechanism is the complaints procedure.

As a patient, you have a right to complain about any aspect of the service with which you are less than satisfied, and the Practice has produced this Complaints Procedure to assist you through this.
Any complaint you wish to make can be accepted either in writing or verbally, and should preferably be addressed in either case to the Practice Manager. If you feel the doctor is the most appropriate person to approach, you are free to do so.
If your complaint is written, you will receive acknowledgement within five working days from receipt.
Any complaint you make will be investigated and you will receive a written report from the Practice as to the outcomes of the investigations and, where appropriate, the steps are taken to ensure the situation does not recur.
If considered appropriate by all parties, you will be invited to attend the surgery to discuss the matter with the Practice Manager and, where appropriate, one or more of the doctors, following which you will receive a written statement from the Practice as to the discussion and the outcome.
Where other parties are involved, you will be kept informed as to the steps being taken to obtain their statements.
The Practice will strive to deal with complaints in a methodical and efficient manner in order to bring about an equitable conclusion.

It is sincerely hoped that any complaint you have about the Practice can be dealt with by those responsible for ensuring patient care and delivery of services within the Practice, but there are times when you may feel this is inappropriate or that you need some support the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) can assist you they can be contacted locally:

North East NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy

312 Aidan House

Sunderland Road

Gateshead

NE8 3HU

or you may not be happy with the results of the complaints procedure. You have the right, therefore to refer your complaint to:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Citygate

Mosley Street

Manchester

M2 3HQ

Data Choices

Friends and Family Test

GP Net Earnings

Housing Letters and GP Letters of Support

GP Letters of Support

Queens Road Surgery is committed to supporting our patients. However, when applying for benefits, housing, passes, adjustments or any other matter where medical conditions may be relevant, we will only supply this information when approached formally by a third party for a factual report.

We will not supply letters of support directly to patients.

Please note all requests from the third party will require the patients’ formal consent.

We will only complete factual responses. We are not able to give an opinion. If in doubt we will refuse to complete the request and may issue a copy of medical records instead with your consent.

Be aware we charge for any requests.

Housing Applications

We do not provide letters for housing, so please do not request these. Whilst we appreciate that housing problems can be stressful, this is a matter for the council housing office. If the council requires additional medical information, they will send a specific form to the GP surgery. You will need to provide your written consent for this.

If you are intending to apply for a council home for health reasons you do not need to send a letter from the GP.

The Council will write, in confidence, to your doctor if further information is required.

GPs receive frequent requests for medical letters and reports in support of housing applications from a variety of sources – the local authority, housing associations, directly from patients and from patients via Citizens Advice Bureau. The arrangements for seeking GP reports and for payment vary from local authority area to local authority area, and even when clearly agreed are often not implemented by local authority staff. However, all requests should come via the Council or Housing Association and not the patient.

Information in support an application based on health grounds should be supplied by the applicant using a form provided by the Housing Department (self-assessment). This should not require any input from the GP/practice.

Only if additional information is required, should the Housing Department Medical Officer obtain it from the applicant’s doctor, preferably using a standard form, provided the patient has given written consent. The Medical Officer should seek information which is only available to the GP, for example:

the diagnosis;
severity of the illness;
medication

We understand that patients are often wrongly advised to get a letter from their GP and we can supply you with a letter outlining the above that you can show to anyone wrongly directing you to us for such documentation.

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Practice Policies

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Summary Care Record

Travel Vaccines

GP surgeries are working under increasing pressure and must prioritise the services they can provide. We no longer offer a full travel service. The NHS has a very comprehensive website, giving the information you need to identify any vaccines advised for trips abroad, and ensure that you stay as healthy as possible.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the Fit For Travel website.

Disease	Vaccines	Boosters
DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio)	Revaxis	10 yearly (if had 5, no booster needed)
Hepatitis A	Havrix, Avaxim	25 years after 2nd dose
Typhoid	Typherix, Typhim vi	3 yearly
Cholera	Dukoral**

** Not commonly required.

Other vaccinations may be necessary for more exotic or unusual destinations, complex travel itineraries, or long stay vacations. These need to be given at a high street travel clinic. There will be a charge for these. If you would rather have all of your vaccinations done at these clinics, they can also give the vaccines above but they will charge for these.

We strongly advise you to check your requirements at least three months before travel, as sometimes a course of up to three vaccinations needs to be given over the course of several weeks.

It is your responsibility to ascertain which vaccinations (and, if relevant, anti-malaria tablets) you need, and also to inform yourself fully of recommended travel safe precautions. To do this, you should visit Travel Health Pro or the Fit For Travel website and read the information relevant to the country you are visiting.

The ‘vaccinations for some travellers’ section usually relates to back-packers, people travelling for more than 4 weeks, or special situations, e.g. working in health care projects, or with animals. If you are planning such a trip you need to make arrangements to have these at a high street travel clinic.

If you think that you need any of the vaccinations provided by the NHS, please attend a travel clinic and then hand your form in at reception clearly marking what country you are visiting. Our practice nurse will check our stock and your travel form then you will be contacted with an appointment. Please do not make appointment without visiting a travel clinic and having your printout as this will be a wasted appointment.