We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.

This leaflet gives you details of the practice’s Complaints Procedure which has been developed by the doctor and staff at this practice.  As you know everyone at the practice aims to give you the best possible service but complaints can sometimes arise. In the event of this happening, we want you to know that we will deal with your complaint politely, speedily and fairly. Our Practice Manager, Mohammed Gother, is in charge of the complaints system; and in her absence you can speak to Sarah Kandziorka.

What do I do if I wish to make a complaint?

In the first instance you should write to the Practice Manager with an outline of the complaint you wish to make.

You can also, explain to any of the reception staff regarding the nature of your complaint.  They will always in the first instance advise you to write to the Practice Manager.   They will listen to you and confirm the details of the complaint. They will then fill in the details of the complaint on a form. If you are complaining on behalf of a patient then you will be asked to get a signed consent form from the patient before we can proceed.  This will enable you to pursue the complaint on their behalf. They will also ask you for the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number

When you will be available to receive a telephone call from the Practice Manager.

If you do not have a telephone Mohammed Gother will write to you about your complaint. Finally, the receptionists will ask you to sign the complaint form.

What happens when this form is completed?

The receptionist will give you a complaints leaflet and go through it with you to ensure that you understand it.  Mohammed/ Sarah will also tell you that they  will contact you within 10  working days and aim to deal with your complaint within 28 days.

What happens if I cannot get to the practice?

If you cannot get to the practice, you can telephone with the details of your complaint and the receptionist will fill in the form as usual and pass it on to Mohammed Gother or Sarah Kandziorka,

What if I want to make a complaint and I do not have a telephone?

If you do not have a telephone and you want to make a complaint, you can write to Mohammed Gother or Sarah Kandziorka who will then follow up your complaint with you.

What happens after I have made the complaint?

After you have made the complaint, you can expect to hear from Mohammed Gother /Sarah Kandziorka within an acknowledgment within 10 working days. When they contact you, Mohammed/ Sarah will check the details of your complaint and they may then be able to provide you with an explanation. If you are satisfied with this, then they will write you a letter confirming the explanation.

What happens if I am not satisfied at this point?

If you are not satisfied with this and feel that more should be done then Mohammed Gother  will investigate the complaint further. He will send you a letter to confirm this and at the same time offer you some dates and times at which a meeting between you could take place.  Normally this would be within three weeks of the date on which you first complained and a stamped addressed envelope would also be sent to you for your reply. If you cannot make any of the suggested days or times please say when you could attend a meeting and Mohammed Gother  will make the arrangements.

Where would this meeting take place and who will be at the meeting?

These meetings normally take place at the practice. Mr Mohammed and  Sarah Kandziorka usually attend these meetings.

Can I bring anyone with me to this meeting?

Yes. It is a good idea to bring someone with you to this meeting. You can bring a relative or a friend but if you feel unable to do this and still want someone there then you can contact the Leeds North East Primary Care Trust, Community Health Council or the Leeds Advocacy Project and they will be able to advise you. Their addresses are at the end of this leaflet.

What happens at this meeting?

Mohammed/ Sarah will ask you about the complaint; listen to what you have to say and then discuss the various points, providing further explanation. If you are satisfied at this point, Mohammed/ Sarah will send you a letter confirming this.

What happens at this point if I am still not satisfied?

Mohammed/ Sarah will give you details of NHS Complaints Procedure, including how to contact them. She will confirm the situation about your complaint in a letter to you and also confirm the NHS Complaints Procedure details.

If I am making a complaint about the practice, will they refuse to see me if I need to see the doctor?

No member of staff will refuse to see you whilst you are making a complaint or indeed after you have made a complaint against the practice. Whilst we regret that a complaint has been made, all the staff want to do is to give you the best possible care.

What if I am not really sure that I want to make a complaint but I do want to say something about my care, what can I do?

There are a couple of things that you can do. First of all, you can still ask to see Mohammed Gother and discuss it with her. She will be pleased to help you do this. If you then wish to make a complaint, she will fill in the form and investigate it. Secondly, you can seek advice from the Leeds Primary Care Trust, Community Health Council, the Leeds Advocacy Project or Leeds Health Authority. Their addresses are at the end of this letter. Once again if you do decide that you want to make a complaint they will help you do this.

Addresses and telephone numbers to make your complaint:

Mr Mohammed Gother
Newton Surgery
Leeds
LS7 3JT
Telephone number:  0113 2953737

The Complaints Unit
3^rd Floor (Rear)
North West House
West Park Ring Road
Leeds
LS16 6QG
Telephone No:  0113 3057448

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

You can access and use our website without giving us any personal information.

Your Data Matters to the NHS

Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How your data is used

Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital.  It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.

Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

You have a choice

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?

No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What do you need to do?

If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.

To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

Download a copy of the patient leaflet

Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.

Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

From April 2016 it has become a contractual requirement for all GP practices to publish the mean net earnings of the partners, salaried GPs and locums who have worked in the practice for over six months, on their Practice website.

Click here to read our IPQ REPORT

DR Khan, Newton Surgery Medical Practice is undertaking Research Ready accreditation, which means that we meet the minimum requirements of the Royal College of General Practitioners for undertaking healthcare research in primary care in the UK.

Our GP Research Lead within the practice is Dr G Khan.

We take part in high-quality medical research through the Clinical Research Network: Yorkshire and Humber (formally Primary Care Research Network) within the NHS National Institute for Health Research.

NHS medical research helps to improve the health and well-being of the nation.

Primary care is the setting for the great majority of NHS patient contact and will play an increasing role both in the care of patients with long term conditions and in disease prevention and early diagnosis.

If a patient is eligible to join a research study running in our practice, a GP or other healthcare professional will provide written information. Taking part in a research study is voluntary and can be beneficial to patients who participate in them.

We aim to give our patients the chance to take part in research if they want to.

Your participation in the research studies is completely voluntary and if you decide to take part, you can withdraw from research studies at any time, without giving reason and without penalty or effect on the standard of care that you receive.

We work in close collaboration with a team of GPs, research nurses and facilitators.

Examples of research projects include:

• • Investigating Timing Of Taking Blood Pressure Medication

• • Investigating Respiratory Infections

• • Management Of Heart Failure

• • How To Increase Physical Activity

• • Ways To Help People Stop Smoking

The Practice has been involved in the following research trials:

• TUDOR
• STILTS2
• OPAL

If you would like to know more about research taking place you can contact the practice or visit: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-in-your-area/yorkshire-and-humber/

Risk stratification involves applying computer searches to your medical records  from a number of sources, including NHS trusts and GP practices, to identify those patients who are most at risk of certain medical conditions, such as heart disease, and who will benefit from clinical care to help prevent or better treat their condition.  It’s a process for identifying and managing patients who are most likely to need hospital or other healthcare services, so that such patients can receive additional care/support from their GP or care team as early as possible. The aim is to prevent ill health and possible future hospital stays, rather than wait for you to become sick.

Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 provides a statutory legal basis to process personal health related data for risk stratification purposes.

Please be reassured that any information which identifies you – resulting from the aforementioned computer searches – will only be seen by this Practice.

If you do not wish information about you to be included in the risk stratification programme, please let us know. We can add a code to your health care record that will stop your information from being used for this purpose

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety.

If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our practice list.