Feedback and complaints policy

How do we action your feedback?

We listen to your feedback carefully. This enables us to identify what we are doing well and, most importantly, any areas of improvement we need to make. Providing feedback is easy: please email our Complaints team at complaints@homecare-pharmacy.co.uk.

What happens next

Be assured your feedback is reviewed by a senior manager in the quality team, who will rapidly share your feedback with the right people in the organisation. This ensures steps are taken to improve areas highlighted. We hold the highest of standards within our organisation and we take all feedback seriously, so thank you for taking the time to give us feedback.

Patient satisfaction surveys

We also conduct regular patient satisfaction surveys. If you receive a survey we would be most grateful if you could complete it. Each year we publicly feed back on the results we receive and share them, anonymised of course, with our NHS stakeholders so they too can have oversight of the service we provide to patients.

We also like to inform our staff when things are going exceptionally well, as it’s important for them to know they are doing a job that is of a high standard and recognised as such.

Managing complaints

As part of our collaboration with the NHS, and to meet the criteria for national homecare standards, we operate a robust formal complaint procedure. This enables you to give feedback if you are dissatisfied with our service at any time, and enables a senior manager to investigate and respond to you.

Our incident and complaint procedure is to acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days, and you will receive a comprehensive resolution within 30 working days. Should the complaint exceed these timeframes, we will contact you to advise further timeframes.

If you are not satisfied

If you are still not happy with our response, please follow the process we outline to you in our response letter, and do feel free to contact us again to explain why you are not happy with our investigation results. We will then re-review your initial complaint and our findings, and will write to you again along with the next steps.

Nursing services

If you are not happy with the service you receive from our nursing team, please contact us in the first instance using the email address or telephone number above, and please make sure you mention the nursing service.

Independent advice

PALS – Patient Advice and Liaison Service

You may also seek advice from your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS are not part of the complaints procedure itself, but they might be able to resolve your concerns informally, or they can tell you more about the complaints procedure and independent complaints advocacy services. You can find your local PALS on the NHS website.

ICAS – Independent Complaints Advocacy Service

ICAS is an independent complaints advocacy service. If you wish to make a complaint about the NHS, they can provide advice and support. You can contact them on 0300 330 5454.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome of your complaint

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you can complain to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The GPhC investigates complaints that indicate that a pharmacy professional’s fitness to practise may be impaired.

If you would like to make a complaint, please complete the ‘Reporting a concern’ form on the GPhC website, or telephone the General Pharmaceutical Council on +44 2033 653 400.

Other reasons to contact us

We really strive to support you and meet your individual needs. If you have any questions about the service or the following areas, please contact us by phone or email:

• To tell us about a change of address, name or circumstances
• Delivery details
• Prescription queries
• Travel advice
• To tell us you are running short of medicine
• To tell us you need a sharps bin

If you inject medication and are having issues, or if you have suffered an adverse reaction to your medication, please contact our Pharmacy Team on +44 1827 438 775.

Nursing services

As detailed above, please report any issues with the nursing service to us in the normal way. In the event that our response to a complaint about our nursing services does not meet your expectations, we would ask that you contact us again to discuss it. Should you require further assistance, you can contact one of the following bodies for help:

England and Wales complaints

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint. Phone: +44 3450 154 033.

Scotland complaints

Care Inspectorate, Compass House, 11 Riverside Drive, Dundee DD1 4NY: www.careinspectorate.com. Phone: +44 3456 009 527. Email: concerns@careinspectorate.gov.scot.

Northern Ireland complaints

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, James House, 2–4 Cromac Avenue, Gasworks, Belfast BT7 2JA: www.rqia.org.uk. Phone: +44 2890 517 500. Email: info@rqia.org.uk.

Please note, the Ombudsman is unable to investigate complaints against private or independent health services unless they relate to NHS-funded care.