If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know.  We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets or exceeds national criteria.

Practice Statement
We value all feedback from our patients and are committed to taking complaints seriously. Where there are opportunities for improvement, we strive to implement meaningful changes.

However, we acknowledge that some concerns may arise from circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, we understand that patients may express frustration, and we want to assure you that your voice is still heard.

That said, we encourage patients to consider whether our practice continues to align with their expectations and needs. You are not obligated to remain with a particular provider, and we fully support your right to seek care that best suits you.

We sincerely hope you choose to remain with us as your healthcare provider, but should you decide to transfer to another practice, we will respect and understand your decision. Your well-being and satisfaction remain our highest priority.

Talk to us
Every patient has the right to make a complaint about the treatment or care they have received at The Bridge Surgery.

We understand that we may not always get everything right and, by telling us about the problem you have encountered, we will be able to improve our services and patient experience

Who to talk to
Most complaints can be resolved at a local level. Please speak to a member of staff if you have a concern and they will assist you where possible. Alternatively, ask to speak to the Practice Manager, but note this may need to be a booked appointment.

How can I make a complaint?
A complaint can be made in writing.
A complaints form is available from reception. Additionally, you can complain via email to hwicb.bridgesurgery.presciptions@nhs.net

I want to complain to a third-party
If for any reason you do not want to speak to a member of our staff, then you can request that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) investigates your complaint.

They will contact us on your behalf:
NHS Hereford and Worcestershire ICB
Enquiry Line: 0330 053 4356 Ext 8111
Email: hwicb.complaints@nhs.net

Time frames for complaints
The time constraint on bringing a complaint is 12 months from the occurrence giving rise to the complaint, or 12 months from the time you become aware of the matter about which you wish to complain.

The Practice Manager will respond to within three business days to acknowledge your complaint. We will aim to investigate and provide you with the findings as soon as we can and will provide regular updates regarding the investigation of your complaint

Investigating complaints
We will investigate all complaints effectively and in conjunction with extant legislation and guidance.

Confidentiality
We will ensure that all complaints are investigated with the utmost confidentiality and that any documents are held separately from the patient’s healthcare record.

Third party complaints
We allow third parties to make a complaint on behalf of a patient. The patient must provide consent for them to do so. A third-party patient complaint form is available from reception

Final response
We will issue a final formal response to all complainants which will provide full details and the outcome of the complaint. We will liaise with you about the progress of any complaint

What If I am Not Happy With The Way My Compliant Was Dealt With

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Tel 0345 0154033

www.ombudsman.org.uk

Download Our Complaints Form

Social Media Policy for Patients

There are many social media platforms that are widely used by both staff and patients at The Bridge Surgery; these include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and others.
• The Bridge Surgery has a Facebook page and Website which provides a range of useful information for our patient population.
• The Bridge Surgery has a duty to maintain patient confidentiality and to safeguard vulnerable patients. You can help us achieve this by adhering to the code of conduct outlined in this policy.

Patients at The Bridge Surgery are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct at all times:

1. Patients are not permitted to take photographs or any media recordings in the waiting room or areas where other patients are present, nor are photographs or media recordings of any staff permitted without their explicit consent.
2. The practice requires all users of portable devices to use them in a courteous and considerate manner, respecting their fellow patients. Portable devices are not to be used during consultations unless agreed by clinicians.
3. Patients are not permitted to disclose any patient-identifiable information about other patients, unless they have the express written consent of that patient.
4. Patients should not use any social media platform to communicate medical information with the practice as this is not secure. Any such communications will be deleted and, if possible, a message sent to use routine communication methods with the practice.
5. Patients must not post any material that is inaccurate, fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing, obscene, defamatory or unlawful. Any such posts on the practice social media outlets like a Facebook page, Twitter account etc will be deleted by the practice and the post reported.
6. Patients must not post comments on social media that identify staff who work at the practice.
7. Patients are to use NHS Choices should they wish to leave a review about The Bridge Surgery; this will enable the complaints manager to respond appropriately
8. Defamatory comments about our team are not to be shared on any social media platform. Legal advice will be sought and the appropriate action taken against any patient who posts defamatory comments.

Patient complaints on social media
We have a separate complaints policy which patients are to use should they wish to make a complaint. We will only respond to complaints made to the practice in accordance with the practice policy. If a complaint or defamatory comment naming or suggesting our surgery made on any social media platform, is we reserve the right to moderate and / or delete comments / or report to the platform supplier. We may also invite the individual in for a meeting with the management team to discuss and address concerns raised and help prevent the breakdown of patient and surgery relations which if not addressed can lead to patients being removed from our patient list

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 anonymized patient information will also be used at the 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.

Information about the General Practitioners 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, The GDPR  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 patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (eg average pay) for GP’s working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GP’s working in The Bridge Surgery in the last financial year was £93,555 before tax and national insurance. This is for 2 full time GP’s and 0 Locum GPs who worked in the practice for longer than six months 

Private Work Fees

The NHS provides most health services to people free of charge (although there are some exceptions such as prescription charges).  For services that are not covered by the NHS there is a private fee to cover the responsibility taken and the time spent by doctors and administrative staff. The British Medical Association provides a guide to the fees that GPs can charge. We aim to keep the charges for professional services at an appropriate level..

Some services provided fall outside the scope of the NHS  include the following:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
• Insurance claim forms
• Private sick notes
• Vaccination certificates
• Housing letters

Please send us your request and we will advise you of the charge. 

Why do I have to pay?

The NHS provides most health services to people free of charge (although there are some exceptions such as prescription charges).  For services that are not covered by the NHS there is a private fee to cover the responsibility taken and the time spent by doctors and administrative staff. The British Medical Association provides a guide to the fees that GPs can charge. We aim to keep the charges for professional services at an appropriate level.

What is and isn’t covered?

The Government’s contract with GP’s does include the completion of some specialist forms (eg from the Department of Work and Pensions) and some organizations pay GP’s directly to complete reports (eg DVLA and certain insurance company reports).  These are usually sent directly to the GP, so if you have been given a form to bring it’s likely that you will need to pay a fee.  Some examples and the relevant charges are listed on the back of this leaflet.  If you are unsure about anything, please ask.

Why can’t I get it done here and now?

At The Bridge Surgery we want to spend our time providing excellent quality healthcare to our patients.  Completing the increasing number of reports that are requested takes time away from patient care.  We acknowledge that these reports are important to you and need to be completed, but clinical care has to be our priority.  We will aim to complete short reports and letters within 2 weeks.  More complex reports may take up to 4 weeks.

Why do I have to pay up front?

In the past doctors have written many letters and completed many forms that have not subsequently been collected.  This has wasted valuable time which could have been used for patient care.

But all I need is a doctor to sign it!

When a doctor signs a certificate or report, it is a condition of the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.  In order to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor may have to read a large amount of medical records. Carelessness or an inaccurate report may have considerable negative effect on you and may have serious consequences on the doctor with the General Medical Council (GMC) or even the police.

I just need a signature to say that I’m healthy to do it!

Increasingly more and more requests have been received asking for a signature to say that someone is healthy to pursue a particular activity.  Unfortunately, there is no simple test to say anyone is “healthy” to do any activity.  The GP may not be able to sign such a form, or may write an explanation of the limitations of what they can say on the form.  We cannot be responsible for whether the company accepts what the doctor is willing to write. As GPs we may not be able to sign a form which you ask us to as our intention is to always act in the best interests of our patients and to maintain the safest medical practice so a refusal to complete a form is no way intended to offend.

Some misconceptions

There are some common misconceptions about the need for a doctor’s letter in certain circumstances. These include Blue Badge letters, passport applications, letters for school exam boards and letters to the council housing trust.  Below are three common examples.  Please help us to keep our time focussed on patient care and avoid asking for these.  They can be provided if really required, but there will be a charge.

I need a Blue Badge!

Application for a blue badge doesn’t need a GP’s letter. Worcestershire County Council’s official advice states, “Please do not request evidence from your GP.  If you have problems supplying written evidence, please visit your local Worcestershire hub customer service centre for further information.”

I need a letter for the Housing Trust/Council

Housing trusts and local authorities have their own medical advisers.  Please contact the trust directly if you have a medical issue related to your housing or application for housing.

I’ve missed an exam!

A letter to confirm sickness having missed an exam is not usually required by exam boards.  Ofqual states, “Awarding Organisations make no requirement for pupils to obtain a medical certificate in support of an application for special consideration.”

Certificate of medication/Fit to Fly

Please check with your airline first, to determine if this is needed. We can write a simple factual letter confirming the medication you take and any equipment you might need to administer if. If you are a diabetic and use insulin, you may require a letter of permission to carry syringes/needles/lancets into the cabin, and for icepacks (containing .100ml coolant) to store insulin at the required temperature.

New Shared Care Record delivering better, safer care for all our patients

We wanted to let you know that we are finally connecting our systems to offer joined-up health and care records, which will enable better, safer care and treatment for all our patients.

​As a GP, it is difficult to provide joined-up care with so many separate systems for handling patient information. These were not connected, meaning that you often had to repeat your story each time you received care at a different organisation, or with a different health professional. The Shared Care Record means up-to-date records will be immediately available to professionals caring for you as a patient, when you need direct care.

​It will mean, for instance, a doctor in a hospital, or a paramedic who attends a 999 call will be able to confidentially access the same crucial information that we can at the Practice, such as details of any allergies and current medications, bringing potentially life-saving benefits.

​Robust security measures are in place to protect your health information and all staff must follow the law on keeping your information confidential.

The Shared Care Record is not the same as the General Practice Data for Planning and Research Directions (GPDPR), which is a national NHS Digital initiative to use GP practice data for research and planning purposes.

The Shared Care Record is a local initiative to share information with organisations directly involved in your care to ensure that you receive prompt and appropriate treatment when you need it. 

​For more information, please visit: https://herefordshireandworcestershireccg.nhs.uk/health-services/shared-care-record

We are always looking at ways to improve our communication with patients, so we are now offering an SMS messaging service for appointment reminders.

Care will be taken to ensure that no personal information is released using this service and the practice will continue to observe the strictest controls with regard to holding your personal information in confidence.

Initially, an SMS text message will be sent containing your appointment details once you have booked an appointment. A further message will be sent 48 hours before the appointment is due as a reminder.

In the future, we will be looking to introduce a more interactive form of SMS text messaging which will allow you to cancel your appointment by text if you are no longer able to attend. This facility will allow us to send you health promotion initiatives such as flu jabs and NHS Health Check invitations.

If you have a mobile phone, are over 16 and would like to receive SMS text messages then please complete the slip below.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by notifying Reception either verbally or in writing

You can now register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care.

The GDPR is the new EU legislation to protect the personal data of all EU citizens. It will apply even if we are no longer part of the EU. It will be a significant change in Data protection for all of the UK, including the NHS and healthcare providers GDPR came into effect in the UK on 25 May 2018.

As a practice we are committed to ; 

• Ensuring the security and protection of personal information and how it is processed 
• Providing a compliant and consistent approach to data protection
• Complying with the requirements of the GDPR.
• This means that your health and care data will carry on being handled securely and in line with the regulations.

The documents linked below explain how we, The Bridge Surgery use the data we hold about our patients and your rights. And for more information, you can visit 

Keeping Your Data Safe

Subject Access Policy

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. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

The Bridge Surgery is committed to taking all reasonable precautions necessary to ensure the health, safety, welfare and well-being of its employees, patients and visitors, and endeavours to ensure that all employees are protected from physical and verbal abuse while they are working.

The Practice acknowledges that there may be instances where violence and / or aggression forms part of a patient’s illness.  In these circumstances, the issue will be discussed with the patient and form part of their care planning.

This information will be recorded in the patient’s medical record and flagged to ensure that staff is aware. In addition, where deemed necessary, appropriate support will be put in place, e.g. staff member does not see the patient alone.

The practice will display information within the waiting room advising that we operate a zero-tolerance policy; staff will be trained in managing violent and aggressive behaviour and will make every effort to de-escalate an incident.

All incidents will be recorded within patient record, the practice manager will be advised of the incident and an initial warning letter will be sent to patient giving warning that they may be asked to leave the practice.

In the event that a further incident occurs patients will be sent a further letter advising of our zero-tolerance policy and be given 30days notice to find an alternative practice.

Definition Inappropriate and unacceptable behaviours may include but are not limited to:

• Using bad language/swearing at practice staff or other service users
• Racial abuse
• Sexual harassment
• Unnecessarily persistent or unrealistic service demands that cause disruption
• Causing damage to practice premises or to the property of staff or other service users
• Stealing from practice premises, staff, or other service users
• Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently

The Practice supports the NHS policy of Zero Tolerance which defines violence as:

“Any incident where staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well-being or health”.

Violence and aggression towards a person may also be defined as:

“A physical contact with another person which may or may not result in pain or injury. The contact is uninvited and is an attempt to cause harm, injury or to intimidate. Non-physical aggression includes the use of language which causes offence or threatens the safety of a member of staff”.