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Making a complaint

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Making a complaint about primary care services in Northumberland

How you make a complaint about primary care services in Northumberland is changing on 1 July 2023. By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service.

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 the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

Telephone: 0191 512 8277

Email: necsu.pccomplaints@nhs.net

In writing to the following address:

Primary Care Complaints Team

North East and North Cumbria ICB

Riverside House

Goldcrest Way

Newburn

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY

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 2023 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that the ICB is now handling their complaint with confirmation of their case handler.

Members of the public with any ongoing complaints received before 1 July 2023 will receive a letter from NHS England informing them that their complaint is being retained by NHS England with confirmation of their case handler.

Any complaints about secondary care can be made either to the hospital trust or to the ICB at the following email address: necsu.complaints@nhs.net

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

To find out more about health and social care services and support in Northumberland please get in touch.

Have your say on diabetic eye screening

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NHS England would like to hear from people with diabetes and those who support them, about their views on diabetic eye screening and how to improve the service in the future.

The Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) aims to reduce the risk of sight loss amongst those living with diabetes by early identification and effective treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

The screening programme invites anyone with diabetes aged 12 years or over for digital eye screening once a year. Your views will help shape the way the screening programme is delivered going forward.

Fill in the survey

You can also give your views for improving the service by emailing: Trudie.metcalfe@nhs.net

All feedback should be submitted by Saturday 6 August 2022.

Read more about diabetic eye screening (including Easy Read)

If you would like to tell us about any diabetes or eye health services you have used recently please get in touch.

NHS Clinical Research project

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Can you help the NHS to improve services and treatments for patients?

We are working with NHS England to undertake some research on what patients, current users, non-users and those with specific health issues including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental health and genetic factors, think about getting involved with clinical research.

This research will be really valuable in helping the NHS develop new medicines and learn more about better health and care for the future.

We want to know how patients and the public feel about clinical research, how they can get involved in research, what digital access they might need and if there are any barriers in place for involvement.

The survey will run up until Friday 12 February 2021.

Take the survey

This survey is now closed.

Share your views on NHS Interpreting Services

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The interpreting arrangements in primary care from NHS England end on 30 September 2020 and it is asking for your views on what has worked well and what could be improved. Your feedback will be used to shape how these services will be delivered in the future.

There are two sessions. One for patients who have used a spoken word interpreter at their GP, dentist, pharmacy or optometrist since April 2018 and one is for people who have used a non-spoken word interpreter at one or more of these services. The sessions are also for those who haven’t used an interpreter in this time but may need to use one at an appointment in the future.

 

Patient Listening Event – Spoken Word Interpretation

Wednesday 25 March: 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Cathedral Suite, Emirates Riverside Stadium, County Durham DH3 3QR

 

Patient Listening Event – Non-spoken Word Interpretation

Thursday 26 March: 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Cathedral Suite, Emirates Riverside Stadium, County Durham DH3 3QR

 

 

What will the format of the session be?

An NHS England representative will give a short presentation on the planned changes to interpreting services in 2020/21. Attendees will then be asked to work in small groups to discuss and note down their personal experiences of interpreting services in primary care. Feedback will be used to answer the questions:

What has worked well?

What needs to be improved?

What are the things which matter to you most when using interpreters?

 

Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided. There are 100 places on each session and you can book on by emailing: englandphadminwf4@nhs.net with your name, the area you live and the number of places you would like to reserve (up to six). Please use either ‘patient listening event – spoken’ or ‘patient listening event – non-spoken’ as the email subject.