6-8 George Street, Johnstone, PA5 8SL

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01505 320 208

Comments & Complaints

Comments & Complaints

Please note our complaint policy follows that of Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Complaint Policy and Procedures as updated for April 2017.  Some complaints may be resolved using early resolution within 5 days if that is appropriate. 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.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Suggestions for improving our services or complaints about the service that you have received can be made to the Practice Manager, Jill Gibson. Please obtain information from one of our receptionists.

Please use our Gold comments and suggestions box in the waiting room to provide any comments you have. If you have any comments on our new telephone system or the recent change to booking appointments please let us know through the comments box.

Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We will always be willing to hear if there is any way we can improve the service we provide.

Making a complaint or advising of a concern

If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know. We hope that most problems and concerns can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks. This will enable the practice manager to discuss this and to establish what happened more easily.

If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

  • Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
  • Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem,

provided that is within 12 months of the incident.

You can make your complaint

In person – ask to speak to Jill Gibson, Practice Manager if the team member seeing you does not satisfactorily deal with the issue. The Practice Manager will see you if she is available or you may be asked to make an appointment with her. She may need to contact you by telephone if it not available to see you immediately.  If that doesn’t suit you can put your complaint in writing as below. If there has been any significant event a team meeting will be held to discuss the situation so improvement may be made to the practice, if appropriate.

In writing – If you consider your complaint requires further evaluation and explanation. Please give as much information as can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of Jill Gibson as soon as possible.

Other support

You can also get information from the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS). The Patient Advice and Support Service is an independent service which provides free, accessible and confidential information, advice and support to patients, their carers and families about NHS healthcare.

You can contact them through their website or through your local citizens advice bureaux.

What we will do

Our comments and complaints procedures are designed to make sure that we address any problems or complaint as quickly as possible.

  • We shall acknowledge your written complaint usually within 3 working days
  • We aim to look into your complaint within 20 working days of the date when you raised it with us. If this is not possible we will advise you and hope to conclude the investigation within 40 working days. It is very unlikely a complaint will take this long to investigate.
  • We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved if appropriate.

When we look into your complaint, we aim to:

  • Find out what happened and what went wrong
  • Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
  • Make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate
  • Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again

At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail either in person or in writing.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this. In the case of deceased patients, an appropriate family member or friend may act, provided the next of kin are happy with this arrangement.

Address complaints should be posted to:

Jill Gibson
Practice Manager
Riverview Medical Centre
6/8 George Street
Johnstone
PA5 8SL

Telephone: 01505 320208
Fax: 01505 325395

What you can do next

We hope that if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We will consider all comments, problems and complaints which gives us the opportunity to improve our practice. If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your complaint, you have the right to refer the matter to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, at

SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR Tel 0800 377 7330

Their web address is: spso.org.uk

Help us get it right with your comments and suggestions

We constantly try to improve the service we offer. Please let us know when you think we have done something well or if you have any suggestions as to how we can do something better.

How to find us - directions to Riverview Medical Centre »