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 that you think that we can improve the service we provide.

Raising a Concern

If you have any concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know by filling out our Feedback form.

We hope that most problems 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 raise a concern, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your concern:

• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem
• Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.
• In certain circumstances this timescale can be extended.

The practice manager will be pleased to deal with any concern. He/She will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your concern in person or by telephone – ask to speak to the practice manager.

In writing or via email, some concerns may be easier to explain in writing – please give as much information as you can, then send your concern to the practice for the attention of the practice manager as soon as possible.

If you prefer you can raise your concern with the health board directly.

Before deciding the best way to deal with your concern, the Local Health Board (LHB) will need confirmation from you as to whether you have already raised your concern direct with Crickhowell Health Centre (CHC) and if you have received a reply. If this matter has not been raised previously with CHC, the LHB will need to decide who is best placed to investigate.

Once the decision is made as to who is best place to investigate your concern, the LHB will let you know within 5 working days. If the LHB are going to investigate then they will tell you at that stage what the investigation may involve and seek consent from you to obtain your medical records e.g. hospital and GP records.

If you have any additional support needs or you would like your concern dealt with via the medium of Welsh please let us know.

What We Shall Do

Our concerns procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any concern as quickly as possible.

We shall acknowledge your concern within 2 working days and aim to have looked into your concern within 30 working days of the date when you raised it with us. At the time of the acknowledgement we shall provide you with an opportunity to meet us at a time agreed to discuss the concern.

When we look into your concern, we shall aim to:

• Ensure you have access to a named individual who will be your point of contact through the investigation
• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Provide you with the opportunity to discuss the problem with those concerned
• Inform you of the support available
• 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 concern will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.

Raising a Concern on Behalf of Someone Else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are     raising a concern

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.

What You Can do Next

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice concerns procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.

If you remain dissatisfied with the responses to your concern, you have the right to ask the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to review your case (see below).

Contact Details

Public Services Ombudsman For Wales

1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae,
Pencoed,
CF35 5LJ

Tel: 0845 601 0987

Powys Teaching Local Health Board

Mansion House,
Bronllys,
Brecon, Powys
LD3 0LS

Tel: 01874 712697

Aneurin Bevan Health Board

St Cadocs Hospital
Lodge Road
Caerleon
Newport
NP8 3XQ

Community Health Council: 01874 624206

The Practice Manager

War Memorial Health Centre
Beaufort Street
Crickhowell
Powys
NP8 1AG 

Email: Practice.Manager.W96016@wales.nhs.uk

Telephone: 01873 810255