ABSTRACT
This chapter explores current complaints procedures which mainly affect general practitioners, and offers lessons that can be learned from complainants both locally and in the wider National Health Service (NHS). Both public services and commercial organisations recognise that handling complaints well can bring immense benefits, and this is perhaps the first and most important lesson to learn from complaints. Each primary care trust has a number of trained conciliators available who can offer assistance whenever a practice or a complainant requests it. Complainants who remain dissatisfied after the local resolution process can ask the primary care trust convenor for an independent review panel. Reference may only be made to the ombudsman when the NHS processes have been exhausted. The primary care trust monitors all complaints and takes note of any issues particular to the practice which may have wider implications for primary care in general.
