Complaints & Feedback
At The Village Pharmacy, we are committed to providing safe, professional and respectful pharmacy services to every patient.
We welcome feedback about our services. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care or service you have received, please let us know. We take complaints seriously and use your feedback to help us learn and improve.
Talk to Us First
Many concerns can be resolved quickly by speaking to a member of our pharmacy team. If you feel comfortable doing so, please speak to us as soon as possible after the issue occurs.
You can ask to speak privately with the pharmacist or pharmacy manager if you would prefer not to discuss your concern at the pharmacy counter.
Raising a concern or making a complaint will not affect the care or service you receive from us.
How to Make a Formal Complaint
You can make a complaint in person, by telephone, by email or in writing.
Telephone
Please include Complaint in the subject line where possible.
In Person
Visit the pharmacy and ask to speak with the pharmacist or pharmacy manager. We can arrange to speak with you privately where appropriate.
By Post
For the attention of the Pharmacy Manager
The Village Pharmacy
The Meiklejohn Centre
3-7 Kingswood Way
Biddenham
Bedford
MK40 4GH
What to Include in Your Complaint
Please provide as much relevant information as possible so that we can understand and investigate your concerns.
- Your full name and contact details.
- The name of the patient concerned, if different from the person making the complaint.
- The date or approximate date when the issue occurred.
- A clear description of what happened.
- The names of any members of staff involved, if known.
- Any relevant prescription, service or appointment details.
- What you would like us to do to help resolve your complaint.
Please only provide personal or medical information that is relevant to the complaint.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
You may make a complaint on behalf of another person. However, because pharmacy information may contain confidential health information, we will normally need the patient’s consent before we can discuss their care with you.
Different arrangements may apply if the patient is a child, is unable to provide consent, lacks capacity, or has died. We will explain any information or authority we require when we receive your complaint.
When Should I Make a Complaint?
For NHS services, a complaint should normally be made within 12 months of the event concerned, or within 12 months of becoming aware that there was something to complain about.
A complaint outside this period may still be considered where there is a good reason for the delay and it remains possible to investigate the matter fairly.
We recommend contacting us as soon as reasonably possible, as this can make it easier to investigate what happened.
What Happens After You Make a Complaint?
If your complaint concerns an NHS service, we will acknowledge it within 3 working days of receiving it.
We may contact you to discuss your concerns, what needs to be investigated and how your complaint will be handled.
The time required to investigate a complaint will depend on its nature and complexity. We will aim to investigate your concerns fairly and thoroughly and will keep you informed if the investigation takes longer than expected.
When our investigation is complete, we will provide an appropriate response explaining our findings and any actions we have taken or intend to take.
Where something has gone wrong, we will aim to explain what happened and consider what can be learned to help prevent a similar issue occurring again.
Complaints About NHS Pharmacy Services
If your complaint relates to an NHS pharmaceutical service provided by The Village Pharmacy, you can normally choose to complain either directly to us or to the NHS organisation responsible for commissioning the service.
You should not normally make the same NHS complaint to both the pharmacy and the NHS commissioner at the same time.
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board can provide information about complaints relating to NHS primary care services in the local area.
Enquiries and Experience Team
Telephone:
0800 148 8890
Email:
blmkicb.contactus@nhs.net
Enquiries and Experience Team
Office of CEO & Chair
Ground West
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Shefford
SG17 5TQ
Independent Help With an NHS Complaint
Free and independent NHS complaints advocacy may be available if you would like support making a complaint.
For Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire, NHS complaints advocacy is available through VoiceAbility.
An advocate may be able to help you understand the complaints process, organise your concerns and communicate your complaint.
Telephone:
0300 303 1660
Email:
helpline@voiceability.org
If You Remain Unhappy With an NHS Complaint
We hope that we will be able to resolve your concerns through our complaints process.
If you have received a final response to your NHS complaint and remain dissatisfied, you can ask the independent Ombudsman responsible for NHS complaints in England to consider the matter.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and can consider unresolved complaints about NHS services in England.
Telephone:
0345 015 4033
You can find further information about referring an NHS complaint to the Ombudsman on its official website.
Complaints About Private Pharmacy Services
If your complaint relates to a private service rather than an NHS-funded service, please contact The Village Pharmacy directly using the details on this page.
We will investigate your concerns under our pharmacy complaints procedure and provide an appropriate response.
NHS complaints escalation arrangements may not apply to services provided entirely on a private basis.
Serious Concerns About Pharmacy Standards
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacy premises in Great Britain.
If you have a serious concern about the professional conduct or fitness to practise of a pharmacy professional, or about the safety of a registered pharmacy, you can contact the GPhC for information about raising a concern.
Telephone:
020 3713 8000
General Pharmaceutical Council
Level 14
One Cabot Square
London
E14 4QJ
The GPhC is the pharmacy regulator and is separate from the normal pharmacy and NHS complaints procedures.
Urgent Health or Patient Safety Concerns
The complaints procedure should not be used if you need urgent medical assistance.
If you need urgent medical advice and it is not a life-threatening emergency, contact NHS 111.
If someone is seriously ill, has a life-threatening condition or there is an immediate risk to life, call 999.
If your concern relates to a dispensing error or another immediate medicines safety issue, please contact The Village Pharmacy as soon as possible so that a pharmacist can advise you.
Accessibility and Communication Support
Please tell us if you require reasonable adjustments or additional assistance to make a complaint.
We will make reasonable efforts to support different communication needs and provide information in an appropriate format where possible.
You may also ask a family member, friend, carer or advocate to support you during the complaints process, subject to appropriate consent and confidentiality requirements.
Confidentiality and Your Personal Information
Complaints will be handled sensitively and confidentially. Information will only be shared where reasonably necessary to investigate and respond to your concerns, or where we are otherwise required or permitted to do so by law.
Personal information relating to your complaint will be handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection requirements and our privacy policy.
Contact The Village Pharmacy
The Village Pharmacy
The Meiklejohn Centre
3-7 Kingswood Way
Biddenham
Bedford
MK40 4GH
Telephone:
01234 351455
Email:
villagepharmacygd@gmail.com