All feedback should be directed to your practice in the first instance – positive and negative.
All practices will have a complaints process, which you can ask to be provided with.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience at your general practice we suggest you speak first to your doctor, or the practice manager. Pinnacle practices welcome your concerns as it helps them to understand your experience and offers a chance for them to improve the way they work with patients.
If you don’t feel comfortable raising your concerns on your own you can take a relative or support person, or you can use the services of an independent health and disability advocate. Your local advocacy service and the Health and Disability Commissioner can be reached on freephone 0800 112 233.
If you aren’t satisfied by your doctor's response and you feel that your rights as a patient may have been breached, you should contact the office of the Health and Disability Commissioner.
The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights applies to all providers of health and disability services. The Code sets out 10 rights, including the right to be treated with respect, to be free from discrimination or exploitation, to dignity and independence, to services of an appropriate standard, to give informed consent, and to complain
Manatū Hauora and the Health Quality and Safety Commission are introducing patient experience measures for primary care using an online patient survey. The survey has been developed to find out what patients’ experience in primary care is like and how their overall care is managed between their general practice, diagnostic services, specialists, and/or hospital staff. The information will be used to improve the quality of service delivery and patient safety.
Pinnacle practices participate in the primary care patient experience survey every three months, so if you are over 15 years old you may be invited to take part. The survey is online and most people complete it within 15 minutes.
Learn more about the survey on the Health Quality and Safety Commission website.