Complaints Procedure

Management of complaints policy

The Practice is committed to delivering high quality care and welcomes feedback including complaints as it sees them as an opportunity to drive improvement and quality of services. 

Feedback and complaints can be made to any member of staff, either verbally, in writing, openly or anonymously and complainants will not be discriminated against, victimised or have their care and treatment affected.

The Practice will ensure that:

• Complaint investigation will be open, honest and duty of candour obligations fulfilled.
• Complaint investigations follow latest complaints guidance and best practice
• All staff know how to respond when they receive feedback or a complaint and those staff who become involved in the investigation process have knowledge, skills and understand the practice’s complaints process
• Complaints will be acknowledged verbally and in writing.
• Confidentiality will not be compromised during the complaints process unless there are professional or statutory obligations that make this necessary, such as safeguarding.
• Immediate and appropriate action will be taken in response to a complaint, as a maximum within 48 hours, with any delays encountered during preliminary investigation alerted to the patient or service user kept informed of progress.
• Appropriate investigations will be carried out to identify what might have caused the complaint.
• Complainants, and those about whom complaints are made, will be kept informed of the status of the complaint during the investigation process.
• Where necessary translation services, sign language or Braille services will be used to enable the complainant to understand and communicate throughout the investigation process or at any point during the complainant’s life span
• Complainants will be invited to discuss the complaint via telephone call or during a meeting at the Practice and complainants informed of all attendees. The complainant will have the right to bring a representative with them.
• A record of the discussion will be made, logged and the complainant provided with a copy of the meeting minutes in a manner that can be easily understood.
• Where required further investigations will be carried out and the complainant kept informed of progress throughout the investigation. Should any contact be made to third parties, written consent is obtained from the complainant in accordance with the practice’s Information Governance and Confidentiality Policy
• Where necessary further meetings will be arranged to discuss the findings of the investigation.
• Where the complainant is unwilling or unable to attend further meetings, discussions will be held via telephone.
• Complainants will receive copies in writing that can easily be understood of meetings or telephone conversations which will include decisions made about the complaint.
• Information will be provided to complainants about how to take action if they are not satisfied and which external agencies they can report to.
• The practice will cooperate with any independent review process.
• Following any feedback or complaint the practice team will discuss any improvement and actions that may need to be introduced.
• The practice will continually monitor and review complaints to ensure quality of service provision

The appointed person to handle complaints is:

Dr Edmond Geradts
Tel: 0208 500 3339