Complaints
At The Somerville Clinic, we strive to provide the highest quality of care. We understand that there may be occasions when our services do not meet your expectations. This document outlines the steps to take if you wish to make a complaint about our services.
How to make a complaint
Our clinicians are covered by the Independent Doctors Federation (IDrF) and via their service have access to the Independent Sector Complaint Adjudication Service (ISCAS) and the following complaints procedure applies.
Stage 1 - Complaint is reviewed locally
You can address your complaint directly with the staff member, or with the registered manager, via email. Should it be preferred, a phone call can be arranged either with the staff member or with the registered manager.
Should you wish to provide anonymous feedback you can do so by submitting your feedback here.
Stage 2 - If you continue to be dissatisfied with the responses you have received the complaint is escalated to the IDrF’s complaint manager who will seek input from both parties to reach a solution.
Stage 3 - If you remain dissatisfied you can take the complaint to ISCAS, where it will be adjudicated by an independent body.
Complaint handling procedure (Stage 1)
Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receipt. This acknowledgment will include the name and contact details of the person handling your complaint.
Investigation
We will conduct a thorough investigation into your complaint. This may involve interviewing staff, reviewing records, and gathering further information.
We aim to complete the investigation within 20 working days. If more time is required, we will notify you and provide an updated timeline.
Response
Upon completing the investigation, we will provide you with a written response. This response will include:
A summary of your complaint
Details of the investigation process
The outcome of the investigation
Any actions we will take in response to your complaint
Information on how to escalate your complaint if you are not satisfied with the outcome
Escalation (Stage 2 / Stage 3)
If you remain dissatisfied after the internal review, you can escalate your complaint through the IDrF, by following their guidance which can be found here: Patient Complaints
You can also contact:
The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Address: National Customer Service Centre, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
Website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/
The General Medical Council (GMC)
Address: Regent's Place, 350 Euston Road, London, NW1 3JN
Website: https://www.gmc-uk.org/
Support for complaints
Advocacy Services: Independent advocacy services can provide support and advice. Contact details for local advocacy services are available upon request.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): PALS offers confidential advice and support to patients, guiding you through the complaints process.
Confidentiality
All complaints will be handled with strict confidentiality. Information will be shared only with individuals involved in the investigation and relevant regulatory bodies.
Learning from complaints
We are committed to learning from complaints to enhance our services. Complaints are regularly reviewed to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this complaints process, please contact us here.
We take all complaints seriously and are dedicated to resolving them in a fair, timely, and respectful manner. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us improve the quality of our care.
