Complaints and concerns

Patients Complaints Notice

Policy Statement

Everyone has the right to expect a positive experience and a good treatment outcome. In the event of concern or complaint, patients have a right to be listened to and to be treated with respect. Service providers should manage complaints properly so customers’ concerns are dealt with appropriately. Good complaint handling matters because it is an important way of ensuring customers receive the service they are entitled to expect. Complaints are a valuable source of feedback; they provide an audit trail and can be an early warning of failures in service delivery. When handled well, complaints provide an opportunity to improve service and reputation.

Complaint Guidance for Patients

River Aesthetics strive to provide patients with the very best of care and customer service by offering services and facilities of the highest standard. If you are dissatisfied in any way with your experience at River Aesthetics, we welcome your comments and promise to address them in a prompt, honest and thorough manner. As well as providing resolution to your concern, we implement the learning from your experience and feedback to improve upon our care and service delivery for the future.

We will do our best to deal with any issues as soon as we can and encourage you to discuss your concerns with a member of staff when they arise.

 

How to make an informal complaint:

If you have a minor criticism, misgiving or concern, please let us know as they arise, and we will attempt to resolve immediately to your satisfaction. However, if you do wish to take the matter further, your next step is to make a formal complaint.

 

How to make a formal complaint:

A complaints procedure is in place for patients who may not be satisfied with our services and wish to make a formal complaint. You or your representative (with your consent), can make a complaint.

In the event you wish to make a written complaint please write to us via email at [email protected] no later than six months of the date of the event which is the subject of the complaint. If a complaint is made outside of these timeframes, it may not be able to be investigated due to the length of time since the incident occurred.

 

What happens next:

As a member of ISCAS (Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service)

River Aesthetics Complaints procedure reflects their three-stage complaint process.  A full copy of the ISCAS code of practice can be found at www.iscas.org.uk.

During the investigation into your complaint, we will share your concerns with relevant staff and / or your consultant to help us consider your feedback and provide you with a response. If you do not wish for us to contact the relevant staff or consultant, please do let us know although this will limit our investigation on your behalf. It may also be deemed necessary to obtain surgical panel review, however this will not be done without prior authorisation/consent from yourself.

We appreciate that a patients’ circumstances may change suddenly making them more vulnerable. This might include physical or mental health problems, specific characteristics such as literacy skills, or changes in personal circumstances. Our staff are trained to ensure all patients are treated fairly and provided with the required help, support, and services they need to raise concerns/make a formal complaint.

Interpreter services can be arranged for any patients requiring language transplantation support during the complaints process.

 

Stage 1 – Local Resolution:

  • The assigned Complaint Handler (Clinic Manager or Leadership team member, as required) will provide written acknowledgement of receipt of your complaint within three working days (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 working days). For reasons of data protection and patient confidentiality we will only acknowledge receipt of the complaint by email, full response/s will be sent via email or post (patient preference) and therefore the patient’s address may be required. We may also require further information for patient verification purposes.
  • You will be invited to meet with the Complaint Handler to discuss your concerns in person and how the investigation will proceed. This meeting may be in person or via telephone or video link if you prefer.
  • The Complaint Handler will conduct a thorough investigation with a full response provided within twenty working days. The response will include findings made on all issues in your complaint, lessons learned as a result of the investigation and offer of a resolution if your complaint is upheld. On occasion, it may not be possible to conclude the investigation within these timeframes and patients will be kept informed of progress at a minimum of 20 working day intervals.
  • Patients seeking to clarify any part of the response should write to the Complaint Handler within seven days of receipt of response at Stage 1 and a further response will be provided within 10 working days.
  • If the Complaint Handler is unable to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction, you are able to escalate your complaint for Internal Review. Please detail the reasons you are not satisfied to [email protected] with the email subject “Complaints Appeal” or write to the clinic at Unit 1, The Old Sorting Office, 5 Albert Rd, Bournemouth BH1 1AX. Appeals must be made within 6 months of the final response at stage 1.

 

Stage 2 – Internal Review:

  • Stage 2 includes a review of the complaint by a Senior Manager or Clinical Director.
  • Written acknowledgement of progression of the complaint to Stage 2 will be sent within three working days and following consideration of the complaint in detail, the Senior Manager or Clinical Director will write to confirm agreement with the decisions and actions taken by the Complaint Hand or provide an alternative decision to help resolve the matter.
  • The complainant should expect to receive a formal written outcome within 20 working days. Where the investigation is still in progress, a letter explaining the reason for the delay will be provided to the complainant, at a minimum of every 20 working days.
  • Whilst we will make every effort to resolve your complaint, you may feel that we have been unable to do this. In such cases, you can take the matter forward for external adjudication.

 

Stage 3 – Independent External Adjudication:

  • River Aesthetics is a subscriber to the Independent Sector Complaint Adjudication Service (ISCAS). If a patient remains dissatisfied with the response following completion of the internal reviews, they may request external adjudication through ISCAS. Details can be found at https://iscas.cedr.com/contact/. Please note this request must be made within 6 months of the final stage 2 decision letter.

Complaints Policy

  • Patients are encouraged to provide suggestions, compliments, concerns and complaints and we offer a range of ways to do it.
  • Patients are encouraged to discuss any concerns about treatment and service with their treating clinician or they can complete our customer feedback form.
  • Clinicians and staff can also use the feedback form to record any concerns and complaints about the quality of service or care to customers.
  • All complainants are treated with respect, sensitivity and confidentiality.
  • All complaints are handled without prejudice or assumptions about how minor or serious they are. The emphasis is on resolving the problem.
  • Patients and staff can make complaints on a confidential basis or anonymously if they wish, and be assured that their identity will be protected.
  • Patients, clinicians and staff will not to be discriminated against or suffer any unjust adverse consequences as a result of making a complaint about standards of care and service.

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