As a private medical practice, we take complaints very seriously
If you have a formal complaint, please contact us via email to [email protected]
Medical British Academy:
- Understands the importance of dealing effectively with complaints in a timely manner, as well as acknowledging and acting on feedback received
- Recognises that failure to deal with a complaint is a serious matter
- Will acknowledge a complaint and offer a discussion about the handling of the complaint
- Will keep the complainant informed if a response is delayed
- Consider the quality of care provided by putting themselves in the place of the complainant and assessing their expectations for the service
- Reviews services and how they are delivered in relation to complaints and feedback received
- Makes changes where necessary or appropriate to improve services and the Patient experience
- Monitors outputs from changes and developments as part of a continuous cycle of improvement
Medical British Academy will ensure that the complaints and compliments process is fair and transparent and does not discriminate directly or indirectly because of:
l Age
l Being or becoming a transgender person
l Being married or in a civil partnership
l Being pregnant or on maternity leave
l Disability
l Race including color, nationality, ethnic or national origin
l Religion, belief or lack of religion/belief
l Sex
l Sexual orientation
Medical British Academy understands that it can be difficult to separate a complaint from a concern. Therefore, Medical British Academy will follow this policy when any dissatisfaction arises with the service.
Medical British Academy will protect the Patient’s right to confidentiality. Medical British Academy will ensure that alternative methods of communication are available so that the complaints and suggestions procedures are accessible for Patients who experience difficulties with communication or whose first language is not English.
Receiving a Complaint
Before beginning an investigation, The Practice Manager will assess the seriousness of the complaint. If
a complainant does not wish to pursue an issue, The practice manager will investigate the issue to identify what led to the complaint so that Medical British Academy can use complaints as part of the learning and improvement cycle to assist in service improvement.
The complainant may be invited to meet with The Practice Manager to discuss the complaint. This may be done face to face, online, or over the telephone if appropriate. It is important to establish, at the earliest opportunity, what outcome the complainant expects, and to let the complainant know whether this is a realistic and possible expectation.
When a complaint is made on behalf of a child, The Practice Manager must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for the complaint being made by the complainant, rather than the child. The Practice Manager must also be satisfied that the complaint is being made in the best interests of the child. If the practice manager is not satisfied that this is the case, written notification of this decision must be sent to the complainant.
The practice manager will support all members of staff involved in the complaints process.
Anonymous Complaints
Anonymous complaints should be investigated in the same way as named complaints. They should be logged and any corrective action necessary should be taken and also logged
Complaints Procedure
1- When a complaint is raised, staff will make an effort to resolve it immediately to the satisfaction of the complainant.
2- Staff will explain the complaints process as described in the procedure steps.
3- Staff will report the complaint to the most senior member of staff on duty and the complaint will be logged.
4- Formal acknowledgement of the complaint will be sent to the complainant within 3 working days and could be via letter or email. Medical British Academy will ensure that complaints received out of normal working hours are managed effectively.
The acknowledgement will include:
- An invitation to meet and discuss the complaint
- Who will be investigating the complaint
- How the investigation will be handled – the response should state what the investigation will be focused on
- A time limit for the investigation to be concluded. This should be 28 days. However, some cases may take longer and the complainant will be made aware of this
- The complaints procedure and contact details of bodies that can be accessed in the event of dissatisfaction with the outcome of the investigation
5- Following a full investigation, a response letter will be sent including full details of the investigation and outcome
6- The complaint will be closed once confirmation has been received that there is satisfaction with the outcome. In the event of dissatisfaction, the Practice Manager will support the complainant to access further support if required.