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Complaints Procedure
Making a Complaint
If you are unhappy with the service we have provided, we want to know what we can do to help. We will talk to you to find out if it is a problem we can resolve quickly and easily, or a problem that needs a more formal investigation and response.
When you contact us, we will want to talk to you to understand the problem and agree what you would like to happen. If the problem can be resolved quickly, we will confirm what we will do and when we will contact you. This is most useful at the time that problems are happening, and action can be taken to make the situation better for you.
If you are happy with the action we take, and further investigations are not needed, we will document this as a concern.
If a problem needs to be investigated, or needs a formal response, we will confirm the issues to be investigated, how you would like to receive the information from the investigation, and when this will be available. This will be investigated as a complaint.
We are responsible for dealing with your complaint efficiently and ensuring it is properly investigated. We will treat you with respect and courtesy and provide a timely and appropriate response.
We will tell you the investigation findings and any action we will be taking. Concerns and complaints may be recorded so we can monitor our services and report on the issues raised.
All complaints will be handled in line with Baby Scanning Ltd.’s documented “Customer Complaints” procedure and in order that we can accurately deal with your issue we may ask you to complete a Customer Complaint Form which we will assist you to do, if required.
In the first instance you should contact our Practice Manager who will help you through this process and who will initiate the investigation. This is what we refer to as Stage 1 of the process.
Our policy is to ensure that the complaints process is flexible and responsive to the needs of individual complainant. In addition, it emphasises the need to communicate effectively with you and involve you in the decisions concerning the handling of your complaint. Our policy seeks to ensure that:
- Patients / Customers who complain are listened to and treated with courtesy, respect and empathy at all times.
- Patients / Customers who complain are not disadvantaged as a result of making a complaint.
- Complaints are investigated promptly, thoroughly, honestly and openly.
- Complainants are kept informed of the progress and outcome of the investigation.
- Apologies are given as appropriate.
- Action to rectify the cause of the complaint is identified, implemented and evaluated through the clinic’s corrective action process.
- Learning from complaints informs service development and improvement.
- Complaints handling complies with all confidentiality and data protection policies and is
transparent.
Once your complaint has been investigated thoroughly, we will contact you for a review of our findings and feedback on the issues you raised. In most cases complaints are resolved at this level, and a way forward that is mutually agreeable is put in place.
In the event that you remain dissatisfied with our service and / or the outcome of the initial investigation then you can request that the complaint is escalated to our Clinical Director for further investigation. This is what we refer to as Stage 2 of the process.
The intent is that we do a full review of the initial findings from Stage 1 of this process and if there are any other avenues of investigation that present themselves these will be dealt with and taken into account. The Clinical Director may also wish to meet with you if there are issues that he is unclear of so that the most appropriate solution can be found.
Again, once this stage of the process has been completed the Clinical Director will contact you for a review of our findings and feedback on the issues you raised.
In the event that you still remain unhappy then the complaint will be escalated to an external Independent Complaints Adjudication Service which will be an established provider of complaints management and resolution services. We refer to this as Stage 3 of our complaints process.
Baby Scanning Ltd, with your prior agreement, will provide all information to this independent service and co- operate fully in support of your wish to escalate you complaint to them.
Some Frequent Asked Question’s
What if my complaint involves one or more organisation?
If the issues raised involve services not provided directly by Baby Scanning Ltd but on behalf of another service provider or organisation we will discuss with you the most appropriate route for your complaint to be made and handled. However, Baby Scanning Ltd will be directly involved to help you get resolution to your problem and we will agree with you whether separate responses or a joint response will be most helpful for you. If a joint response will be helpful, we will need your permission to obtain and share information with the other parties involved. We will then contact them to agree who will lead the complaint and how long it will take.
Is there a time limit to make a complaint?
A complaint will normally need to be made within 12 months of the issue arising, or 12 months from when you became aware of the issue. Requests for investigations beyond this time will be considered on the individual circumstances by the Patient Services Manager.
Can I make a complaint on behalf of someone else?
If you are making a complaint on behalf of another person, we will need their permission to share information with you. This can be done using our Patient Proxy form which is available from the Practice Manager.
Members of Parliament (MP) are considered to have the consent of the patient when pursuing complaints on their behalf (Data Protection Act 1998 – Processing Sensitive Personal Data – Elective Representatives Order 2002).
What happens when I make a complaint?
Receiving your complaint.
A written record must be made of your complaint as mentioned above we can provide a standard form if required, which can be sent via post or e-mailed and if you wish to send a letter with more detail, we would welcome that too.
Complaint is acknowledged.
We will write to confirm receipt of your complaint within 3 working days detailing the specific issues we are investigating, how we will respond and the anticipated timescale. Our declared objective is to close complaints within 20 working days, however in some circumstances this is not possible, and you will be advised if this is the case.
Appointment of an Investigator or Handler.
The complaint is assessed on receipt and is assigned to an appropriate person who is then the nominated Investigator / Handler. Many investigations are carried out by the Practice Manager, however some investigations may require a small team to be formed to deal with a complaint due to the complexity or seriousness of the issues raised.
The Investigation Process.
The investigator / handler will look at any records that have been made and speak to the staff involved to understand what should have happened and compare this to what happened. In most cases the investigator will wish to meet with you personally to clarify things further and get a fuller understanding of the issue.
Our response
The completed investigation and response will be reviewed by the Clinical Director to confirm that the investigations have addressed the issues confirmed in the resolution plan. This will then be forwarded to you or if you wish you may want to meet with us to review the outcome.
What if I’m not satisfied with the response you provide?
If you are not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your complaint, you can request that this is referred to an external Independent Complaints Adjudication Service, which Baby Scanning Ltd will coordinate and support.
If you were an NHS patient who was treated by us under a contract agreement, and you are unhappy with the resolution of your complaint you may wish to address your concerns to your NHS Health Board’s Complaints Manager in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the office of the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman who will consider whether we have acted properly and fairly. Details on how to do this are on their website please click on the following link. www.spso.org.uk You can write to the SPSO at:
Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
4-6 Melville St
Edinburgh
Midlothian EH3 7NS
Call: 0800 377 7330
The Ombudsman will first consider whether your complaint can be resolved by further action by our clinic or your NHS provider, therefore it is important to be sure we cannot offer any further help before going down this route
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the regulator of private healthcare providers in Scotland, and it encourages feedback on private providers performance, and it also has a process for dealing with complaints. You have the right at any point to contact HIS about an element of our service and in the case of the HIS complaints process you can find information online, using the line below:
http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/about_us/contact_healthcare_improvement/complaints.aspx
Alternatively, you can contact HIS using the information below:
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Independent Healthcare Team
Gyle Square,
1 South Gyle Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH12 9EB
T: 0131 623 4342
Our Policy is clearly stated above and is part of our commitment to on-going improvement and development of our service therefore it is important that we get feedback on any issues that you encounter when dealing with us. We can assure you that any complaint will be treated with confidentiality and sensitivity, with our sole objective being to bring your complaint to a successful resolution for you.
If you have an issue you wish to discuss you can e-mail our Patient Services Manager at [email protected] or write to us:
The Practice Manager
Baby Scanning Ltd
Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street,
Glasgow, G1 1DA
Or call us on 0141 221 2611
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Complaints Procedure
Making a Complaint
If you are unhappy with the service we have provided, we want to know what we can do to help. We will talk to you to find out if it is a problem we can resolve quickly and easily, or a problem that needs a more formal investigation and response.
When you contact us, we will want to talk to you to understand the problem and agree what you would like to happen. If the problem can be resolved quickly, we will confirm what we will do and when we will contact you. This is most useful at the time that problems are happening, and action can be taken to make the situation better for you.
If you are happy with the action we take, and further investigations are not needed, we will document this as a concern.
If a problem needs to be investigated, or needs a formal response, we will confirm the issues to be investigated, how you would like to receive the information from the investigation, and when this will be available. This will be investigated as a complaint.
We are responsible for dealing with your complaint efficiently and ensuring it is properly investigated. We will treat you with respect and courtesy and provide a timely and appropriate response.
We will tell you the investigation findings and any action we will be taking. Concerns and complaints may be recorded so we can monitor our services and report on the issues raised.
All complaints will be handled in line with Baby Scanning Ltd.’s documented “Customer Complaints” procedure and in order that we can accurately deal with your issue we may ask you to complete a Customer Complaint Form which we will assist you to do, if required.
In the first instance you should contact our Practice Manager who will help you through this process and who will initiate the investigation. This is what we refer to as Stage 1 of the process.
Our policy is to ensure that the complaints process is flexible and responsive to the needs of individual complainant. In addition, it emphasises the need to communicate effectively with you and involve you in the decisions concerning the handling of your complaint. Our policy seeks to ensure that:
- Patients / Customers who complain are listened to and treated with courtesy, respect and empathy at all times.
- Patients / Customers who complain are not disadvantaged as a result of making a complaint.
- Complaints are investigated promptly, thoroughly, honestly and openly.
- Complainants are kept informed of the progress and outcome of the investigation.
- Apologies are given as appropriate.
- Action to rectify the cause of the complaint is identified, implemented and evaluated through the clinic’s corrective action process.
- Learning from complaints informs service development and improvement.
- Complaints handling complies with all confidentiality and data protection policies and is
transparent.
Once your complaint has been investigated thoroughly, we will contact you for a review of our findings and feedback on the issues you raised. In most cases complaints are resolved at this level, and a way forward that is mutually agreeable is put in place.
In the event that you remain dissatisfied with our service and / or the outcome of the initial investigation then you can request that the complaint is escalated to our Clinical Director for further investigation. This is what we refer to as Stage 2 of the process.
The intent is that we do a full review of the initial findings from Stage 1 of this process and if there are any other avenues of investigation that present themselves these will be dealt with and taken into account. The Clinical Director may also wish to meet with you if there are issues that he is unclear of so that the most appropriate solution can be found.
Again, once this stage of the process has been completed the Clinical Director will contact you for a review of our findings and feedback on the issues you raised.
In the event that you still remain unhappy then the complaint will be escalated to an external Independent Complaints Adjudication Service which will be an established provider of complaints management and resolution services. We refer to this as Stage 3 of our complaints process.
Baby Scanning Ltd, with your prior agreement, will provide all information to this independent service and co- operate fully in support of your wish to escalate you complaint to them.
Some Frequent Asked Question’s
What if my complaint involves one or more organisation?
If the issues raised involve services not provided directly by Baby Scanning Ltd but on behalf of another service provider or organisation we will discuss with you the most appropriate route for your complaint to be made and handled. However, Baby Scanning Ltd will be directly involved to help you get resolution to your problem and we will agree with you whether separate responses or a joint response will be most helpful for you. If a joint response will be helpful, we will need your permission to obtain and share information with the other parties involved. We will then contact them to agree who will lead the complaint and how long it will take.
Is there a time limit to make a complaint?
A complaint will normally need to be made within 12 months of the issue arising, or 12 months from when you became aware of the issue. Requests for investigations beyond this time will be considered on the individual circumstances by the Patient Services Manager.
Can I make a complaint on behalf of someone else?
If you are making a complaint on behalf of another person, we will need their permission to share information with you. This can be done using our Patient Proxy form which is available from the Practice Manager.
Members of Parliament (MP) are considered to have the consent of the patient when pursuing complaints on their behalf (Data Protection Act 1998 – Processing Sensitive Personal Data – Elective Representatives Order 2002).
What happens when I make a complaint?
Receiving your complaint.
A written record must be made of your complaint as mentioned above we can provide a standard form if required, which can be sent via post or e-mailed and if you wish to send a letter with more detail, we would welcome that too.
Complaint is acknowledged.
We will write to confirm receipt of your complaint within 3 working days detailing the specific issues we are investigating, how we will respond and the anticipated timescale. Our declared objective is to close complaints within 20 working days, however in some circumstances this is not possible, and you will be advised if this is the case.
Appointment of an Investigator or Handler.
The complaint is assessed on receipt and is assigned to an appropriate person who is then the nominated Investigator / Handler. Many investigations are carried out by the Practice Manager, however some investigations may require a small team to be formed to deal with a complaint due to the complexity or seriousness of the issues raised.
The Investigation Process.
The investigator / handler will look at any records that have been made and speak to the staff involved to understand what should have happened and compare this to what happened. In most cases the investigator will wish to meet with you personally to clarify things further and get a fuller understanding of the issue.
Our response
The completed investigation and response will be reviewed by the Clinical Director to confirm that the investigations have addressed the issues confirmed in the resolution plan. This will then be forwarded to you or if you wish you may want to meet with us to review the outcome.
What if I’m not satisfied with the response you provide?
If you are not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your complaint, you can request that this is referred to an external Independent Complaints Adjudication Service, which Baby Scanning Ltd will coordinate and support.
If you were an NHS patient who was treated by us under a contract agreement, and you are unhappy with the resolution of your complaint you may wish to address your concerns to your NHS Health Board’s Complaints Manager in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the office of the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman who will consider whether we have acted properly and fairly. Details on how to do this are on their website please click on the following link. www.spso.org.uk You can write to the SPSO at:
Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
4-6 Melville St
Edinburgh
Midlothian EH3 7NS
Call: 0800 377 7330
The Ombudsman will first consider whether your complaint can be resolved by further action by our clinic or your NHS provider, therefore it is important to be sure we cannot offer any further help before going down this route
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the regulator of private healthcare providers in Scotland, and it encourages feedback on private providers performance, and it also has a process for dealing with complaints. You have the right at any point to contact HIS about an element of our service and in the case of the HIS complaints process you can find information online, using the line below:
http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/about_us/contact_healthcare_improvement/complaints.aspx
Alternatively, you can contact HIS using the information below:
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Independent Healthcare Team
Gyle Square,
1 South Gyle Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH12 9EB
T: 0131 623 4342
Our Policy is clearly stated above and is part of our commitment to on-going improvement and development of our service therefore it is important that we get feedback on any issues that you encounter when dealing with us. We can assure you that any complaint will be treated with confidentiality and sensitivity, with our sole objective being to bring your complaint to a successful resolution for you.
If you have an issue you wish to discuss you can e-mail our Patient Services Manager at [email protected] or write to us:
The Practice Manager
Baby Scanning Ltd
Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street,
Glasgow, G1 1DA
Or call us on 0141 221 2611