What is the complaints process?

The complaints process has 3 stages.

Stage 1 Local Resolution
Stage 2 Complaint Review
Stage 3 Independent External Adjudication

Every effort will be made to ensure our investigations are thorough yet proportionate with a commitment to try to resolve your concerns at Stage 1.

Stage 1 – Local resolution

Your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within three (3) working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) of receiving the complaint, unless a full reply can be sent to you within five (5) working days.

Where a complaint has been made on behalf of another person and consent is required, we will write to the patient complainant to seek their consent and supporting documents, where relevant. You have the right to seek independent or legal advice regarding your complaint where any aspect of your complaint might give rise to a clinical negligence claim. The intention to seek legal advice does not stop the complaints process. In cases where a legal claim is made then those aspects of the complaint that are central to the legal claim (i.e. clinical negligence and issues of causality) cannot be responded to in this process however, any other elements of the complaint can still be investigated via this procedure.

The process we will follow after an acknowledgement is sent is:-

An Investigation Lead will be allocated to review and manage the complaint, they will contact the complainant to:

Agree on who will receive the response;
Discuss with the complainant the preferred way to receive their response;
Establish if there are any special requirements that need to be considered as part of the investigation;
Agree with the complainant what the issues are that to be investigated;
Importantly the complainant will be provided with the name of the Investigation Lead and contact details should they wish to contact the Investigator at any stage of the investigation.

If the Investigation Lead has been unsuccessful in contacting the complainant after every attempt on more than one occasion or, they have indicated that they do not wish to be contacted by telephone, the Investigation Lead will email or write to the complainant to outline:-

Their name, role and contact details should they wish to get in touch at any point during the investigation;
Their understanding of the issues of the complaint;
How the issues will be investigated;
Who they will liaise with during the investigation

The aim of our investigation will be to:-

Apologise where we have got something wrong;
We will put the complainant at the centre of our investigation;
We will be open and accountable, giving you a clear and honest explanation of our findings;
Our investigation will be proportionate to the seriousness of the complaint;
We will seek to put things right;
We will always seek to identify lessons learnt and recommendations to support quality improvement.

Upon completion of the investigation, you will receive a full written response within twenty (20) working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) of the complaint being received.

If a full response cannot be given within the above time frame, OSD Healthcare will write to you to explain the reason for the delay. You will receive a full written response within five (5) days of a conclusion being reached. Regular reviews of complaints are conducted to ensure that we learn from issues raised and to inform continuous improvement, adapting our processes and services in line with our patients’ expectations.

If you are not satisfied with the response within 6 months you can request a complaint review.

Stage 2 – Complaint review

If you request a complaint review, a Director of OSD Healthcare will review your complaint, the investigation documentation and may interview staff involved to form an independent view on the handling of the complaint.

Your request for a complaint review will be acknowledged in writing within three (3) working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) of receiving the request unless a full reply can be sent to you within five (5) working days.

You will be offered the option of a confidential meeting and informed of the name of the Director who will be conducting the complaint review. Upon completion of the complaint review you will receive a full written response within twenty (20) working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) of the request being received.

If you are not satisfied with the response, within 6 months you can request Independent External Adjudication.

Stage 3 – Independent external adjudication

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review by a Director of OSD Healthcare, you have the right to request an independent external adjudication of the complaint. This can be done by contacting one of the following within 25 working days of receiving the Directors final letter.

For private patients:

Independent Healthcare Sector Adjudication Service
70, Fleet Street
London
EC4Y 1EU

Tel: 020 7536 6091
Email: info@iscas.org.uk
www.iscas.org.uk

Independent Adjudicators are independently appointed from outside the ISCAS and its membership. We would recommend that you ensure you are aware of the principles relating to the independent external adjudication procedure which are detailed in the ISCAS ‘A Guide for Patients’.

For NHS patients:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower, 30,
Millbank,
London
SW1P 4QP

Tel: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk