Compliments, Complaints & Suggestions

Our Patients’ views are important to us in order to ensure that our services meets their needs. If you are unhappy with any of our services, it is important to inform us.

1. Making a Suggestion
Often people feel more comfortable suggesting improvements than complaining formally. Suggestions can be made by anyone receiving services, or their friends/family. To make a suggestion you can:

• Speak to the manager or their deputy
• Utilise available comments or suggestion boxes.

If the suggestion is something that Doctors 4 You needs to consider, you can send it to:Registered Manager, Doctors 4 You, 443- 445 LORDSHIP LANE, LONDON, N22 5DJ.

2- Making a Complaint
We aim to handle complaints quickly, effectively and in a fair and honest way. We take all complaints seriously and use valuable information from investigating to help us improve the service we provide. We treat all complaints in confidence. Doctors 4 You assures Patients and their families that it will not withdraw or reduce services because someone makes a complaint in good faith.

Please also ask our receptionist for the complaint procedure leaflet. All complaints should be submitted either by writing to the Clinic Office at Doctors 4 You, 445 Lordship Lane London N22 5DJ, or contact through Tel:02032401028, or send via E-mail at: manager@doctors4you.co

3- Who can Complain?
Anyone affected by the way Doctors 4 You provides services can make a complaint. A representative can make a complaint for the affected person if they:

• Cannot make a complaint themselves, or
• Have given consent for the representative to act on their behalf
• Have died

If you are not happy about making a complaint yourself and you do not know someone who can talk or write to us on your behalf, we will be happy to find someone from an independent organisation to act as an advocate for you.

4- How you can Make a Complaint
You can complain:

• In person
• By phone
• Through staff
• Via an advocate or representative

Where someone complains verbally, we will make a written record and provide a copy of it within 3 working days:

• By letter
• By email

5- Anonymous Complaints
We deal with anonymous complaints under the same procedure. However, it should be noted that, if you provide contact details, we can update you on the outcome of our investigation.

6- Responsibility
Dr ATANASKA GEORGIEVA has overall responsibility for dealing with all complaints made about the service,but our compliant manager is Abdulkadir Ali. We will provide, as far as is reasonably practical:

• Any help you need to understand the complaints procedure
• Advice on where you may get that help
• Information about making a complaint in a way you can understand

7- How we Handle Complaints

Dr ATANASKA GEORGIEVA may ask one of the management team to investigate the complaint. That person will have enough seniority and experience to deal with the issues raised by the complainant. We will acknowledge a complaint within 3 working days and give you the name and

contact details of the person investigating it. We will keep you informed about the progress of the investigation. We aim to have all complaints finished within 20 working days unless we agree a different time scale with you. When we have finished investigating, we will arrange to meet with you to discuss the outcome, and write to you with:

• Details of the findings
• Any action we have taken
• Our proposals to resolve your complaint

8- Time Limits
You should complain as soon as you can after the date on which the event occurred or came to your notice. If you complain more than 12 months later, we may not be able to investigate properly.

However, we will consider whether you had a good reason for not making the complaint sooner and whether, despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly.

9- Further Steps
At any stage during the process, if you are not happy with the way the service is dealing with your complaint, you can contact t Registered Manager at: Doctors 4 You 443- 445 LORDSHIP LANE, LONDON, N22 5DJ

There will be 3 stages of the complaints process:

Stage 1 – Local Resolution
When a complaint is received, staff will try to resolve it immediately (or within 24 hours) if it’s within their responsibility. If not, the complaint will be referred to a senior staff member, and the complainant will be given a copy of the complaint’s procedure. Staff will report the complaint to Abdulkadir Ali where it will be assessed for further action and logged.

If a complaint can be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction within 24 hours, it is not necessary to go through the formal complaints process. If unresolved within 24 hours, it will be logged as a formal complaint. If the complainant isn’t the patient, consent will be obtained. Complaints should be raised with the Practice Manager within 6 months of the event.

The complain will be acknowledged in writing within 3 working days and investigate within 20 working days. If a full response can’t be provided within 20 days, we will inform the complainant of the delay. If dissatisfied, the complainant can escalate the complaint to Stage 2 in writing within 6 months of the Stage 1 response.

Stage 2 – Complaint Review
If escalated, the Practice Manager will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days. A senior staff member, such as the director or lead doctor, will conduct an objective review of the complaint, including documentation and possible interviews.

A full response will be provided within 20 working days, or updates will be given every 20 days if the investigation is ongoing. The review should be completed within 3 months. If dissatisfied, the complainant can escalate to Stage 3.

Stage 3 – Independent External Adjudication
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of our company director and stage 2 and feels we have not met any of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 regulations, you can escalate your concerns to Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service that Doctors 4 You is a member of.

At Stage 3 complainants have the right to an independent external adjudication of their complaint. Requests for independent external adjudication should be made to the Independent Sector Complaints. Adjudication Service (ISCAS), in writing, within 6 months of receipt of the Stage 2 decision letter. Complainants cannot access Stage 3 until they have gone through Stages 1 and 2 and ISCAS will direct complainants back to Doctors 4 You where appropriate.

To access Stage 3, complainants are asked to sign a ‘Statement of Understanding and Consent’, thereby agreeing to the parameters of Stage. Complainants will need to set out in writing for the Adjudicator:

(a) The reasons for the complaint
(b) What aspects of the complaint remain unresolved after Stages 1 and 2
(c) What outcome the complainant is seeking from Stage 3 ISCAS contact details are as follows:

*By Post: ISCAS, 100 St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8BU
*Email: info@iscas.org.uk
*Telephone: 020 7536 6091

The services of Doctors 4 You are registered with, and regulated by, the Care Quality Commission. The CQC cannot get involved in individual complaints about providers but is happy to receive information about services at any time.

You can contact the CQC at: Care Quality Commission National Correspondence Care Quality Commission National Correspondence Citygate, Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA

Telephone: 030 0061 6161
Fax: 03000 616171
Website: www.cqc.org.uk