Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure

I will do my very best to provide a service in your best interests that is evidenced based. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care, please feel free to contact me as soon as you can so that any issues can be resolved as quickly as possible. Should you remain dissatisfied, you can put your concerns in writing and use my formal complaint resolution procedure, which meets with the requirements set out by the Independent Doctors Federation (IDF) for its members and also the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS).

Complaint Resolution Procedure

I do aim to provide you with a high standard of care and service. If however, you are unhappy with the service you have received from me, I would like to know about it as soon as possible so I can investigate your concerns and explain, apologise and take positive action where necessary. In most circumstances, if you tell me about your concern quickly, I can resolve matters promptly. To let me know about something with which you are unhappy please contact me via info@drvanzwanenberg.com or ring my secretary on: 07749037464

If you are not fully satisfied you can put your concerns in writing and use my formal Complaint Resolution Procedure which meets with the requirements set out by the Independent Doctors Federation (IDF) for its members and also the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS).

The Complaint Resolution Procedure has three stages and reflects the principles of the ISCAS Code of Practice:

Stage 1 Local resolution within the individual practice
Stage 2 Internal review
Stage 3 Independent Adjudication from ISCAS

Stage 1
To start the formal Complaint Resolution Procedure you should write to one of the following, depending on which location your appointment with me was conducted:

For patients seen at The Priory Wellbeing Centre Oxford:

Happiness Mushi

Centre Manager

3Rd Floor Thomas Hull House 3-7 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DH

You should state what has caused you to have concerns and make your points clear. Please document when the relevant events took place and what results you expect from your complaint.

The Practice will send you an acknowledgement of your letter within three working days of receipt of the complaint (unless the practice is able to provide you with a full response within five days).

A full response to your complaint will be made within twenty days of the receipt of the complaint. If the investigation is still in progress after twenty days a letter will be sent to you explaining the delay and a full response made within five days of reaching a conclusion. In any event a holding letter will be sent every twenty days where an investigation is continuing.

Stage 2

If you remain dissatisfied following the final response from the practice, then you can request a review of your complaint, known as Stage 2.

You can request this by contacting me via info@drvanzwanenberg.com or by contacting the Independent Doctors Federation via 020 3696 4080, or email us at info@idf.uk.net the complaint is considered by the IDF Complaints Manager, seeking input from both parties.

Stage 3
This stage is only available to complainants who remain dissatisfied once Stage 1 and Stage 2 are exhausted.

A complainant should then request the Adjudication by writing to the Secretariat:

Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) Care of CEDR – Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
International Dispute Resolution Centre
70 Fleet Street
London EC4Y 1EU
Tel: 0207 536 6091
Email: info@iscas.org.uk

This written request for adjudication must be made within 6 months of the final determination by the IDF at Stage 2. The complainant at Stage 3 should provide reasons to explain the dissatisfaction with the outcome of Stage 2. The ISCAS Secretariat will seek confirmation from the IDF that Stage 2 has been completed.

The ISCAS Secretariat will notify the IDF of a request for Stage 3 made directly within ten days. The Secretariat will then be the main contact for the complainant once Adjudication is started. A complainant accessing this service will be asked to consent to release of records from the practice and the IDF relevant to the complaint and a report will be made to the complainant, the practice and the IDF.

Additional information for patients about ISCAS can be found at:
http://www.iscas.org.uk/patients-complaints-process