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COMPLAINTS

The Heriot Clinic is committed to providing high quality care and treatment through the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care.  We understand, however, that sometimes things go wrong. If you are dissatisfied with something we have done, or have not done, please tell us and we will do our best to put things right.  If we cannot resolve matters in the way you want, we will explain why it’s not possible to do as you suggest.

  

The information below tells you about our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint.  It includes information about what you can expect from us when we are dealing with your complaint.

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What is a complaint?

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We regard a complaint as:

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Any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf. 

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Who can complain?

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Anyone can make a complaint to us.  You can complain directly to us, or if you would rather have someone make the complaint on your behalf, we can deal with your representative. This could be a relative, carer, friend or any other person that you choose.  If you agree to someone making the complaint on your behalf, it is important for you to know that we will need to ask for your permission for us to deal with that person.

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What can I complain about?

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You can complain about things like:

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  • your care and/or treatment

  • delays

  • a failure to provide a service

  • an inadequate standard of service

  • a lack of information and clarity about appointments 

  • difficulty in making contact with us for appointments or queries 

  • treatment by, or attitude of, a member of our staff     

  • environmental or domestic issues

  • operational and procedural issues

  • our failure to follow the appropriate process

  • your dissatisfaction with our policy. 

 

What can’t I complain about?

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There are some things we cannot deal with through our complaints handling procedure.  These include:

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  • a routine first-time request for a service, for example a request for an appointment or a request for a specific course of treatment;

  • a request for a second opinion in respect of care or treatment;

  • a previously concluded complaint or a request to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision;

  • a complaint that is being or has been investigated by Health Care Improvement Scotland.

  • a complaint about which you have commenced legal proceedings, or have clearly stated that you intend to do so.

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How do I complain?

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You can complain in person or by one of the methods below: 

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Wherever possible we encourage you to speak with Dr Johnston. It’s easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the clinician concerned.  We will always try to resolve any problems on the spot if it is possible to do so.

 

When complaining, please tell us:

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  • your full name and address, and your email address if this is your preferred method of contact;

  • the full name, address and date of birth of the person affected if you are complaining on behalf of somebody else;

  • as much as you can about the complaint;

  • what has gone wrong;

  • when did this happen;

  • where did this happen; and

  • how you want us to resolve the matter.

 

Giving us this information will help us to clearly identify the problem and what we need to do to resolve matters.

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How long do I have to make a complaint?

 

Normally, you must make your complaint within 4 months of:

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  • the event you want to complain about; or

  • finding out that you have a reason to complain, but no longer than 6 months after the event itself.

 

What happens when I have complained?

 

Stage One – Early, Local Resolution

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We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service.  Where appropriate, this could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem.

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Sometimes we will have to make some enquiries before we can respond to your complaint.  We will give you our decision at Stage One in ten working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

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If we cannot resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why and tell you what you can do next.

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Stage Two – Investigation

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Stage Two deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at Stage One and those that are complex and require detailed investigation.

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When using Stage Two, we will:

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  • acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five working days;

  • where appropriate, discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for; and

  • give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days.

 

If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you.  We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.

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What if I’m still dissatisfied?

 

If you are still dissatisfied with our decision, or the way in which we have dealt with your complaint, when we have sent you our full response, you can forward your complaint to  Health Improvement Scotland.

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What if you wish to complain to someone else outside of the Heriot Clinic at the outset?

 

Healthcare Improvement Scotland can accept complaints at any time from a complainant, regardless of whether they have complained to the service or not.

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Programme Manager

Independent Healthcare Services Team

Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Gyle Square

1 South Gyle Crescent

Edinburgh

EH12 9EB

Tel: 0131 623 4342 (10am-2pm, Monday to Friday)

Email: his.ihcregulation@nhs.scot

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