Complaints Policy

COMPLAINTS POLICY – MYMSK CLINIC (A trading name of AKHT103 Solutions Ltd)

MyMSK Clinic aims to provide all patients with the highest standards of care and customer service. If we fail to achieve this, we listen carefully and respond to our patients’ complaints swiftly, acknowledging any mistakes and rectifying them so that we can make improvements to our service. The patient is encouraged to raise concerns directly with the service provider concerned and we will do all we can to help and improve where possible. However, we recognise that occasionally your problem may not get resolved in this manner and you may wish to make a complaint.

 MyMSK Clinic has an internal Complaints Policy that helps us deal with such matters. Our policy requires us to:

• • Listen to your concerns;

• • Acknowledge the complaint and respond clearly and promptly;

• • Establish an appropriate plan of action;

• • Provide you with relevant advice and support;

• • Make improvements where we can.

The full Complaints Policy is made available to patients, their affected relative or a representative when they first raise concerns about any aspect of the service they have received.

Please be assured that any complaint you make will be treated in strict confidence and will have no effect on the quality of treatment and care that you may subsequently receive at the practice. 

If you would prefer a family member, friend or advocate to make the complaint on your behalf, they may do so, and the Clinic will co-operate to resolve any grievances. However, whilst we can receive a complaint on your behalf, we cannot provide any medical information to a third party without your consent. To discuss or provide confidential information we would require a note signed and dated by you. 

Complaints Procedure:

There will be 3 stages to Provider’s complaints process:

• • Stage 1 – Local resolution

• • Stage 2 – Internal appeal

• • Stage 3 – Independent external review.

Stage 1 – Local Resolution

1. All complaints can be raised with any member of staff at MyMSK Clinic in the first instance and should normally be made as soon as possible/within 6 months of the date of the event complained about, or as soon as the matter first came to your attention. The complaints can be made verbally, face-to-face, via telephone or e-mail. Should you wish, you can also put your complaint in writing to the Registered Manager.

2. The Registered Manager will acknowledge receipt of a written complaint, to your postal address provided (or via email) within 3 working days of receipt (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 days). You will be given a copy of the complaints procedure and invited to attend a face-to-face meeting with our CQC Registered Manager and other relevant parties, to talk through your concerns and to try and resolve the issue at an early stage.

3. The Registered Manager will go through a thorough process of investigation to include reviewing the case in detail and taking statements from all staff members / doctors concerned. The Manager responds directly to the person who has made the complaint, whether the complaint was made verbally, by letter, text, or email.

4. To make a formal complaint the complainant should write or e-mail the clinic (admin@mymskclinic.co.uk) clearly stating the nature of their complaint and giving as much detail concerning dates, times and, if known, names of staff members. This will enable us to acknowledge and address the issues raised promptly and effectively.

5. The Manager or their designated person will investigate all complaints. Where the clinic/service is unclear on any point or issue regarding the complaint, they will contact the complainant to seek clarification.

6. A full response to the complaint will usually be made within 20 working days or, where the investigation is still in progress, send a letter explaining the reason for the delay to the complainant, at a minimum, every 20 working days. We aim to complete stage 1 in most cases within three months.

If you are dissatisfied with the response to your complaint, you can escalate it to Stage 2, and must do so in writing, within 6 months of the final response to your complaint at Stage 1.

Stage 2 – Complaint Review

If the complainant escalates their complaint to Stage 2, the CQC Registered Manager will provide a written acknowledgement to the complainant within 3 working days of receipt of their complaint at stage 2 (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 working days). The Registered Manager will have arrangements in place by which to conduct an objective review of the complaint. Normally this will involve a senior member of staff who has not been involved in handling of the complaint at stage 1.

Stage 2 shall involve a review of all the documentation and may include interviews with relevant staff.  The manager will provide a review of the investigation and the response made at stage 1.

The clinician/member of staff that responded at stage 1, will be asked to make a further response, where there is an opportunity to resolve the complaint by taking a further look at a specific matter. The complainant will be kept informed where this happens. Facilitating a face-to-face meeting (or teleconference, where acceptable) will be considered between the complainant and those who responded to the complaint at stage 1. 

MyMSK Clinic will aim to provide a full response on the outcome of the review within 21 working days or, where the investigation is still in progress, send a letter explaining the reason for the delay to the complainant, at a minimum, every 21 working days.

The aim should be to complete the review at stage 2 in most cases within three months. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response to their complaint, they may escalate their complaint to Stage 3.

Stage 3 – Independent External Adjudication

At Stage 3 complainants have the right to an independent external adjudication of their complaint, 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. To access Stage 3, complainants are asked to sign a ‘Statement of Understanding and Consent’, thereby agreeing to the parameters of Stage 3.

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 

One or more of the following routes for external adjudication will be offered:

a) Seek assistance from the Patients Association

Visit their website: https://www.patients-association.org.uk/helpline

b) Contact the Citizens Advice Service

Citizens Advice provides free, confidential, and independent advice from over 3,000 locations, including in their bureaux, GP surgeries, hospitals, colleges, prisons, and courts. Advice is available face-to-face and by phone.

Visit their website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

c) Raising the matter with the Care Quality Commission.

Call the CQC on: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
Website: www.cqc.org.uk

At MyMSK Clinic, we encourage patient feedback using anonymous feedback forms provided at reception, email testimonials and Google reviews. Your feedback and concerns are of utmost importance to us and help us greatly improve the quality of service that we provide. All our staff is appropriately trained in complaints handling and internal reviews are regularly held to ensure staff compliance with our in-house Complaints Policy. 

The staff at MyMSK Clinic is vetted thoroughly, with full DBS checks and hold certification and training in Safeguarding. We will always make sure you are fully supported should you have any safeguarding concerns or be at any risk of abuse. The registered manager at MyMSK will be responsible for any concerns and complaints raised, and for ensuring your safety and well-being whilst addressing any such concerns/complaints. 

While at MyMSK Clinic we take patient satisfaction and well-being very seriously, the safety and wellbeing of our staff is of equal importance to us. Therefore, we request that any complaints and concerns be raised respectfully and rationally. Where a complaint becomes aggressive or unreasonable, despite effective handling, some or all of the following formal provisions will apply and will be communicated to the patient:

• • The complaint will be managed by one named individual at senior level who will be the only contact for the complainant

• • Contact will be limited to one method only (e.g. in writing)

• • A time limit will be placed on each contact

• • The number of contacts in a time period will be restricted

• • A witness may be present for all contacts

• • Repeated complaints about the same issue will be refused

• • Only acknowledge correspondence regarding a closed matter, not respond to it

• • Set behaviour standards

• • Return irrelevant documentation

• • Keep detailed records.

At MyMSK Clinic, the CQC registered manager continuously monitors the amount of time taken to resolve complaints, whether recommended changes have been acted on and if satisfactory outcome has been achieved. Personal information with regards to complaints is always kept confidential. Service users are provided with access to their medical records in accordance with our Subject Access Request policy. Others requesting access to a service users’ medical records as part of resolving a complaint are provided with access only if the service user has provided authorisation in accordance with the Subject Access Request Policy.

All feedback from our patients is welcome at MyMSK Clinic. We will always put your health and safety above anything else and will always strive to provide you with the best possible level of care.

Thank you.