How to make a complaint

Private Therapy Clinic Complaints Policy

Introduction

This policy sets out the procedure for handling complaints from patients or their families or carers regarding the services provided by Private Therapy Clinic. The aim of this policy is to ensure that complaints are handled in a timely, sensitive, and effective manner, and that all parties involved are treated with respect and dignity.

Acknowledgment of complaints

All complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. The acknowledgment will include an explanation of the complaints procedure and how the complaint will be investigated.

Investigation of complaints

Complaints will be investigated in a timely and thorough manner. The investigation will be conducted by a member of the practice team who was not involved in the incident being complained about. The investigation will include gathering evidence and interviewing staff involved in the incident.

Internal procedures

To ensure we deal with all complaints effectively, we have implemented a complaints log ticketing system that enables us to monitor each complaint from beginning to end. All complaints will be recorded in a central complaints log ticketing system. The complaints log will be reviewed regularly to identify trends and areas for improvement. The person responsible for the investigation will provide regular updates on the progress of the investigation to the relevant staff members.

When a complaint is received, Private Therapy Clinic will create a ticket in the system, which will be assigned a unique identifier. This ticket will contain all the relevant information about the complaint, including the date it was received, the nature of the complaint, and the contact details of the complainant.

The ticketing system allows us to track each complaint through every stage of the resolution process, ensuring that we are aware of the status of each complaint at all times. Each ticket will be reviewed by our complaints handling team, who will assess the nature of the complaint and determine the appropriate course of action.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, the handling team may liaise with other members of our team to gather more information or investigate the issue further. We will keep the complainant informed throughout this process, providing regular updates on the progress of their complaint.

Once the complaint has been resolved, we will close the ticket and record the details of the resolution. We will also use the information gathered through the ticketing system to inform our service provision, identifying any areas where we can make improvements to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.

We believe that our ticketing system provides an effective and transparent way of handling complaints, ensuring that each issue is dealt with promptly and efficiently. We are committed to providing the highest possible level of service to all our patients, and we believe that our complaints policy plays a vital role in achieving this goal.

Escalating complaints

If a patient, their family, or their carer is not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, they have the option to escalate the complaint to the professional body of the practitioner responsible for their treatment. However, if the complaint relates to an administrative error made by our administrative team without involvement from the treating practitioner, you can request for the complaint to be escalated to the clinic manager.

Communication

Throughout the complaints process, the complainant will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation and any actions taken as a result of the complaint. The relevant staff member will be available to answer any questions or concerns the complainant may have.

Confidentiality

All information related to the complaint will be treated with the strictest confidence, and only staff members involved in the investigation will have access to the information provided.

Learning and improvement

All complaints will be used to identify areas for improvement and to improve the services provided by Private Therapy Clinic. Feedback from complainants will be used to improve the service in the future.

Complaining to a Practitioner’s Professional Body

It may be appropriate to complain to a practitioner’s professional body when there is serious misconduct or unethical behavior that may warrant a disciplinary action or a restriction on their professional practice. On the other hand, it may be appropriate to complain to Private Therapy Clinic when there is a complaint about the quality of care provided by the practitioner so that the company can determine whether it is appropriate to keep the practitioner on their list of practitioners that they refer clients to.

Here are some situations where you may report complaints to a practitioners professional body:

1. Serious or repeated breaches of confidentiality
2. Misuse of patients’ personal information
3. Misconduct, such as sexual misconduct or substance abuse
4. Misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment
5. Inappropriate prescribing practices or medication errors
6. Failure to follow professional standards or guidelines
7. Inadequate training or supervision of staff

If a complaint is made to a practitioner’s professional body, Private Therapy Clinic may be required to cooperate with the investigation. Private Therapy Clinic may also have an obligation to report any serious concerns to the relevant regulatory authorities, such as the HCPC or the General Medical Council.

In situations where there has been misconduct, Private Therapy Clinic would have an obligation to investigate the complaint and take appropriate action. This may include removing the practitioner from their register of practitioners they refer to to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

If the Private Therapy Clinic fails to take appropriate action, the complainant may escalate the complaint to the relevant regulatory authorities or seek legal advice.

Professional Bodies

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC):

Website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/

Email: ftp@hcpc-uk.org (Fitness to Practice related queries)

Phone: +44 (0)300 500 6184

British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP):

Website: https://www.babcp.com/

Email: admin@babcp.com

Phone: +44 (0)1623 818970

United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP):

Website: https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/

Email: info@ukcp.org.uk

Phone: +44 (0)20 7014 9955

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP):

Website: https://www.bacp.co.uk/

Email: bacp@bacp.co.uk

Phone: +44 (0)333 321 0945

General Medical Council (GMC):

Website: https://www.gmc-uk.org/

Email: gmc@gmc-uk.org

Phone: +44 (0)161 923 6602

Royal College of Psychiatrists (RC Psych):

Website: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/

Email: rcpsych@rcpsych.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)20 7235 2351

Please note that contact details may be subject to change, so it’s always a good idea to verify them on the respective organizations’ websites for the most up-to-date information.

Conclusion

This policy aims to ensure that all complaints are handled in a timely, sensitive, and effective manner, and that all parties involved are treated with respect and dignity. By following this policy, the Private Therapy Clinic can improve the services provided and maintain a high standard of care.

How to complain about Private Therapy Clinic.

1. Let us know if you’re unhappy with our service. It’s best if you can do this at the time the issue takes place so that we can resolve it with you as soon as possible.
2. You can contact our support team using the contact details below. Please write “Complaint” in the subject line of your email.

Contact details

• Email: info@privatetherapyclinic.com
• Telephone: UK +44 (0) 203 887 2866

Investigating complaints

To help us investigate your complaint, please give us as much information as possible. Including:

• Your full name and your email or home address, including your postcode
• Your date of birth
• A contact phone number in case we need to contact you for more information
• A clear description of what you want to complain about and when it happened
• Any relevant correspondence

We do our best to acknowledge all complaints within 5 working days.

We’ll investigate the complaint and send you our findings within 20 working days.

We’ll let you know our findings, including any changes we’ll make as a result of our investigation.