The LUNA Clinic although an independent private body, aspires to meet the principles set out in the NHS Constitution which are:
- The right to have any complaint made about our services dealt with efficiently and to have it properly investigated.
- The right to know the outcome of any investigation into a complaint.
- The right to take a complaint to independent review if the complainant is not satisfied with the way their complaint has been dealt with by us.
- The commitment to ensure service users are treated with courtesy and receive appropriate support throughout the handling of a complaint; and the fact that they have complained will not adversely affect their future treatment.
- When mistakes happen, they shall be acknowledged; an apology made; an explanation given of what went wrong; and the problem rectified quickly and effectively.
- Demonstrating a commitment to ensure that the organisation learns lessons from complaints and claims and uses these to improve our services.
Everyone has the right to expect a positive experience and a good treatment outcome. In the event of concern or complaint, service users have a right to be listened to and to be treated with respect.
As an authorised provider, The LUNA Clinic will manage complaints properly so user concerns are dealt with appropriately. Good complaint handling matters because it is an important way of ensuring our users receive the service they are entitled to expect.
Complaints are also a valuable source of feedback; they provide an audit trail and can be an early warning of failures in service delivery. When handled well, complaints provide an opportunity to improve service and reputation.
The LUNA Clinic subscribes to principles for good complaints handling outlined in the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman’s Complaints Standards Framework.
Making a complaint
The LUNA clinic adopts a 3 stage complaints process:
Stage 1
In the first instance, patients should raise their complaint at the point of service or shortly afterwards to The LUNA Clinic by either:
Phone: (+44)02031376093
Or
Email: info@thelunaclinic.com
Complaints that are not resolved at the point of service, or that are received in writing and require follow up, are regarded as formal complaints.
If the complaint is not resolved at the point of service, staff are expected to provide the complainant with the formal complaints policy.
Emphasis will be given to getting Stage 1 right. If complaints are responded to effectively when they are first raised, then there should be less need for subsequent stages of the process. If the matter cannot be resolved, it will move to stage 2.
Stage 2
Our designated complaints manager will coordinate the resolution of formal complaints in close liaison with the staff who are directly involved and will carry out an internal review.
The complaints manager carries out investigations of complaints to identify what happened, the underlying causes of the complaint and preventative strategies.
Information is gathered from:
- Talking to staff directly involved;
- Listening to the complainant’s views;
- Reviewing medical records and other records; and
- Reviewing relevant policies, standards or guidelines.
If a patient is not satisfied with the outcome, it will move to stage 3.
Stage 3
Formal complaints are normally resolved by direct negotiation with the complainant, but some complaints are better resolved with the assistance of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
All staff are expected to encourage service users to provide feedback about the service, including complaints, concerns, suggestions, and compliments.
Staff are expected to attempt resolution of complaints and concerns at the point of service, wherever possible and within the scope of their role and responsibility.
The process of resolving the problem will include:
- an expression of regret to the user for any harm or distress suffered.
- an explanation or information about what is known, without speculating or blaming others; considering the problem and the outcome the user is seeking and proposing a solution; and confirming that the service user is satisfied with the proposed solution.
Our staff will consult with their manager if addressing the problem is beyond their responsibilities.
Formal complaints are acknowledged in writing or in person within 72 hours.
The acknowledgment provides contact details for the person who is handling the complaint, how the complaint will be dealt with and how long it is expected to take.
If a complaint raises issues that require notification or consultation with an external body including ISCAS, the notification will occur within three days of those issues being identified.
Formal complaints are investigated and hoped to be resolved within 40 days.
If the complaint is not resolved within that time period, the complainant will be provided with an update.
Complainants are initially provided with an explanation of what happened, based on the known facts.
At the conclusion of an inquiry or investigation, the complainant and relevant staff are provided with all established facts, the causal factors contributing to the incident and any recommendations to improve the service, and the reasons for these decisions.
The complaints manager continuously monitors the amount of time taken to resolve complaints, whether recommended changes have been acted on and whether satisfactory outcomes have been achieved.
The complaints manager annually reviews the complaints management system to evaluate if the complaints policy is being complied with and how it measures up against best practice guidelines. As part of the evaluation, users and staff will be asked to comment on their awareness of the policy and how well it works in practice.