Complaints procedure

Our commitment

We take complaints seriously. If something has gone wrong, telling us gives us the chance to put it right and to improve the service for everyone else. Making a complaint will never affect the care you receive from us.

Who can complain

You can complain if you are the patient, or on behalf of a patient with their written consent. If the patient cannot give consent themselves, we will discuss the right approach with you.

When to complain

Please raise a complaint as soon as you can, ideally within 12 months of the event or of becoming aware of it. We will still consider complaints made later where there is a good reason and it is still possible to investigate fairly.

How to complain

Many concerns can be settled straight away by speaking to a member of the team at the time. If you would rather make a formal complaint, contact us with as much detail as possible, including dates, names if you know them, what happened, and what you would like us to do to put it right.

• Phone: 0121 751 8001
• Post: My Private Medical, 19 Lichfield Street, Walsall WS1 1UG

What happens next

1. Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly, usually within three working days.
2. Investigation. A responsible member of the team reviews what happened, including your clinical records where relevant, and speaks to the staff involved.
3. Response. We provide a written response once the investigation is complete, usually within 20 working days. It will explain what we found, what we are doing about it, and an apology where one is due.
4. If it takes longer. Complex cases can take more time. If we need longer, we will tell you why and keep you updated.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our response, tell us and ask for the matter to be reviewed again. We will explain what further options are open to you, which may include the relevant professional or regulatory body depending on what your complaint is about.

Complaints about how we have handled your personal or health information can be raised with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, helpline 0303 123 1113, ico.org.uk. We would ask you to raise it with us first.

Learning from complaints

We record complaints and review them so that recurring problems get fixed rather than repeated. Where a complaint leads to a change in how we work, we will tell you what changed.

Privacy

Information you give us in a complaint is handled in line with our privacy notice, kept separate from your clinical record where appropriate, and used only to investigate and respond to your complaint.