The complaints process
Our complaints policy ensures your concerns are investigated and that you are given a full and prompt reply. This leaflet outlines our patient complaints procedure and gives you advice on how to get a satisfactory response to your concerns.
Any complaint that we receive is treated in confidence. We undertake to investigate all complaints courteously and sympathetically and to provide a rapid response. All comments and complaints are taken seriously, regardless of their nature.
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we encourage patients to provide feedback on our service by using our Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. These questionnaires are available at all of our clinic sessions and can be provided to all our patients at the end of their appointment. The feedback we receive from these surveys remains anonymous and is reviewed monthly as well as quarterly. This information is used to identify any changes that need to be made to the service we offer.
Other ways of raising concern
If you encounter any problems, however small, we ask that you tell us as soon as possible. Please highlight any concerns as soon as they arise, rather than waiting, so that we may resolve these in a timely fashion.
You can provide feedback as follows:
During your appointment
During your appointment, please highlight any concerns you have with the clinician undertaking your appointment.
After your appointment or after discharge from our service
Should you have feedback about any aspect of the service you have received, you can call the Service Manager on the number on your appointment letter. If you do not wish to feedback directly to the Service Manager, you can contact the Governance Team on 0282003311. They will be able to contact the right individual to deal with your concern so that we can deal with any feedback and resolve any issues as quickly as possible.
Alternatively, you can write to:
Governance Team
AlphaSiGHT
Ground Floor
Weston Lane Centre for Healthy Living
Southampton. SO19 9GH
How do I make a written complaint?
It is helpful to put all formal complaints in writing. Your letter or email should include the following:
- Who or what has caused your concerns
- Where and when the events took place
- What action you have already taken, if any
- What results you want from your complaint
All formal complaints will be acknowledged within two working days of receipt. The Registered Manager for the service will be responsible for the investigation of the complaint and will write to you with the outcome within 28 days of the acknowledgement. If a full response cannot be given at this point, you will receive a letter explaining the reason for the delay.
What happens if I’m not happy with the response?
If you are not happy with the response, please address your concerns to the Managing Director, AlphaSiGHT, Ground Floor, Weston Lane Centre for Healthy Living. Southampton. SO19 9GH and explain why. Your individual case will then be reviewed again taking into consideration any objections you may have about your feedback. Following this review, you will receive a full response within 28 days.
The Complaints Procedure
Stage one: local resolution
The clinic works on the basis that wherever possible, complaints are best dealt with
directly with the service users by its staff and management, who will arrange for the
appropriate enquiries to be made in line with the nature of the complaint. This can
involve using an independent investigator as appropriate or if the complaint raises a safeguarding matter a referral to the local safeguarding adults’ authority.
Stage two: complaints review
If you feel your complaint is still not resolved, you can take your complaint to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board.
Stage three: independent external adjudication
If you are still dissatisfied with the management and outcome of your complaint, you can refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman / Health Service Ombudsman / in respect of some private health providers through the Independent Health Advisory Services (IHAS) for external independent adjudication.
Role of the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission does not investigate any complaint directly, but it welcomes hearing about any concerns. It accordingly provides users with information about how to contact the CQC by referring them to the CQC’s leaflet “How to Complain about a Health or Social Care Service” (July 2013)”, (available on the CQC website).
The clinic also sends to the CQC any information about complaints requested or required as part of CQC’s compliance reviewing policy.
Safeguarding Issues
In the event of a complaint involving alleged abuse or a suspicion that abuse has occurred, the clinic refers the matter immediately to the local safeguarding adults’ authority, which will usually call a strategy meeting to decide on the actions to be taken next. This could entail an assessment of the allegation by a member of the Safeguarding Authority team.