Complaints & feedback

Raising a concern verbally

If something isn't right, the quickest route is simply to say so — ideally before you leave your appointment, or as soon as possible afterwards. Call the private secretary on 01245 234414 and every effort will be made to resolve it there and then. If it isn't resolved to your satisfaction, you'll be told how to make a formal written complaint.

Making a written complaint

Written complaints should be addressed to Mr Daniel Swallow and sent to [email protected].

To help investigate properly, please describe as fully as you can:

• What you are unhappy about
• When the incident took place
• Who was present at the time
• What outcome you are hoping for

The three-stage process

Private healthcare in the UK uses a three-stage complaints process. Most concerns are resolved at the first stage.

1. 1
   Local resolution

   Raise your concern with Mr Swallow or the private secretary, or with the hospital where you were treated. Most complaints are settled at this point.

2. 2
   Review by the hospital

   If you are not satisfied with the first response, you can ask the hospital — The Princess Grace Hospital (HCA Healthcare) or Springfield Hospital (Ramsay Health Care) — to review your complaint at a senior level under its own complaints procedure.

3. 3
   Independent adjudication

   If your complaint remains unresolved after stage 2, you may be able to refer it to the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) for independent external adjudication.

About ISCAS

ISCAS is the recognised independent adjudicator for the private healthcare sector, run on a not-for-profit basis within the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). It is impartial and does not take sides, and it covers privately funded care whether you paid yourself or used private medical insurance.

• You need to refer your complaint within 6 months of receiving the final stage 2 response.
• There is no cost to you for the adjudication process.
• ISCAS aims to complete adjudications within 3–6 months. The adjudicator's decision is final, and no monetary compensation is awarded.
• ISCAS is a voluntary subscriber scheme — you can check whether a provider subscribes on the ISCAS website: iscas.cedr.com

Other organisations you can contact

• General Medical Council (GMC) — for concerns about a doctor's professional conduct or fitness to practise: gmc-uk.org
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) — the regulator of health and care services in England. The CQC cannot investigate individual complaints, but it uses information about services to inform its inspections: cqc.org.uk
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — for concerns specifically about how your personal information has been handled: ico.org.uk

Feedback that isn't a complaint

Positive feedback and suggestions are just as welcome as concerns, and are genuinely useful in improving how the practice runs. You are also welcome to leave a review on an independent platform if you'd like to share your experience with others.