Complaints Policy
Code of Practice for Handling Complaints
At Leeds Menopause Clinic we take complaints very seriously and try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our services. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible.
Complaints made to the clinic
The person responsible for dealing with any complaints about the service is Dr Laura Reid.
In the event of a complaint please contact the clinic via hello@leedsmenopauseclinic.co.uk.
We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint and including a copy of this Code of Practice within three working days. You will be invited to discuss your concerns; we will seek to investigate the complaint within the agreed response period of the complaint being received to explain the circumstances which led to the complaint. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within this agreed time period, we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation. This will be within 10 days of the compliant received
Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received.
Leeds Menopause Clinic welcomes all complaints; any patient that makes a complaint will not be adversely treated due to having complained. If you do not wish to complain directly to the clinic you can address your complaint directly to the relevant body.
Should a patient make a complaint or claim, we may need to provide information about the patient, and treatment they have received, to insurers, indemnifiers or legal advisers.
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. However, this does not affect your right to complain to an independent body, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
For further advice, you should contact:
General Medical Council
350 Euston Rd,
London
NW1 3JN
0161 923 6602
CQC Care Quality Commission Citygate,
Gallowgate,
Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear
NE1 4PA
0300 061 6161
Independent Healthcare Sector
Complaints Adjudication Service
70 Fleet Street London
EC4Y 1EU
020 7536 6091
Duty of Candour
The professional duty of candour is part of the GMC standards and is about being open and honest with patients when things go seriously wrong with their care and treatment.
Before treatment starts you must give patients enough information in a way they can understand, making sure that they understand the decision they are being asked to make and give them enough time to make the decision.
There must be an open and honest culture across and at all levels within the practice, supported by essential policies and procedures. You must notify the ‘relevant person’ when there is a ‘notifiable safety incident’, following the correct procedure:
Tell the patient
Apologise
Offer an appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible; and explain in full the short and long-term effects of what has happened)
Open & Honest Culture
A being open and honest culture is designed to improve the experience of patients who are inadvertently harmed during their treatment and promotes better communication between staff and patients.
The Relevant Person
The relevant person is usually the patient affected by the incident but can be someone acting on their behalf.
Notifiable Safety Incident
A notifiable safety incident is any unintended or unexpected incident that occurred during the treatment of the patient that, in the reasonable opinion of a health care professional, appears to have resulted in any of the following:
The death of the service user, where the death relates directly to the incident rather than to the natural course of the service user’s illness or underlying condition.
An impairment of the sensory, motor or intellectual functions of the service user which has lasted, or is likely to last, for a continuous period of at least 28 days.
Changes to the structure of the service user’s body.
The service user experiencing prolonged pain or prolonged psychological harm. The shortening of the life expectancy of the service user.
The patient requiring treatment by a health care professional in order to prevent:
The death of the service user, or
Any injury to the service user which, if left untreated, would lead to one or more of the outcomes mentioned in the earlier bullet-points
Notification to the Relevant Person
The guidance on notification to the relevant person include the necessity to keep full, secure written records, along with any enquiries and investigations and their outcomes. The provider should make every reasonable effort to contact the relevant person through various communication means. All attempts to contact the relevant person should be documented.
Disability and discrimination act policy
This policy is in respect of discrimination on the grounds of disability. For the purpose of this policy, the term ‘disability’ may include physical and sensory impairments, mental illness or learning disabilities, chronic or terminal illness. People are protected from unlawful discrimination through the application of our policies and procedures.
Leeds Menopause Clinic is committed to working towards equality of opportunity for every member of the practice team and for every patient. This statement is one important way of achieving this objective.
We recognise that discrimination on the grounds of disability is illegal. Through this policy, through training and by example, the clinic wishes to demonstrate that it does not tolerate discrimination by anyone working at the practice.
The practice and its staff will not treat a disabled person less favourably than another person because of a disability. Less favourable treatment includes:
Refusing to treat a disabled patient
Giving a disabled patient a lower standard of service or treating him or her in a worse manner than an able-bodied patient
Offering a disabled patient less favourable terms.
The following exceptions may occur when in the clinicians opinion:
Health and safety reasons exist where either the patient or someone else would come to some harm if the clinician did not refuse treatment
A disabled patient is unable to understand that treatment must be paid for, where appropriate
The situation would mean negating or no longer providing the service
The practice will do its best to change or remove policies, practices and procedures that make it very difficult or impossible for a disabled patient to use the practice.
Chaperone Policy
Leeds Menopause clinic is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment. Where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation or examination. The chaperone can be a family member or friend. However you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present ie. a trained member of staff. Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking an appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed.
If a practitioner routinely works without a chaperone, a risk assessment has been carried out, and control measures have been put in place.
Cancellation and pricy policy
MORE THAN 48 HOURS: Consultations cancelled more than 48 hours from the scheduled appointment can be cancelled directly via the Pabau booking system.
LESS THAN 48 HOURS: If consultations are cancelled with less than 48 hours you will be refunded only 50% of the consultation fee.
Although we will do our best to honour all appointments made, Leeds Menopause Clinic reserves the right to cancel an appointment at any time if an unforeseen circumstance arises.
- Late and Missed Appointments: If you are late for your scheduled appointment, you may still be reviewed if we have free appointments on the day of your scheduled appointment but it may need to be at a later time to avoid causing the other patient’s appointments to be late.
-If you have a scheduled video or telephone consultation we will attempt to contact you 3 times so please have your video and telephone devices to hand until you have your consultation. If there is still no response after the above attempts to contact you this will be considered a missed appointment and 50% of the consultation fee is still payable.
The fee structure is subject to change without notice but you will be charged the price at the time of your booking
Consent policy
The Leeds Menopause Clinic practice follows the GMC guidelines: ‘Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together’.
Healthcare is a shared responsibility and you have a duty to report to Leeds Menopause clinic and other healthcare professionals caring for you, accurate and complete information to the best of your knowledge.
We encourage patient to take ownership and make informed decisions about their bodies and their care. Patients have a right to choose whether or not to accept advice or treatment We do not make any decisions on behalf of the patient without their consent.
Once the consent has been given it may be withdrawn at any time.
We recommend that we keep your General Practitioner updated with regard to your engagement with Leeds Menopause Clinic. The clinic will generate a written report and share a copy with your named GP. It is good practice for your GP to be aware of any changes to your medical management. It is your responsibility to provide us with the correct GP email address so we can forward them a copy of your clinic letter.
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