Informing us of your experience,
Complaints Policy
As with all clinical service provision governance is an essential element of the provision of a safe service that meets all the requirements of clinical excellence. How we manage complaints forms an integral component of good governance and quality management.
The company's objectives and details of effective governance explain how we manage, develop and improve our services. We recommend reading through our Clinical Governance Policy here as it may help you, inform us, of the specific aspect(s) of care you are dissatisfied with.
How to compliment, comment or complain
We invest in our services and the standards of care patients receive. Additionally, we engage with patients to ask about their personal experience of our facilities and the care we’ve delivered.
It is important that we receive your feedback in writing and there are three ways you can tell us about your experience with us:
Complete a feedback card (available at the front desk)
This is a convenient method of providing us with any comments you have, including any suggestions on how you think we might've improved, immediately following your appointment. The form has a few simple questions and space to make comments.
Email us at feedback@entreferrals.co.uk
Please remember to include your name, or the name of the patient if acting on their behalf, when emailing us.
Write to us
Patient Feedback
ENT Referrals Limited
Suite Two Lymington Business Centre
Cannon Street
Lymington SO41 9BR
We may need to obtain further insight or provide you with further information. Services improve with the help of patient feedback and it may be helpful to discuss your experience with us.
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint, then please follow the steps below and read about how we handle complaints.
When we are handling your complaint, we promise to:
Be ACCESSIBLE - You can contact us to check on the progress of your complaint
Be IMPARTIAL - We will treat every complaint fairly
Be RESPONSIVE - We will reply to you as soon as we can, and let you know if there will be a delay
Finally we will RESPECT your confidentiality
How do I make a complaint?
We recognise that complaints are an important learning tool as they offer valuable information about a patient’s experience. If you feel that providing feedback is insufficient and you wish to complain, then please make your complaint in writing at the following address:
Service Manager
ENT Referrals Limited
Suite Two Lymington Business Centre
Cannon Street
Lymington SO41 9BR
You may also make your complaint by emailing governance@entreferrals.co.uk or call us initially to discuss your complaint with the Service Manager on 01590 610 944. If you write or email us, we will most likely request to speak to you on the phone initially or in person in order to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible.
It is important that you make your complaint as soon as possible, to enable us to properly and fairly obtain the facts, investigate matters and provide a response. You must make your complaint within six months, however, memories are less clear after many months and for an investigation to be most effective, all information is best provided as soon as possible.
If you have any difficulty completing a complaint in writing or email, then please call us and we will make arrangements for you to receive help completing the details of your complaint.
If you would prefer a family member, friend or advocate to make the complaint on your behalf, they may do so and we will work with them and yourself to resolve the problem. However, whilst we can receive a complaint on your behalf, we cannot provide any medical information to a third party without your authority. To discuss or provide confidential information we would require a note signed and dated by you.
Complaints are managed initially by the person responsible for the clinic providing the care or services. Comments and complaints are taken seriously and are provided to and, discussed at Governance meetings held on a quarterly basis. Ultimately, we endeavor to learn from all compliments, comments and complaints wherever possible and if necessary, change the way we work accordingly.
What information should I provide?
When making a complaint, it is helpful if you specify:
The background to your complaint, including location and service at which you were seen, relevant dates, times and names of staff involved in your treatment, and type of procedure involved.
Any specific grievances or issues that you wish to be addressed. What it is that you hope to achieve through the complaints process
We may reject any complaint that contains offensive language, or which expresses personal abuse of staff. It is not helpful for complaints to be phrased in a sarcastic manner or with humour and irony. In this context, it may lead to misinterpretation of your complaint. Persistent or repeated complaints without foundation, or complaints accompanied by aggressive or abusive behaviour, are considered an abuse of the complaints process and will be excluded.
What happens once I’ve made a complaint?
We will attempt to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. We will acknowledge receipt of written complaints within three working days of receiving them and, send you a full reply within 20 working days. If we cannot resolve your complaint within 20 working days, for example because more investigation is required, we will tell you what progress we have made and why there has been a delay. We may also request to meet with you to help understand your complaint and reach resolution effectively.
If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Governance Director. The request should be in writing and, provide details of which aspects of your complaint remain unresolved. The Director may appoint another person to handle your complaint and to review the investigation. Reconciliation will be attempted to resolve the complaint.
The company's objectives and details of effective governance explain how we manage, develop and improve our services. We recommend reading through our Clinical Governance Policy here as it may help you, inform us, of the specific aspect(s) of care you are dissatisfied with.
How to compliment, comment or complain
We invest in our services and the standards of care patients receive. Additionally, we engage with patients to ask about their personal experience of our facilities and the care we’ve delivered.
It is important that we receive your feedback in writing and there are three ways you can tell us about your experience with us:
Complete a feedback card (available at the front desk)
This is a convenient method of providing us with any comments you have, including any suggestions on how you think we might've improved, immediately following your appointment. The form has a few simple questions and space to make comments.
Email us at feedback@entreferrals.co.uk
Please remember to include your name, or the name of the patient if acting on their behalf, when emailing us.
Write to us
Patient Feedback
ENT Referrals Limited
Suite Two Lymington Business Centre
Cannon Street
Lymington SO41 9BR
We may need to obtain further insight or provide you with further information. Services improve with the help of patient feedback and it may be helpful to discuss your experience with us.
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint, then please follow the steps below and read about how we handle complaints.
When we are handling your complaint, we promise to:
Be ACCESSIBLE - You can contact us to check on the progress of your complaint
Be IMPARTIAL - We will treat every complaint fairly
Be RESPONSIVE - We will reply to you as soon as we can, and let you know if there will be a delay
Finally we will RESPECT your confidentiality
How do I make a complaint?
We recognise that complaints are an important learning tool as they offer valuable information about a patient’s experience. If you feel that providing feedback is insufficient and you wish to complain, then please make your complaint in writing at the following address:
Service Manager
ENT Referrals Limited
Suite Two Lymington Business Centre
Cannon Street
Lymington SO41 9BR
You may also make your complaint by emailing governance@entreferrals.co.uk or call us initially to discuss your complaint with the Service Manager on 01590 610 944. If you write or email us, we will most likely request to speak to you on the phone initially or in person in order to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible.
It is important that you make your complaint as soon as possible, to enable us to properly and fairly obtain the facts, investigate matters and provide a response. You must make your complaint within six months, however, memories are less clear after many months and for an investigation to be most effective, all information is best provided as soon as possible.
If you have any difficulty completing a complaint in writing or email, then please call us and we will make arrangements for you to receive help completing the details of your complaint.
If you would prefer a family member, friend or advocate to make the complaint on your behalf, they may do so and we will work with them and yourself to resolve the problem. However, whilst we can receive a complaint on your behalf, we cannot provide any medical information to a third party without your authority. To discuss or provide confidential information we would require a note signed and dated by you.
Complaints are managed initially by the person responsible for the clinic providing the care or services. Comments and complaints are taken seriously and are provided to and, discussed at Governance meetings held on a quarterly basis. Ultimately, we endeavor to learn from all compliments, comments and complaints wherever possible and if necessary, change the way we work accordingly.
What information should I provide?
When making a complaint, it is helpful if you specify:
The background to your complaint, including location and service at which you were seen, relevant dates, times and names of staff involved in your treatment, and type of procedure involved.
Any specific grievances or issues that you wish to be addressed. What it is that you hope to achieve through the complaints process
We may reject any complaint that contains offensive language, or which expresses personal abuse of staff. It is not helpful for complaints to be phrased in a sarcastic manner or with humour and irony. In this context, it may lead to misinterpretation of your complaint. Persistent or repeated complaints without foundation, or complaints accompanied by aggressive or abusive behaviour, are considered an abuse of the complaints process and will be excluded.
What happens once I’ve made a complaint?
We will attempt to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. We will acknowledge receipt of written complaints within three working days of receiving them and, send you a full reply within 20 working days. If we cannot resolve your complaint within 20 working days, for example because more investigation is required, we will tell you what progress we have made and why there has been a delay. We may also request to meet with you to help understand your complaint and reach resolution effectively.
If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Governance Director. The request should be in writing and, provide details of which aspects of your complaint remain unresolved. The Director may appoint another person to handle your complaint and to review the investigation. Reconciliation will be attempted to resolve the complaint.
