Complaints policy

It is the policy of Assura Hampshire Health to comply with the NHS Complaints Procedure regarding the management of complaints and to respond to complaints promptly and in an open manner.

Assura Hampshire Health recognises that the monitoring and handling of complaints are Key Performance Indicators for the quality of its service and represent an opportunity for continuous improvement in service standards.

Complaints provide an opportunity to examine our services and clinical practice and ensure that a culture of quality improvement and risk reduction exists to support the overall clinical governance framework.

The complaints procedure aims to provide:

• Accessibility
• Impartiality
• Simplicity
• Speed of Response
• Confidentiality
• Continuous improvement in quality of service

The Policys Supporting Objectives

• To provide easy access for clients and complainants to the Complaints Process.
• To have an honest and thorough approach to investigation.
• To deliver fairness to staff, associated clinicians and complainants.
• To separate complaints from disciplinary procedures.
• To effectively record, audit and cross-reference to other quality and risk management processes.
• To extract lessons learned from complaints, to improve services, reduce failures and incidents and overall to improve quality.
• To align complaints monitoring with the National Patient Safety Agency requirements where applicable, and effectively record, audit and cross-reference to other quality and risk management processes for the purpose of improvement to services, reduction in failures and incidents and to improve quality overall.
• To provide written evidence of the action undertaken as a result of the complaint

The complaints policy applies to both clinical and non clinical complaints and is a statement of our commitment to providing a quality service. It is designed effectively to manage, respond and resolve complaints.

The Complaints Policy has three stages:

1. Local Resolution 
2. Internal Appeal to Assura Hampshire Health Business Director
3. Appeal to Assura Medical Managing Director

Logging a Complaint

All complaints must be recorded on a complaint form at the time that the complaint is made (both verbal and written). It is the responsibility of the person who received the complaint to ensure that this is done.

If the complaint is resolved at the time then the person logging the complaint should indicate this on the form.

With regard to verbal complaints, consideration should be given as to whether it maybe helpful to the process to encourage complainants to put the nature of their complaint in writing.

Acknowledging a complaint

It is the responsibility of the Business Director to ensure that an Acknowledgement Letter is sent to the complainant within 24 hours (of receipt of the complaint), if the complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved in that time.