Non - Surgical Patients
Formal Complaints Procedure Summary
Formal Complaints Procedure Summary
Stage 1: Local Resolution
- Prior to making a formal complaint patient should contact their local clinic. If they are unable to resolve the complaint, they will offer them a face to face (or virtual Face to face) meeting.
- All patients who wish to complain formally will be advised preferably to write to the Complaints Manager at Merchant City Medical GroupHead Office, detailing the Patient’s Name, Address and Date of Birth:
Merchant City Medical Group
70A West Regent Street,
Glasgow G2 2QZ
70A West Regent Street,
Glasgow G2 2QZ
- Complaints by email should be sent to Paul@Merchantcitymedicalgroup.com detailing the Patient’s Name, Address and Date of Birth. For reasons of data protection and patient confidentiality, we will only acknowledge receipt of the complaint by email. Response/s will be sent in writing by post, and so the patient’s address will be required. We may also require further information for verification purposes.
- Complaints from an authorised representative can only be accepted with the written consent of the patient concerned.
- A written acknowledgement will be sent within 3 working days, unless a full reply can be sent within 5 working days.
- We will undertake an immediate investigation into the comments provided and, once all relevant medical records and reports have been compiled, the Complaints Manager will carry out a review. It may also be necessary to take advice from other Clinical Specialists within Merchant City Medical Group.
- On completion of the investigation review, the complainant will receive a letter from the Complaints Manager within 20 working days of receiving the complaint. (This timescale does not include Weekends or Bank Holidays). This letter will contain a full written account of the outcome of the investigation, an apology for any deficiencies, and an explanation of remedial action taken.
- On any occasions when a written response cannot be provided within this timescale, we will inform the patient of the status of the complaint at a minimum of 20 working day intervals and aim to reach a timely conclusion.
- A complaint should be made as soon as possible and within 3 months of the date of the event which is the subject of the complaint, or as soon as the matter first came to the attention of the complainant.
- Patients seeking to clarify comments made by the Complaints Manager should write as soon as possible after the response at Stage 1 and a further response will be provided within 20 working days.
Stage 2 – Internal Appeal
- If, following receipt of the final response from the Complaints Manager, a patient wishes to seek a review of Stage 1, they should write to the Stage 2 Complaints Review Manager at the same address.
- This request should be made within 3 months of the final written response, stating the reason why they are not satisfied with the Stage 1 handling of the complaint. Reviewed: July 2024 Next Review: July 2025
- A written acknowledgement will be sent within 2 working days (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 working days).
- The complaints Review Manager will undertake an immediate review into the outcome provided at Stage 1 by the Complaints Manager.
- The Stage 2 Complaints Review Manager will respond following review within 20 working days of receiving the letter to confirm the decisions and actions taken by the Complaints Manager, or to offer an alternate resolution.
- Where the investigation is still in progress and a decision has not been made, the Complaints Review Manager will send a letter explaining the reason for the delay to the complainant, at a minimum every 20 working days
Complaints can be made to: Programme Manager
Independent Healthcare Services Team Healthcare Improvement Scotland Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB