If you are unhappy with the services you have received from me, I would like to know about it as soon as possible so I can investigate your concerns and explain, apologise and take positive action where necessary.
In most circumstances, once you tell me about your concerns, I hope I can resolve matters quickly. To let us know about something with which you are unhappy please contact me. You can email james@bramleymedical.com, send me a text message or write to:
Bramley Medical Ltd, PO Box 395, Eye, IP23 9AS.
Try to tell me as much as you can about what has caused you to have concerns and make your points clear. Please document when the relevant events took place and what results you expect from your complaint.
Complaints should normally be made within 6 months of the date of the event complained about, or within 6 months of the matter coming to the attention of the complainant. I may extend this limit if there are good reasons for a delay and there is a realistic opportunity of conducting a fair and effective investigation into the issues raised.
I will acknowledge your complaint within 3 days. As a first step I will usually suggest we speak to clarify your concerns and explore how we can reach a resolution.
The investigation of your complaint will involve reviewing records of meeting(s) with you and reviewing all the correspondence and clinical records.
Reasonable assistance will be provided for complainants where required e.g. for those with a disability or those whose first language is not English.
A full response to your complaint will be made within 20 days of receipt of the complaint. If the investigation is still in progress after 20 days a letter will be sent to you explaining the delay and a full response made within five days of reaching a conclusion. In any event a holding letter will be sent every 20 days where an investigation is continuing.
Taking things further
I subscribe to the Independent Doctors Federation (IDF) Complaints Resolution Procedure, which meets with the requirements set out by Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS).
The Complaint Resolution Procedure has three stages and reflects the principles of the ISCAS Code of Practice:
Stage 1 Local resolution within the individual practice (set out above)
Stage 2 IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure to review the complaint
Stage 3 Independent Adjudication from ISCAS
If you remain dissatisfied following the final Stage 1 response, then you can request a review of your complaint, known as Stage 2, by writing to:
Complaint Manager The Independent Doctors Federation Lettsom House 11 Chandos Street Marylebone London W1G 9EB
Escalation to Stage 2 must be made in writing within six months of the final Stage 1 response.
In stage 2, the IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure will consider your complaint. The IDF Complaint Manager will send you an acknowledgement of your letter within three working days of receipt of your complaint and will request a summary of the matters that remain outstanding that you wish to be investigated. You will be invited to attend a meeting at the start of Stage 2 in order to clarify the matters that remain outstanding and obtain a greater understanding of what you hope to achieve by escalating the complaint.
The IDF Complaint Manager will not have been involved in the matters that led to the complaint or the handling of the complaint at Stage 1. You will be asked to consent to release of records from the doctor. The IDF Complaint Manager will undertake a review of the documentation, any correspondence and the handling of and response to the complaint at Stage 1. If the review is still in progress after 20 days a letter will be sent to you explaining the delay and a full response made within five days of reaching a conclusion.
In any event a holding letter will be sent every 20 days where a review is continuing. The IDF Complaint Manager will write to you when the review is completed to either confirm the outcome at Stage 1 or to offer an alternative resolution.
At this time the IDF will advise you of your right to take the matter further to Stage 3 Independent External Adjudication by the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISACS).
Throughout the process all information, documents and records relevant to your complaint will be treated in the strictest confidence and no information will be divulged to any parties who are not involved in the IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure, unless required to do so by law.
Stage 3 is only available to you if you remain dissatisfied once Stage 1 and Stage 2 are exhausted and aims to bring about a final resolution of the complaint to both parties.
In such a situation you should request the adjudication by writing to the Secretariat:
Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS)
CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution), 3rd Floor 100 St. Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BU
Tel: 020 7536 6091
Email: info@iscas.org.uk
This written request for adjudication must be made within six months of the final determination by the IDF at Stage 2. You should provide reasons to explain the dissatisfaction with the outcome of Stage 2. ISCAS will acknowledge receipt of the request within three3 working day.
ISCAS will seek confirmation from the IDF that Stage 2 has been completed.
ISCAS will notify the IDF of a request for Stage 3 independent external adjudication. The IDF will respond to requests from ISCAS within ten working days and confirm whether Stages 1 and 2 have been completed. ISCAS will then be your main contact once adjudication is started. You will be asked to consent to the release of records from the doctor and the IDF relevant to the complaint.
ISCAS will issue the decision within 20 working days or provide a progress update every 20 working days if the decision is delayed. A report will be made to you, the doctor concerned and the IDF.
Additional information for patients about ISCAS can be found at: https://iscas.cedr.com/
Additional information for patients about the IDF can be found at: www.idf.co.uk
Please address all correspondence to james@bramleymedical.com. You can also write to us at:
PO Box 395, Eye IP23 9AS
Bramley Medical is a company registered in England and Wales. Our company registration number is 11394837 and our registered office is Bury Lodge, Bury Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1JP.
V2. March 2023
