Thornhill Clinic Complaint Resolution Procedure
If you are unhappy with the facilities or services you have received from this practice or from the
doctor looking after you we would like to know about it as soon as possible so we can investigate
your concerns and explain, apologise and take positive action where necessary. In most
circumstances, if you tell us about your concern quickly, we can resolve matters straightaway. To let
us know about something with which you are unhappy please speak with any member of staff in the
first instance.
If you are not fully satisfied you can put your concerns in writing and use our formal Complaint
Resolution Procedure which meets with the requirements set out by the Independent Doctors
Federation (IDF) for its members and also the 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
Stage 2 IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure to review the complaint
Stage 3 Independent Adjudication from ISCAS
Stage 1
To start the formal Complaint Resolution Procedure you should write to:
Mr. Darrel Gregory
1 Thornhill Road
Luton
Bedfordshire, LU4 8EY
You should state 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.
The Practice will send you an acknowledgement of your letter within two working days of receipt of
the complaint (unless the practice is able to provide you with a full response within five days).
A full response to your complaint will be made within twenty days of the receipt of the complaint. If
the investigation is still in progress after twenty 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 twenty days where an investigation is continuing.
If you remain dissatisfied following the final response from the practice, then you can request a
review of your complaint, known as Stage 2 by writing to:
IDF Administration
Second Floor
126 Harley Street
London
W1G 7JS
Stage 2
The IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure will consider your complaint and may undertake a review of
the documentation, any correspondence and the handling of the complaint at Stage 1. The Chairman
of the IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure Committee will write to you according to the IDF
procedures and in any event within twenty days 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 Independent
Adjudication known as ISCAS and stage 3 in these procedures.
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
This stage is only available to complainants who remain dissatisfied once Stage 1 and Stage 2 are
exhausted.
A complainant should then request the Adjudication by writing to the Secretariat:
Independent Adjudication Secretariat
Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service
1 King Street
London
EC2V 8AU
This written request for adjudication must be made within twenty-five days of the final
determination by the IDF at Stage 2. The complainant at Stage 3 should provide reasons to explain
the dissatisfaction with the outcome of Stage 2. The ISCAS Secretariat will seek confirmation from
the IDF that Stage 2 has been completed.
The ISCAS Secretariat will notify the IDF of a request for Stage 3 made directly within ten days. The
Secretariat will then be the main contact for the complainant once Adjudication is started. A
complainant accessing this service will be asked to consent to release of records from the practice
and the IDF relevant to the complaint and a report will be made to the complainant, the practice and
the IDF.
Additional information for patients about ISCAS can be found at:
http://www.independenthealthcare.org.uk/index.php?/complaints-information-for-patients.html
The Care Quality Commission
Some healthcare services are required to be registered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which
regulates Health and Adult Social Care Services. The CQC does not investigate complaints but
considers relevant information about practices providing regulated activities within the terms of the
legislation. They can be contacted at:
CQC National Correspondence
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
IDF – www.idf.uk.net IHAS – www.independenthealthcare.org.uk CQC – www.cqc.org.uk