Our Complaints Procedure

We hope that you never have reason to make a complaint but should you wish to send us some feedback, please see the guidance below.

Informal Feedback

If you would like to discuss a problem informally or to provide feedback, please speak directly with our colleagues at the surgery. Your comments may be addressed immediately by the receptionist, nurse, or vet. For general feedback, we have a monitoring and reporting process which is regularly reviewed and used to give rise to practice improvements and topics for discussion at practice, clinical or team meetings. If you would like to be kept informed on any informal feedback you have raised, which is not immediately resolved, please state this when offering your initial comments. If the practice staff cannot resolve the matter, it will be escalated to the appropriate member of the management team.

For informal feedback we will:

1. Provide an initial response to the feedback, verbally.
2. Work to record and resolve the matter with you immediately or escalate it to the appropriate manager.
3. Provide you with details of how to raise a Formal Complaint.

Formal Complaints

Formal complaints should be made in writing and will be passed immediately to the appropriate manager. If you would like to raise a formal complaint, there will be a more detailed investigation and response from the practice than you would receive for Informal Feedback.

For a formal complaint, we ask that you:

1. Put your complaint in writing (either by email or a letter) and send to customer.services@willetthouse.co.uk or post to our main site (Willett House Vets, 138 Kingston Road, Staines, TW18 1BL)
2. Please provide as much detail as you can, the following information would be useful:
a. Your name, animals name and contact information
b. The nature of the complaint/problem
c. When the problem occurred
d. Which staff were involved
e. What outcome you would like to see

Once we receive your complaint, we will:

1. Provide an initial acknowledgement response to receipt the complaint (usually within two working days)
2. Begin an investigation, starting with asking all staff involved to provide a written statement.
3. Review the statements, clinical history and any other relevant documents or evidence.
4. We may ask you for further information to help us to resolve the complaint.
5. Collate the evidence and statements and draft a response which will be read by all staff members who are involved to check they are happy with the response – signed consent may need to be sought for certain complaints.
6. A full response will be provided to you within 14 working days of the complaint being made.
If this cannot be achieved, then you will be informed of the reasons why and a revised response date given.

Appeals

If you are dissatisfied with the response to your formal complaint, you will be asked to write a further statement with your comments outlining why you felt the initial response was not satisfactory. Please send your appeal to the same contact details above and it will be sent to the Practice Directors who will provide you with a further response within 14 working days. If this cannot be achieved, then you will be informed of the reasons why and a revised response date will
be given.

When a director has issued their response, our internal complaints procedure will be exhausted.

Complaints regarding Out of Hours Service

If your feedback or complaint is relating to our Out of Hours service (Vets Now) or any treatment that was not provided by Willett House staff; we ask that you direct your concerns to the relevant service provider. Please contact our practice staff who will be happy to clarify where the complaint should be directed. If you are comfortable, please keep us updated on your complaint and its outcome.