ComplaintsProcedure

At Medical Ultrasound Ltd, we are committed to providing a high-quality, professional, and patient-centred service. If something does not meet your expectations, we want to hear from you so that we can investigate promptly and work towards a fair resolution.

When you contact us, we will speak with you to understand the issue and agree on what outcome you are seeking. Where concerns can be resolved quickly, we will confirm the actions we will take and when you can expect an update. Addressing issues early often allows us to resolve matters promptly and improve your experience.

If you are satisfied with the action taken and no further investigation is required, the matter will be recorded as a concern.

Where a more detailed review is needed, we will confirm the issues to be investigated, how you would like to receive the outcome, and the expected timeframe. In these cases, the matter will be handled as a formal complaint.

We are responsible for managing complaints efficiently and ensuring they are investigated thoroughly, fairly, and respectfully. We will treat you with courtesy at all times and provide a timely and appropriate response.

We will share the findings of our investigation and any actions identified. Concerns and complaints may be recorded for the purposes of service monitoring, governance, and quality improvement.

All complaints are handled in line with Medical Ultrasound Ltd’s documented Customer Complaints Procedure. To help us investigate accurately, we may ask you to complete a Customer Complaint Form, and we will assist you with this if required.

Stage 1, Local Resolution

In the first instance, you should contact our Practice Manager, who will support you through the process and initiate the investigation. This is referred to as Stage 1 of our complaints process.

Our approach is designed to be flexible and responsive to individual needs. We aim to ensure that:

• Patients and customers are listened to and treated with courtesy, respect, and empathy

• No one is disadvantaged as a result of raising a concern

• Complaints are investigated promptly, thoroughly, and openly

• Complainants are kept informed of progress and outcome

• Apologies are given where appropriate

• Corrective actions are identified and implemented where required

• Learning from complaints informs ongoing service improvement

• All handling complies with confidentiality and data protection requirements

Once the investigation is complete, we will contact you to review our findings and discuss the outcome. Most concerns are resolved at this stage.

Stage 2, Clinical Director Review

If you remain dissatisfied after Stage 1, you may request escalation to the Clinical Director. This is Stage 2 of the process.

At this stage, we will undertake a full review of the original investigation. Any additional lines of enquiry will be explored. The Clinical Director may also invite you to a meeting if clarification is required to reach an appropriate resolution.

Following completion of this stage, the Clinical Director will contact you to discuss the outcome.

Stage 3, Independent External Review

If you remain dissatisfied after Stage 2, you may request a referral to an independent external complaints adjudication service.

With your consent, Medical Ultrasound Ltd will provide the necessary information to the independent reviewer and cooperate fully with the external process.

Some Frequent Asked Question’s 

What if my complaint involves one or more organisations? 

If the issues raised involve services not provided directly by Medical Ultrasound Ltd but on behalf of another service provider or organisation, we will discuss with you the most appropriate route for your complaint to be made and handled. However, Medical Ultrasound Ltd will be directly involved to help you get a resolution to your problem, and we will agree with you whether separate responses or a joint response will be most helpful for you. If a joint response will be helpful, we will need your permission to obtain and share information with the other parties involved. We will then contact them to agree on who will lead the complaint and how long it will take.

Is there a time limit to make a complaint? 

A complaint will normally need to be made within 12 months of the issue arising, or 12 months from when you became aware of the issue. Requests for investigations beyond this time will be considered on an individual basis by the Patient Services Manager.

Can I make a complaint on behalf of someone else? 

If you are making a complaint on behalf of another person, we will need their permission to share information with you. This can be done using our Patient Proxy form, which is available from the Practice Manager.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are considered to have the consent of the patient when pursuing complaints on their behalf (Data Protection Act 1998 – Processing Sensitive Personal Data – Elective Representatives Order 2002).

What happens when I make a complaint? 

Receiving your complaint. 

A written record must be made of your complaint, as mentioned above, we can provide a standard form if required, which can be sent via post or e-mailed, and if you wish to send a letter with more detail, we would welcome that too. 

Complaint is acknowledged. 

We will write to confirm receipt of your complaint within 3 working days, detailing the specific issues we are investigating, how we will respond and the anticipated timescale. Our declared objective is to close complaints within 20 working days; in some circumstances, this is not possible, and you will be advised if this is the case. 

Appointment of an Investigator or Handler. 

The complaint is assessed on receipt and is assigned to an appropriate person who is then the nominated Investigator / Handler. Many investigations are carried out by the Practice Manager; some investigations may require a small team to be formed to deal with a complaint due to the complexity or seriousness of the issues raised. 

The Investigation Process. 

The investigator / handler will look at any records that have been made and speak to the staff involved to understand what should have happened and compare this to what happened. In most cases, the investigator will wish to meet with you personally to clarify things further and get a fuller understanding of the issue. 

Our response 

The completed investigation and response will be reviewed by the Clinical Director to confirm that the investigations have addressed the issues confirmed in the resolution plan. This will then be forwarded to you, or if you wish, you may want to meet with us to review the outcome. 

What if I am not satisfied with the response you provide?

If you remain dissatisfied after Stage 2 of our complaints process, you may request that your complaint be referred for independent external review. This is Stage 3 of our process.

With your consent, Medical Ultrasound Ltd will provide all relevant information to the independent complaints adjudication service and will cooperate fully with the external review. The independent reviewer will assess the handling of your complaint and provide an impartial view.

You may also seek independent advice at any time, including from your GP or other appropriate advisory bodies, if you feel further support is required.

Our Policy is clearly stated above and is part of our commitment to ongoing improvement and development of our service; therefore, it is important that we get feedback on any issues that you encounter when dealing with us. We can assure you that any complaint will be treated with confidentiality and sensitivity, with our sole objective being to bring your complaint to a successful resolution for you.

If you have an issue you wish to discuss, you can e-mail our Patient Services Manager at [email protected] or write to us: 

The Practice Manager
Medical Ultrasound Ltd
Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street
Glasgow, G1 1DA

Or call us on 0141 221 2694