Complaints Procedure

At Dr Alaina Taylor’s practice we strive to provide the highest quality of care and service to our patients. However, we understand that there may be occasions where you are not entirely satisfied with your experience or have concerns about the care received.

We value your feedback and take all complaints seriously, as they provide us with an opportunity to improve our services. This policy outlines the process for lodging a complaint and the steps we will take to address your concerns.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish a fair, transparent, and efficient procedure for handling patient complaints. We aim to ensure that all complaints are acknowledged, thoroughly investigated, and resolved within a timely and satisfactory manner.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all patients receiving care or services from Dr Alaina Taylor or her staff members, regardless of the nature of the complaint or the person making the complaint.

3. Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is defined as an expression of dissatisfaction, either verbal or written, related to the care or services provided by Dr Alaina Taylor or her staff members, including issues such as quality of care, communication, facilities, staff behaviour, appointment scheduling, or any other aspect of our services.

4. Lodging a Complaint

Patients are encouraged to address their concern as soon as possible. Complaints can be lodged through any of the following channels:

1. 1. Verbal complaints: Patients may approach any staff member to express their concerns.
   2. Written complaints: Patients may submit a written complaint via email or letter.

5. Complaint Handling Process

Upon receiving a complaint, we will follow the following steps:

1. 1. Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days, either verbally or in writing.
   2. Investigation: We will initiate a thorough investigation into the complaint. This may involve gathering relevant information, interviewing staff members involved, and reviewing relevant records.
   3. Resolution: We will aim to resolve the complaint promptly and effectively. If a resolution is not possible within 35 working days, we will provide regular updates on the progress of the investigation and the expected timeframe for resolution.
   4. Communication: We will communicate the outcome of the investigation to the complainant, providing an explanation of the findings and any actions taken or proposed to address the concerns raised.

6. Confidentiality and Privacy

We understand the importance of maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of complainants. All information related to a complaint will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing patient privacy and confidentiality including the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002.

7. Continuous improvement

Complaints and feedback received will be analysed periodically to identify trends, areas for improvement, and opportunities to enhance our services and patient experience.

8. Unresolved complaints

If the complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint or the way in which the complaint was managed, they may have the option to seek an external review from an independent external body or regulatory authority.

For a review of the management of a complaint:

NSW Ombudsman

For a review of the care or treatment provided:

AHPRA

Health Care Complaints Commission

Medical Council of NSW

June 2023