Complaints Procedure

Raising a concern

If you or a family member have a concern, this should be raised directly with the caregiver caring for you. At Murakami Medical Centre our procedure is to allow the caregivers and staff members to initially address any concerns to ensure that a swift response is always provided. This would not be considered a complaint but will be addressed and discussed with you.

Our caregivers may need to escalate the feedback to a senior colleague on duty and/or our Manager for further intervention or support.

All comments and complaints are investigated thoroughly and are confidential.

Making a complaint

If after you have raised your concern, you are not happy with the response/actions from your caregiver or staff member, you can raise a complaint.

You can do so by telling your staff member that you want to raise a complaint. If you want to do so verbally, the staff member will have to take several details from you in order to allow the manager to investigate the matter fully.

How do I make a written complaint?

In the event you wish to make a formal written complaint, please write to us directly no later than six months after the incident occurred. If your concern took place more than six months after you raised it, we may not be able to fully assist you with your complaint.

All complaints are investigated thoroughly and are confidential. Your letter should include a summary of your complaint and both where and when the events took place.

During the investigation of your complaint a senior manager will speak with you about your complaint or offer to meet to resolve your complaint. All meetings will be followed up in writing by Murakami Medical Centre. 

If a relative or friend wishes to raise a complaint on your behalf, we will require written
consent from you before we can discuss information related to your care. This is to ensure your confidentiality is protected. Murakami Medical Centre will also share a summary of the complaint with you as it is important for you to understand the contents of the complaint being raised.

When you make a complaint Murakami Medical Centre will share your complaint with the relevant caregiver and/or your consultant to help us investigate your feedback and provide you with a response. If you do not wish for us to contact the relevant caregiver or consultant, please let us know although, this will limit our investigation on your behalf.

Murakami Medical Centre is a member of ISCAS (Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service) and follows its three-stage complaint process. A full copy of the ISCAS code of practice can be found at iscas.org.uk.

There will be 3 stages to Murakami Medical Centre’s complaints process:

• Stage 1 – Local resolution;

• Stage 2 – Internal appeal;

• Stage 3 – Independent external review

Stage 1 – Local Resolution

1. All complaints should be raised directly with the Clinic Manager in the first instance and they must be made within 6 months of the date of the event complained about.

2. The Patient will be given a copy of our complaints procedure and may be invited to attend a face to face meeting with the Clinic Manager and other relevant parties to talk through their concerns and to try and resolve the issue at an early stage.

 3. The Clinic Manager will go through a thorough process of investigation to include reviewing the case in detail and taking statements from all staff members / doctors concerned. The Clinic Manager responds directly to the person who has made the complaint, whether the complaint was made verbally, by letter, text or email.

4. To make a formal complaint the complainant should write or e-mail to Provider clearly stating the nature of their complaint and as much detail concerning dates, times and if known names of staff members. This will enable us to acknowledge and address the issues raised promptly and effectively

5. The Clinic Manager will acknowledge receipt of a written complaint, to the complainant’s postal address provided (or via email) within 3 working days of receipt (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 days).

6. The Clinic Manager or their designated person will investigate all complaints. Where Provider is unclear on any point or issue regarding the complaint, it will contact the complainant to seek clarification.

7. A full response to the complaint will usually be made within 20 working days or, where the investigation is still in progress, send a letter explaining the reason for the delay to the complainant, at a minimum, every 20 working days. The aim should be to complete stage 1 in most cases within three months.

8. In the event that the complainant is dissatisfied with the response to their complaint they can escalate their complaint to Stage 2, and must do so in writing, within 6 months of the final response to their complaint at Stage 1.

If you would like to speak directly with our manager please email or write to:

Practice Manager
admin@murakamimedicalcentre.co.uk
Murakami Medical Centre 7 Craven Park Road, NW10 8SE, London

Stage 2 – Complaint Review

The Chief Executive Officer will carry out an objective and impartial review of your Stage 1 complaint.

Please write to:

The Chief Executive Officer
admin@murakamimedicalcentre.co.uk
Murakami Medical Centre 7 Craven Park Road, NW10 8SE, London

1. If the complainant escalates their complaint to Stage 2, the Clinic Manager will provide a written acknowledgement to complainants within 3 working days of receipt of their complaint at stage 2 (unless a full reply can be sent within 5 working days).

 2. The Clinic Manager will have arrangements in place by which to conduct an objective review of the complaint. Normally this will involve a senior member of staff with the IHP, who has not been involved in handling of the complaint at stage 1.

3. Stage 2 shall involve a review of all the documentation and may include interviews with relevant staff. The records made as part of the stage 2 review should be complete and retained since these may be required for a stage 3 process.

4. Provide a review of the investigation and the response made at stage 1.

5. Invite the hospital or clinic that responded at stage 1 to make a further response, where there is an opportunity to resolve the complaint by taking a further look at a specific matter. The complainant should be kept informed where this happens.

6. Consider whether the review at stage 2 would be supported by facilitating a face-to-face meeting (or teleconference, where acceptable) between the complainant and those who responded to the complaint at stage 1.

7. Provide a full response on the outcome of the review within 20 working days or, where the investigation is still in progress, send a letter explaining the reason for the delay to the complainant, at a minimum, every 20 working days.

8. The aim should be to complete the review at stage 2 in most cases within three months.

9. In the event that the complainant is dissatisfied with the response to their complaint they may escalate their complaint to Stage 3.

Stage 3 – Independent External Adjudication

At Stage 3 complainants have the right to an independent external adjudication of their complaint. Requests for independent external adjudication should be made to The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS), in writing, within 6 months of receipt of the Stage 2 decision letter.

Complainants cannot access Stage 3 until they have gone through Stages 1 and 2 and ISCAS will direct complainants back to Provider where appropriate. To access Stage 3, complainants are asked to sign a ‘Statement of Understanding and Consent’, thereby agreeing to the parameters of Stage 3.

Complainants will need to set out in writing for the Adjudicator:

(a) The reasons for the complaint
(b) What aspects of the complaint remain unresolved after Stages 1 and 2
(c) What outcome the complainant is seeking from Stage 3

ISCAS contact details are as follows:

By Post: ISCAS 100 St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BU
Email: info@iscas.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7536 6091

If not content with either response following a full investigation, the complainant may then escalate this to ISCAS