Complaints Procedure

Our success is based on our reputation for patient care, quality of product and service and value for money. It is a reputation of which we are justifiably proud and strive to improve. In order that we do this we take all patient complaints extremely seriously and give our commitment that, in the unlikely event that you may have a complaint we will fully investigate and do our utmost to resolve any genuine complaint.

All our staff are chosen because, apart from the other attributes needed for the job, they have an over riding ambition to care for our patients in the best possible way. Naturally we are all human and in a people based profession such as optometry it is unavoidable that, from time to time, a patient will have a grievance. All our staff are encouraged to understand that receiving a complaint is an opportunity to excel by resolving the problem presented. It is part of our clinical governance objectives to learn and thereby improve our services to all our customers and feedback from our patients is a vital part of the process.

How to Complain

Informal complaints ~ The vast majority of complaints are resolved at the time in the practice. If you are returning to the practice with a grievance please try and see the staff member or Optician whom you saw. Alternatively, you may wish to telephone the Practice on 020 7625 8925. Apart from giving them the opportunity of rectifying your complaint it also makes continuity of communication much easier and will speed any resolution of your problem.

Formal complaints ~If you do not receive satisfaction or for any reason you do not wish to see the original member of staff/Optican, you should ask to see or speak with the manager of the practice, Mr Nisar Bhatti BSc (Hons) MCOptom on 020 7625 8925. . This more formal process will comprise of the discussion being recorded in our “complaints record file”. This will aid clarity and ensure that the staff member to whom you are complaining fully understands your complaint. This record will document your complaint and the resolution agreed by the both of you. If the problem cannot be resolved immediately the record will document the timescale expected for the resolution.

Written complaints ~ By their nature written complaints are formal. These should be made, in the first instance to the practice manager Mr Nisar Bhatti BSc (Hons) MCOptom. Your communication will be immediately acknowledged. This communication will outline the procedure & time scale required to investigate and report back on your complaint.

Our intention

We always strive to resolve complaints as soon as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to investigate it appropriately. In investigating your complaint we aim to:

  • record your complaint in writing;
  • find out what happened and why;
  • where appropriate ensure you receive an apology;
  • resolve the issue and do what we can to make sure the problem doesn't happen again.

Escalation Procedure

In the unlikely event that this process does not meet with your satisfaction you may wish to contact Camden Primary Care Trust 020 7530 3500. In the case of Domicilliary visits please contact your local Primary Care Trust

In the extremely unlikely event that you feel your problem remains unresolved you may write to complain, to either the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (service or product related complaints) or the General Optical Council (clinical complaints) at the addresses shown below:

The Optical Consumer Complaints Service, OCCS, PO Box 4685, London,SE1 6ZB The General Optical Council, 41, Harley Street, London, W1G 8DJ

Complaining On Behalf Of Others

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of clinical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of physical or mental illness) of providing this.