How to make a Complaint or contact our Patient Resolution Team
Our aim at Optimax is to provide patients with a high quality of service and satisfaction in their eye surgery, and to do so in a clinically safe and secure environment. We understand that there are occasions when the patient feels we have not delivered in line with their expectations; we value feedback as a way to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and to use the feedback to review and improve our current standards where appropriate.
We accept complaints from any patient who has reason to complain about our services, staff or the outcome of their surgery. These can be in the form of a verbal complaint raised in a clinic, email or via phone.
All complaints will be investigated thoroughly to ensure fairness towards the complainant as well as any staff (this includes any self-employed members of staff) that may be involved.
Contact Details:
To reach us by telephone please call our Patient Resolution Team on 01733 921669.
Alternatively, you can send an email to: PatientResolutionTeam@optimax.co.uk
Please allow 3-5 business days for a response.
Procedures and Timeframes
If a patient is unhappy with any part of the service a reasonable effort to resolve the complaint should be made by the reception staff or the Clinic Manager at the time. Additionally, in circumstances where we are aware that a patient has received service or an outcome which is unsatisfactory, we will pro-actively record this as a complaint.
If a complaint cannot be resolved within the Clinic it will be escalated for the attention of the Patient Resolution Team either by the Clinic Team or directly by the patient.
The Patient Resolution Team will acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days. They will also clarify the nature of the complaint with the patient to ensure that that the Patient Resolution Team can then investigate the relevant issues.
Investigations will be undertaken by the Patient Resolution Team by conducting discussions with any relevant staff; examining any relevant documents or medical records or consulting internally on medical outcomes. We will strive to provide a written response within 20 working days where this is practicable. Should an extension to this time be required the Patient Resolution Team will inform the patient of the reasons and provide a new expected timeframe.
Please use this link for more information on the process used by the Patient Resolution Team
Outcomes and Resolutions
Where our service was not of the expected standard, we will often use the patient’s complaint as a learning opportunity for the relevant clinic staff (and company-wide where appropriate).
In circumstances where we consider that the patient has validly complained about our staff, the services received, or their medical outcome, we will act openly and candidly to confirm to the patient that we consider their complaint to be valid and explain what we think has gone wrong in their case. In circumstances where we consider that the patient’s complaint is not validated, we will also explain this to patient. Where specialist independent medical review is required internally, we may seek this from appropriately qualified personnel and will inform the patient where this is the case. In any cases where it is our responsibility to put matters right, we will endeavour to do so by agreeing a course of action with the patient.
Your Right to Independent Advice
Your right to raise a complaint with us is important as we seek to resolve all instances of patient dissatisfaction. Complaints can be a source of valuable learning and will be treated as such.
However, you retain the right at all times to seek independent legal advice from a solicitor. In the case where you believe that an individual doctor, optometrist or nurse has behaved in such a manner that you wish to complain about them individually, their regulatory body details are below.
For Doctors: General Medical Council: www.gmc-uk.org
For Optometrists: General Optical Council: www.optical.org
For Nurses: Nursing and Midwifery Council: www.nmc.org.uk
You have the right at all times to request your medical records from us
You have the right to inform the Regulatory Governing Body relevant to the clinic involved in your complaint, these organisations do not investigate complaints for patients, but you can inform them of poor care.
England - Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Northern Ireland - The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)
Scotland - Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)