Complaints

Policy

Any person has the right to complain about a health service under Right 10 of the The Code of Health and Disability Services 1996 (the Code). This includes patients, family/whānau, staff, or another health provider. Test Medical Centre Foundation has transparent, accessible, and effective processes in place to resolve complaints, and values feedback as opportunities for learning and improvement.

We take all complaints seriously and aim to resolve them fairly, quickly, and efficiently. We encourage patients or staff to talk to us about any concerns directly, at an early stage. Any concern that can't be resolved easily and informally is treated as a complaint.

All complaints are managed by following our complaints procedure, which is compliant with the Code. Complaints may be made in person, by phone, email, or in writing. Information about our complaints procedure is well publicised to patients and is readily accessible.

We train all staff members to understand their obligations under the Code, and how to respond to a complaint, during their induction and orientation.

We respond to complaints openly and transparently, and align with the timeframes stipulated by the Code. This helps us ensure that complainants are kept fully informed.

We advise Alliance Health Plus of all serious complaints.

See also Patient Rights and Open Disclosure.

Clinical governance

Complaints are discussed at practice meetings where appropriate, with identifying information kept confidential.

The complaints officer shares any significant complaints as part of clinical governance so we can identify whether changes to processes are needed, or if a quality initiative should be carried out.

Complaints officer

Our complaints officer manages all complaints received at our practice, unless there is a conflict of interest.

They:

• manage complaints in accordance with our practice's complaints procedure
• maintain privacy as appropriate for all parties involved in a complaint
• liaise with complainants sensitively and impartially to ensure they understand:
  • how the complaints process works
  • what the next steps are
  • what advocacy support is available.
• ensure all staff understand our complaints process.

Complaints register

We record all complaints in chronological order in our complaints register, which is confidential and only accessible to designated staff.

When recording complaints, we ensure:

• a full record is kept, including details of all communications, dates, outcomes, and any resulting actions
• personal details are kept private and only used where appropriate to address the complaint
• complaint details are only added to the patient record if they are relevant to the patient's ongoing care.

Staff involved in an investigation

All staff should fully cooperate in any investigation by the practice and/or the Health and Disability Services Commissioner | Te Toihau Hauora, Hauātanga. We encourage staff involved in a serious complaint to seek advice from their professional association.

We recognise that it can be distressing for staff to be involved in a complaint. We encourage them to see complaints as a positive process to help us learn from and improve service quality. We ensure that staff involved in an investigation have access to appropriate support if they need it.

If a serious complaint has been made, it may be appropriate to suspend a staff member on full pay while an investigation takes place.

See also Disciplinary Process.

Complaints laid by one staff member against another are also investigated by following the complaints procedure.

Complaints Documents for our Practice

• Complaints form
• Complaints information for patients