Medivet Veterinary Group Complaints Procedure
Medivet is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care to our patients and clients. As an Investor in People accredited company, Medivet provides ongoing training to its staff regarding all aspects of companion animal practice. We realise, however, that things can sometimes go wrong and there may be occasions when you feel your expectations were not met. If this happens, we want to hear about it so that we can try to put things right.
Our complaints procedure is simple and is as follows:
If you have a complaint, you should make this in the first instance to the vet at the practice you have attended, preferably by speaking to the vet over the phone or in person, as appropriate. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and directly with the person concerned.
If your complaint cannot be resolved by the vet at the practice you attend, you should then follow the guidance below.
A guide to making a complaint
We hope that before you complain formally you will give the practice concerned a chance to put things right. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way, and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know in writing as soon as possible - ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.
Please include the following information to assist us in investigating the problem:
- Why – the nature of the complaint/problem
- Where – which practice you are making a complaint about
- When the problem occurred
- Who – which staff were involved
- What you are hoping for as an outcome
Please contact us with your complaint.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within five working days, telling you who is dealing with your complaint and when you can expect to receive a reply.
Complaints are usually addressed by the lead vet or branch partner responsible for that practice in the first instance. If you have already tried to resolve the matter with a lead vet or branch partner, the matter will be escalated to a member of the regional management team.
In most cases, we hope to give you a full reply within fifteen working days but if it is going to take longer, we will get in touch with you to let you know what is happening. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, and/or the results of our investigation.
When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong
- Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
What to do if you are still unhappy
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure.
We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong. We view this as an opportunity to hear your feedback and make improvements if appropriate.
If you are not happy with the reply, we can escalate this complaint to a senior manager. This does not affect your right to approach the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons if you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.