Assisting with a response to a patient complaint

Problem - if a patient lodges a complaint with a member, it can sometimes be difficult, both for the member and our office team, to fully ascertain what the complaint is specifically about, and what a resolution might look like.

Response - in these cases, our Strategic & Business lead, Paul Donnelly will review the anonymised correspondence from the patient, and advise our member of the best course of action. This often includes the benefits of keeping the response as short as possible, responding only to the clinical or service-related points, and to never show frustration or annoyance. Paul is also always happy to review draft responses, and suggest amendments. 

Outcome - the receipt of any patient complaint is upsetting, but having access to informed advice and support can help alleviate the stress of the situation, and deliver reassurance on how to respond 

The following are comments from one member who has experienced this benefit 

The response was very quick and this was extremely helpful. It was very helpful to have [my] draft responses read by an unbiased third party. I wouldn’t hesitate to use physiofirst for advice in future situations.