Please feel free to offer feedback, whether this is positive or negative. 

If you wish to make a complaint, Frith Psychiatry has access to a 3-stage complaint resolution procedure: 

Stage 1: Local resolution within the individual practice (Frith Psychiatry Ltd)
Stage 2: Independent Doctors’ Federation Complaint Resolution Procedure, to review the complaint
Stage 3: Independent Adjudication from ISCAS

The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service’s ‘Code of Practice for Complaints Management’ is available from ISCAS https://iscas.cedr.com/patients/.

Definition of complaint 

Any communication involving goods or a service that requires an investigation and formal response. Complaints may be made by letter or email.  

Frith Psychiatry’s approach 

Frith Psychiatry will aim to approach complaint investigation in an open and respectful manner, by:

  • Taking time to hear your concerns, trying to understand your perspective and your feelings about the situation
  • Accommodating reasonable adjustments where appropriate / applicable 
  • Giving you information and explanations, keeping you updated
  • Trying to ensure that you are not subject to disadvantage in your treatment, by making a complaint
  • Holding your information in confidence
  • Offering an apology and working to repair, where it is appropriate to do so. 

How to raise a concern or make a complaint 

If you wish to discuss a concern, but not necessarily make a formal complaint, please email frith.psychiatry@posteo.net.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received, and you wish to use the formal Complaint Resolution Procedure, then please put your concerns in writing:

Please email frith.psychiatry@posteo.net 

Please refer to any relevant events or interactions, explain why you are concerned, and what you want to happen from your complaint. 

Please raise a complaint within 6 months of the issue arising or being detected; it can be harder to conduct a fair and effective investigation if too much time has lapsed. In some circumstances, Frith Psychiatry recognises there may be valid reasons to extend this timeframe. 

Scope of complaints

Please note stages 2 and 3 above are only available if the complaint falls within the scope described by the ISCAS code.

What will happen next? – Stage 1 

  • Frith Psychiatry will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it. 
  • Frith Psychiatry will get in touch to set out what will be included in the complaint investigation. If any reasonable adjustments are needed for you to participate in the complaint process, these should be raised here.  
  • Frith Psychiatry will aim to investigate your complaint within 20 working days from the date of complaint receipt. 
  • If it is not possible to complete the investigation within that timeframe, you will be given an update (with an explanation about why more time is needed and a predicted timeframe for completion). If the investigation is ongoing (eg in order to gather more information), then an update will be provided by letter every 20 days. 
  • On completion of the investigation, you will receive a letter outlining the nature of your complaint, the findings, an explanation or further information if appropriate, an apology if appropriate, and any outcomes or actions if appropriate. 

What if I’m still dissatisfied? – Stage 2 

If you remain dissatisfied following the final Stage 1 response, then you can request a review of your complaint by writing (within 6 months) to:

Complaint Manager
The Independent Doctors Federation
Lettsom House
11 Chandos Street
Marylebone
London 
W1G 9EB
  • The IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure will consider your complaint. 
  • The IDF Complaint Manager will send you an acknowledgement of your letter within 3 working days of receipt of your complaint and will request a summary of the matters that remain outstanding that you wish to be investigated. 
  • You will be invited to attend a meeting at the start of Stage 2 in order to clarify the matters that remain outstanding and obtain a greater understanding of what you hope to achieve by escalating the complaint. The IDF Complaint Manager will not have been involved in the matters that led to the complaint or the handling of the complaint at Stage 1. 
  • You will be asked to consent to release of records from the doctor. The IDF Complaint Manager will undertake a review of the documentation, any correspondence, and the handling of and response to the complaint at Stage 1.  
  • If the review is still in progress after 20 days a letter will be sent to you explaining the delay and a full response made within five days of reaching a conclusion. In any event a holding letter will be sent every 20 days where a review is continuing. 
  • The IDF Complaint Manager will write to you when the review is completed to either confirm the outcome at Stage 1 or to offer an alternative resolution.
  • At this time the IDF will advise you of your right to take the matter further to Stage 3 Independent External Adjudication by the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISACS).
  • Throughout the process all information, documents and records relevant to your complaint will be treated in the strictest confidence and no information will be divulged to any parties who are not involved in the IDF Complaint Resolution Procedure, unless required to do so by law.  

Stage 3

This stage is only available to you if you remain dissatisfied once Stage 1 and Stage 2 are exhausted and aims to bring about a final resolution of the complaint to both parties.

In such a situation you should request the adjudication by writing to the Secretariat:

Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS)CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution), 3rd Floor
100 St. Paul’s Churchyard
London
EC4M 8BUTel: 020 7536 6091Email: info@iscas.org.uk 
  • This written request for adjudication must be made within six months of the final determination by the IDF at Stage 2. 
  • You should provide reasons to explain the dissatisfaction with the outcome of Stage 2.  
  • ISCAS will acknowledge receipt of the request within 3 working days.
  • ISCAS will seek confirmation from the IDF that Stage 2 has been completed.
  • ISCAS will notify the IDF of a request for Stage 3 independent external adjudication. The IDF will respond to requests from ISCAS within ten working days and confirm whether Stages 1 and 2 have been completed.  
  • ISCAS will then be your main contact once adjudication is started. You will be asked to consent to the release of records from the doctor and the IDF relevant to the complaint. 
  • ISCAS will issue the decision within 20 working days or provide a progress update every 20 working days if the decision is delayed. 
  • A report will be made to you, the doctor concerned and the IDF.

Professional regulation 

You can also raise concerns with regulators such as the GMC (who regulate doctors) and the MHRA (who regulate medicines or devices).

Acceptable behaviour and vexatious complaints

Frith will attempt to treat you and your complaint with respect, and expects fair and honest behaviour in return from you.  Please be advised that Frith Psychiatry will not tolerate threatening or abusive behaviour and reserves the right to take action in response, such as restricting contact/communication or reporting the abuse. Complaints that (after proper exploration) are deemed to be vexatious, or allegations that (after proper exploration) are deemed to be false or ungrounded, may fall outside the scope of this document and may warrant different responses. The IDF also has a policy in place to handle unacceptable behaviour by complainants. 

Please also consider the ‘Terms of Engagement’ document which is sent to clients when they book an initial appointment. This sets out certain expectations, including that clients must provide full and accurate information which may inform clinical decisions about suitability, safety and treatment.