Clinic Compliments, Comments and Complaints
I do my best to deliver the best possible care to all my patients. It’s my aim try to make your experience, from the moment you walk through the clinic door, as pleasant and successful as I can.
Hopefully that’s evident to you, so if you’d like to leave a review, I’d really appreciate it! It’s always reassuring to hear that I’ve helped.
Obviously, I can’t think of everything, so if there’s an aspect of your treatment, or anything about the whole process from booking to discharge where you think I could make any improvements, then please drop me a line so that I can look into it. Here’s the email address to use:
Complaints
Very occasionally, something might not go according to plan, and you might wish to complain. I take complaints very seriously, so if you have concern about any aspect of your treatment, please let me know the full details as soon as possible. I will do my best to deal with it as quickly as I can.
Where necessary, I will also make appropriate changes to the way I conduct my treatments.
You can make your complaint to me either in person, by phone, by letter or in an email. Here are the contact details to use:
Address:
ST Osteopathy,
The Philosophy Rooms,
10 Whitsands Road,
Swaffham,
Norfolk PE37 7BJ
Telephone:
0797 073 2633
Email:
I will investigate and look into your concern over the following few days and will aim to:-
- Find out what gave rise to your concern
- Explain or apologise, if this is appropriate
- Reflect on what I can do to ensure that this problem does not arise again
Mediation:
If you feel uncomfortable complaining directly to me or do not feel that your complaint has been resolved to your satisfaction, you can speak to the Academy of Physical Medicine on:
01933 328150
or by emailing them at:
hello@academyofphysicalmedicine.co.uk
The Academy is an independent organisation who will try to help you resolve your complaint.
The General Osteopathic Council
If you wish to instigate a formal complaint with the regulatory body for osteopaths, the General Osteopathic Council can be contacted on 0207 3576655.
This will initiate a formal, legal process which can take up to 2 years to complete. They will first assess your complaint to discover whether:
- it falls under their jurisdiction
- it is serious enough to merit formal action
- there is sufficient evidence to support the complaint
Once the assessment process has been completed, and where appropriate, your complaint will be passed on to a tribunal, known as the Professional Conduct Committee.
This committee will conduct a hearing, usually in public, which you may attend. Both parties will be represented by solicitors or barristers.
You should note that, no matter what the outcome, the General Osteopathic Council cannot award compensation.
Data Protection Complaints
References:
- Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)
- UK GDPR
- Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA) came in to force in June 2025. It does not replace the DPA or GDPR, but amends certain areas. One area is the requirement to have a policy specifically related to data protection complaints.
Principles:
The Practice will take all data protection complaints seriously, treat complainants fairly and respectfully, investigate complaints impartially, respond within reasonable timescales and take corrective action where appropriate.
How to Make a Complaint:
Complaints may be submitted by email, post, telephone, or in person. Where a complaint is made orally, staff should document the complaint and seek confirmation from the complainant that the record is accurate.
Information Required:
Complainants should provide their name, contact details, a description of the concern, relevant dates, supporting evidence, and their desired outcome where known.
Complaint Handling Procedure:
Complaints will be acknowledged within five working days, investigated appropriately, and a written response will normally be provided within one calendar month.
Complex matters may be extended by up to two further months where permitted by law.
Personal Data Breaches:
Where a complaint identifies a potential breach involving sensitive or personal data, the Practice will assess the breach and comply with applicable ICO notification requirements.
Subject Access Request Complaints:
The Practice will ensure searches are reasonable and proportionate in accordance with current legislation.
Escalation:
If dissatisfied, complainants should first contact the Practice Manager/Clinic Director.
If their issue cannot be resolved this way, then they may contact:
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO),
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF,
Complaint Records:
The Practice will maintain a Data Protection Complaints Register and retain complaint records for a minimum of six years from closure unless a longer period is required by law.
Learning and Improvement:
The Practice will periodically review complaints to identify trends, training needs and opportunities for improvement.
Responsibilities:
The Clinic Director is responsible for overall compliance. All staff (including assistants, associates and consultants working as part of the Practice) must recognise and report complaints, cooperate with investigations and maintain confidentiality.
Policy Review:
This policy will be reviewed annually, following significant legislative changes, significant incidents or updated regulatory guidance.