If you wish to make a complaint about ProblemShared or one of our staff members, contractors, or independent practitioners, we commit to acting quickly to improve your experience.
Often, we can find a solution to your concern straight away, meaning you can continue more smoothly on your journey with us.
Sometimes, however, we need to take a deeper look into the matters you’ve raised, and so will carry out a formal investigation.
How to make a complaint:
You can raise a complaint with us in writing via email or letter, and verbally by telephone:
- By email: complaints@problemshared.net
- By post: Complaints Team, ProblemShared, Teledoctor Ltd, 16 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BX
- By telephone: Client Helpline: 020 3835 2900
Who can raise a complaint:
complaint can be made by:
- the person who was affected by the issues raised
- a representative of the person who was affected by the issues such as
- a parent of a child or young person under the age of 18
- a person with delegated authority
- a third party who you have given consent to act on your behalf
Stage 1: Complaints Team review
- We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and invite you to speak about your concerns via telephone or video call.
- We hope that we’ll be able to address your concerns and make improvements immediately after you raise them, and that you’ll be happy with the outcome. However, sometimes we need to look into what happened in more detail, and so will carry out an investigation.
- If we need to look into the matters raised in more depth, we will conduct an investigation which could involve speaking to you and the relevant people at ProblemShared, who were involved in the situation, to better understand what happened.
We aim to carry out investigations within 28 working days of the issue being raised, however, if it’s going to take longer, we will stay in touch with you to keep you updated.
- Throughout the process, we will keep you informed about what’s happening in the investigation and make sure that you are satisfied with the steps we are taking. We will agree with you whether this will be verbally or in writing. We will also let you know if our calls are recorded and that any notes written are kept securely in our system. All information will be handled in confidence.
- If you would like a written report of the investigation findings, then we will share this with you once we have concluded our investigation. The report will state whether the complaint was upheld in full or in part, or if it was unfounded.
- We hope that you will be happy with the actions taken to improve your experience with us. If you are not, you can request that the investigation is reviewed through our Stage 2 process.
Stage 2: Internal review of the investigation
- If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, then you can request that the complaint is escalated for the attention of ProblemShared’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
- Stage 2 is an internal review of the complaint, by someone who was not involved in the original investigation. This may be undertaken by ProblemShared’s General Counsel or another senior member of staff, appointed by the CEO.
- Your request will be acknowledged within 3 working days and we will aim to conclude the investigation within 28 working days of it being escalated to Stage 2.
- A Stage 2 complaint review will only investigate the issues raised in the original complaint and any new issues arising will be addressed through the Stage 1 process.
- We will provide you with a written report of the review of the investigation and whether the complaint has been fully or in part upheld.
Stage 3: Independent external mediation
In the event that you are unhappy with the way ProblemShared has addressed your concerns, you have the right to request a review by an external body.
NHS referred patients
- NHS patient complainants who are dissatisfied with ProblemShared’s response at the Stage 2 resolution stage may ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) for an independent review of their complaint.
- The PHSO is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of those who provide services. This includes private services, such as ProblemShared, where the service related to the complaint is being funded by the NHS.
- The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman can be contacted at: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Phone: 0345 015 4033 E-mail: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk.
- The complainant must contact the Ombudsman’s office within 12 months of the incident causing the complaint. The complainant must explain what they are still not happy about, and why ‘Service Line Resolution’ did not work for them. They will advise the complainant, in writing, what they will do.
Non-NHS referred patients
ProblemShared is registered with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Scheme. If you remain dissatisfied with the responses at Stage 1 and Stage 2, you have the right to request a CEDR appointed, independent external mediator, through the Scheme.
This external independent mediation process is aimed at bringing about a final resolution of the complaint for both the complainant and ProblemShared.
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution External Mediation
Background
- Mediation is a method used for resolving complaints or disputes between private healthcare providers and their patients that have become deadlocked.
- Mediation is a flexible process conducted confidentially in which a mediator actively assists parties in working towards a negotiated agreement of a dispute or difference, with the parties in ultimate control of the decision to settle and the terms of resolution.
- Mediation is voluntary, confidential and 'without prejudice' which means nothing said in the mediation is admissible as evidence in legal proceedings.
- A CEDR Accredited Mediator will work with the parties to try and find an agreed solution to the complaint and the mediator may propose a solution to the parties in an attempt to help them reach a resolution, but they cannot impose one.
- Any settlement reached is legally binding once put into writing and signed by the parties. The parties will have a short ‘cooling off’ period after any agreement made orally should they wish to take legal advice before they sign a final document.
- The Scheme is provided by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) to private healthcare organisations who subscribe to the Scheme and their patients. It provides mediation on request if both the patient and the provider agree to participate where the parties have not been able to resolve the dispute between themselves through the provider’s complaints procedure.
- The Scheme will normally take five to six weeks from receipt of the correctly completed application form to the closure of the case.
- CEDR have exclusive rights to appoint or withdraw a mediator under the Scheme.
Application
- An application to use the Scheme must be made by the patient on the designated application form which will be accessible on the CEDR website https://www.cedr.com/.
- Upon receipt of a properly completed application form CEDR will aim to appoint the mediator within 5 working days and will inform the parties accordingly.
The process
- CEDR will acknowledge receipt of a new application for mediation within 14 days of receipt.
- The process begins on the date of the acknowledgment of a valid application from the patient. At the same time the patient’s application form and supporting documents will be forwarded to us and we may wish to provide a response.
- If a response is received, this will be sent to the patient for information only and CEDR will confirm the identity of the mediator within 7 days.
- All the documents relating to the case that have been provided by the parties will be provided to the mediator who will endeavor to conclude the mediation within 28 days of their appointment.
- The mediator will speak to the parties by telephone, video-conferencing or in writing (including email) as required, either together or individually, to request further information or to explore possible solutions.
- If the parties do not reach a solution between themselves after discussions with the mediator, then they will suggest to the parties’ recommendations for settlement in writing.
- If a solution is found or is accepted by the parties as proposed by the mediator, then the mediator will record that solution in writing and send it to the parties (via CEDR) in the form of an Outcome Statement (the “Statement”), for signature via an online portal. The parties must sign the Statement within 14 days of the date on which the Statement is provided. Any amendment to the Statement at this stage, other than for minor clerical errors, will be regarded as notifying a failure to agree.
- If the Statement is signed by both parties within the timescale, CEDR will advise the parties accordingly and transmit a copy to both parties. At this point the agreement becomes a binding contract, and the parties must then act to comply with the agreed outcome.
- No terms of settlement reached will be legally binding unless or until set out in writing in the Statement and signed by or on behalf of each of the parties.
- If either party chooses not to sign the Statement within 14 days, it will have no effect on either party and CEDR will confirm the mediation has ended without resolution.
- The date on which the mediation will be deemed to be concluded is the date of the letter from CEDR which confirms the process has ended.
Costs
- The Scheme will be provided free of charge to the patient unless otherwise advised by CEDR at time of application.
- The costs incurred by the parties in preparation of their claim, including documentation and all other expenses are not recoverable under the Scheme.
Is there a time limit on raising a complaint?
You have the right to raise a complaint for up to 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred, or 12 months from the date on which the event which is subject to the complaint came to your notice.
Please let us know if you have any further questions about the way we handle complaints by emailing complaints@problemshared.net.
