Complaints Procedure
As an Independent Midwife providing feeding support and a frenulotomy service, I strive to provide the best possible care for my clients. However, I recognise that sometimes you may feel that I have not met your needs.
If you have any complaint or concern about the service or care you have received from me, you are entitled to ask for an explanation.
Complaints are dealt with in the first instance by myself, Carole Goddard, in conjunction with advice from my indemnifier (Hiscox) and my professional body (the Royal College of Nursing).
I will listen to your complaint or concern.
I will respond by establishing a clear, appropriate plan of action and provide you with relevant support and advice.
I will improve my service however I can.
How to make your complaint
I hope that I can resolve your problem easily and promptly, often at the time it arises during consultations or by phone. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, I would like you to do so as soon as possible, as it will be easier to establish what happened.
Please make your complaint in writing to Carole Goddard by emailing at [email protected]
Please be assured that any complaint you make, written or verbal, will be treated in strict confidence and will have no effect upon the level of treatment and care you receive.
If you would prefer a family member, friend or advocate to make the complaint on your behalf, they may do so and I will work with them to resolve the problem. Whilst I can receive a complaint on your behalf, I cannot provide any medical information to a third party without your authority. To discuss or provide confidential information I would require written consent signed and dated by yourself, in order to authorise this.
What happens next?
Your complaint will be acknowledged within two working days of receiving it.
Carole Goddard aims to make a full response within the next 21 working days. During that time I will conduct an investigation to find out what has happened and whether there is any action that can be taken to put things right. If at the end of those 21 working days, I am still conducting my investigations I will notify you of the position and keep you fully informed until my investigations have been concluded.
As a result of my investigation I will:
- Make sure you receive an apology (please note that an apology is not an admission of guilt)
- Explore what has happened and what went wrong.
- Make it possibly for you to discuss the problem with myself, if you would like this
- Identify what I can do to make sure that the specific problem does not happen again
I really hope that through my complaints procedure I am able to resolve your problem satisfactorily. I believe this will give me the best chance to put the matter right with you and also improve my services for other clients.
You might find this information helpful and further help and support here:
COMPLAINT GUIDANCE AND FAQs | Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners
If I am unable to resolve your complaint directly, as a member of the Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners (ATP), I have access to an independent mediation service which will help to resolve your complaint.
If you have a serious safety concerns about my practice you are entitled to contact my regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). As a registered Midwife (PIN 05I0364E) I am registered with, and regulated by the NMC.
Concerns, complaints and referrals during the Covid-19 pandemic - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)
This may result in a lengthy investigation into my fitness to practice.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not investigate complaints about practitioners but you can contact them for the following purpose: 'CQC want you to tell them about your experiences of care. It helps them to decide when, where and what to inspect, and to take action to prevent poor care happening to others in future. CQC also want to hear about good experiences of care. However, it is important to know that CQC cannot make complaints for you or take them up on your behalf because as a regulator the CQC does not have the powers to investigate or resolve them.' You can contact the CQC by email at [email protected]
Thank you
Carole Goddard
