Complaints Policy

01 Purpose and scope

FITCARDIOLOGY LTD aims to communicate clearly and handle website and appointment-related enquiries in a professional and considerate manner. We recognise that concerns may arise and provide a process for reviewing complaints fairly.

This policy applies to complaints about our website, communications, enquiry handling and administrative arrangements that fall within our responsibility.

Where a concern relates to clinical care delivered by a separate healthcare professional or organisation, the appropriate complaints route may be different. We explain this distinction in Section 8.

02 What you can complain about

You may raise a complaint about matters such as:

• How an appointment enquiry was received or handled.
• Communication about appointment availability or administrative arrangements.
• Information provided about the enquiry process or service arrangements.
• Website accessibility, functionality or inaccurate administrative information.
• Concerns about the way your personal information was handled.
• Other administrative matters that fall within our responsibility.

If your concern involves more than one organisation or service provider, please explain the relevant circumstances. We will consider the parts that fall within our responsibility and, where appropriate, explain how to contact the other organisation.

03 How to submit a complaint

You can submit a complaint by email or by using the contact details provided on our website. Written complaints help us understand the issues and keep an accurate record of the points raised.

If you need assistance explaining your concern, please tell us. We will consider reasonable communication adjustments where appropriate.

You may submit a complaint yourself or, where appropriate, ask another person to act on your behalf. We may need to confirm that you have authorised that person to receive information about your enquiry or complaint.

04 Information to include

To help us review your complaint, please include where possible:

• Your name and a suitable method of contact.
• The date or approximate period when the issue occurred.
• A description of what happened and why you are dissatisfied.
• Any relevant appointment reference or previous correspondence.
• The outcome or resolution you would like us to consider.
• Any reasonable adjustment you need to communicate with us.

If you cannot provide all of this information, you may still submit a complaint. We may contact you for clarification where it is reasonably necessary to progress the review.

05 Acknowledgement and timescales

We aim to acknowledge a complaint within 3 working days of receipt. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England.

We will review the nature and complexity of the complaint and aim to provide a substantive response within 15 working days of receipt where reasonably practicable.

If the matter requires further information, involves another organisation or is more complex than expected, the review may take longer. Where reasonably practicable, we will explain the reason for the delay and provide an updated expected response timeframe.

These are target timescales rather than a guarantee that every complaint can be resolved within those periods. A different statutory or regulatory complaints procedure may apply to a particular service.

06 Review and outcome

We will consider the information provided, review relevant correspondence or records that are available to us, and seek clarification where necessary.

Depending on the circumstances, the outcome may include:

• An explanation of what happened.
• Correction or clarification of inaccurate administrative information.
• An apology where appropriate.
• Reasonable steps to address an identified administrative issue.
• Information about further review or an appropriate external route.

We will communicate the outcome and the reasons for it, subject to applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements. We cannot guarantee that every requested outcome will be possible.

07 If you remain dissatisfied

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may reply to the correspondence explaining which aspects remain unresolved and why. Where reasonably appropriate, we will consider whether further review or clarification is possible.

If the complaint concerns a service delivered by another organisation, a regulated healthcare professional or a matter outside our responsibility, we will explain the relevant route where that information is available.

Depending on the nature of the concern, an external organisation may be able to provide further information or consider the matter. The correct route will depend on the service involved and the applicable complaints framework.

Nothing in this policy restricts your right to contact an appropriate regulator, public body or other organisation where you are entitled to do so.

08 Complaints about clinical care

This policy primarily covers website, appointment enquiry and administrative matters handled by FITCARDIOLOGY LTD. A complaint about clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, professional conduct or care delivered by another provider may need to be raised through that provider’s own complaints procedure.

If we are not the organisation responsible for the clinical care concerned, we cannot determine the clinical merits of the complaint or replace the responsible provider’s formal review process.

Where appropriate and where the relevant details are available, we will explain how to identify the responsible provider or find its complaints contact information.

If the complaint concerns a service for which FITCARDIOLOGY LTD is itself responsible, we will consider the matter within our actual role and any applicable professional or statutory requirements.

09 Confidentiality and fairness

We handle complaints respectfully and restrict access to complaint information to those who reasonably need it for review, response, administration or compliance purposes, subject to applicable law.

Complaint records may contain personal information. We handle that information in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and our Privacy Policy.

We aim to review concerns objectively and without unfair treatment because a person has raised a complaint in good faith.

We may need to share relevant information with an appropriate service provider or other organisation to investigate a concern. Where required, we will consider the lawful basis for doing so and any applicable confidentiality obligations.

10 Urgent concerns

Complaints procedures are not designed for emergencies or urgent medical assessment.

If you believe you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or attend an emergency department as appropriate. For urgent medical advice in England that is not a life-threatening emergency, contact NHS 111.

Do not wait for a complaint acknowledgement or response before seeking urgent medical assistance.

11 Contact details

To submit a complaint or ask about this policy, please contact FITCARDIOLOGY LTD using the details below.