Introduction
• We welcome feedback from our referring Vets and pet owners via our online feedback form on the website, or in writing to care@optivet.com. This helps us to improve our service and acknowledge any area we need to improve.
Our aims
• The purpose of this policy is to provide a clear statement of intent with regards to the assessment, handling and investigation of client and referral Practice complaints. This complaint handling policy has been created to meet standard complaint handling procedures, including VDS guidelines.
• The aim of this policy is to ensure that all external complaints are handled in a consistent and regulated manner. The aim is to avoid unnecessary escalation of complaints where possible.
The complaints process
• After submitting your complaint in writing to us, we aim to respond to you during working hours within 3 working days.
• Every complaint made will be thoroughly assessed by a dedicated care team, who will communicate with the relevant personnel involved. This process can take up to 14 working days.
• If you remain unsatisfied you can request an escalation to the Senior Management team. This is likely to require further investigation into the issue and can take up to 7 working days.
• If the outcome to your complaint remains unsettled, you can escalate the complaint further to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service. This is a free external service available to clients to review a complaint on your behalf and find a resolution. https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/clients/
• If your complaint is concerning a more serious nature, specifically the professional conduct of a Veterinary Surgeon or Veterinary Nurse the RCVS can be contacted via their website https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/im-an-animal-owner-and-i-want-to-raise-.... The RCVS set out professional standards through a Professional code, therefore they will need to handle your complaint.
Privacy policy
We recognise the importance of your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Any personal information you share with us will be handled in line with our privacy policy which explains what information of yours we store, how, why and your rights to have access to such information.
Details of our privacy policy can be found at https://www.optivet.com/privacy-policy. Should you have a query or complaint with how your personal information has been used please email care@optivet.com.