HeartVets Complaints policy

Our commitment

At Heart Vets, we are committed to providing the highest standard of care for our patients and an excellent service for referring veterinary surgeons and pet owners.

We understand that, despite our best efforts, there may be occasions when our service does not meet your expectations. If this happens, we encourage you to let us know. We welcome feedback and complaints as an opportunity to understand your concerns, put things right where we can, and continually improve the care and service we provide.

We are committed to handling all complaints fairly, openly, respectfully and as promptly as possible.

 

Who can make a complaint?

Anyone who receives or is affected by our services may raise a concern or make a complaint. This will generally include:

  • Pet owners
  • Referring veterinary surgeons
  • Referring veterinary practices

 

How to make a complaint

You can contact us by:

  • Telephone: 0800 999 4333
  • Email: complaints@heartvets.co.uk
  • In writing: Heart Vets, Pant Wilkin Stables, Aberthin, Cowbridge, CF71 7GX
  • In person: Speak to any member of our team

To help us investigate your concerns, it is useful if you can provide:

  • Your name and preferred contact details
  • The name of your pet
  • The date of your appointment or referral
  • The clinic location and clinician involved (if known)
  • A brief description of your concerns
  • The outcome you are hoping for (if known)

 

Our complaints process

Stage 1 – Early resolution

Where possible, our administrative or clinical team will try to resolve your concerns promptly at the time they are raised.

Stage 2 – Formal complaint

If we are unable to resolve your concerns promptly, they will be treated as a formal complaint. We may ask you to confirm the details in writing to ensure we fully understand your concerns and can investigate them appropriately.

We aim to acknowledge all formal complaints within two working days.

Your complaint will be assigned to an appropriate investigating clinician or manager who has responsibility for coordinating the investigation.

Stage 3 – Investigation

Depending on the nature of your complaint, our investigation may include:

  • Reviewing clinical records
  • Reviewing relevant correspondence or telephone records
  • Speaking with the members of staff involved
  • Discussing the case with the clinical team
  • Obtaining additional information from other veterinary practices or organisations where appropriate

We may contact you if we require further information to assist our investigation.

Stage 4 – Written response

We aim to provide a full written response within 20 working days of receiving your formal complaint.

Our response will include:

  • A summary of the concerns you have raised
  • The findings of our investigation
  • Any actions we have taken or propose to take
  • An apology where appropriate
  • An explanation where we have not upheld part or all of your complaint
  • Information about any further options available to you

Where a complaint is particularly complex, requires external information or expert review, or involves multiple clinicians, our investigation may take longer. If this happens, we will keep you informed of our progress and aim to provide our final response within eight weeks.

Stage 5 – If you remain dissatisfied

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you may request that your complaint is reviewed internally by a senior clinician or director who has not previously been involved, where appropriate.

Where suitable, we may also suggest mediation as a means of resolving outstanding concerns.

If your concerns relate to the professional conduct of a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, you may also wish to contact the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which considers concerns about professional conduct.

 

Learning from complaints

We record and regularly review complaints to help us improve our service. We use feedback to identify opportunities for staff training, improve our systems and procedures, and ensure we continue to provide the highest standards of patient care and client service.

Making a complaint will not affect the care that you or your pet receive from Heart Vets. We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns and will always aim to deal with them fairly, respectfully and constructively.