Welcome to Our Service

The basic principles upon which our services are provided to you are outlined below.

All Patients are requested to give consent to receiving our care and treatment based upon these principles and understandings.

Our Staff

All our staff are:

• Fully trained and experienced for their role.
• On the relevant professional registers.
• Are required to undergo stringent checks before being permitted to work for our Company.
• Keep up- to-date with their professional practice.
• Are committed to delivering the best possible service for you. oRequired to adhere to strict professional standards and ethics.

Making a Complaint and Giving Compliments

 

We believe that complaints and compliments area valuable indicator of the quality of our service, and an opportunity to improve that quality. We assure all Patients that no-one will be victimised for making a complaint, and we encourage Patients to instigate the complaints procedure whenever they feel that this is necessary. We do not wish to confine complaints to major issues. We encourage Patients to comment when relatively minor matters are a problem to them. It is our policy that all matters which disturb or upset a Patient should be reported, recorded, and corrective action should be taken. Only in that way can we work towards meeting our aim of continuously improving our service.

 

Our commitment is that:

 

• All complaints will be taken seriously; You will receive a response within 24hours of the complaint being made, and a final reply within 28 days;
• If the complaint is upheld, you will receive a written apology and appropriate action will be taken to rectify the complaint, and you will be informed of what that action is;
• All complaints will be acted upon with fairness and impartiality;
• You will normally receive a response within 24 hours of the complaint being made, and a final reply within 28 days;
• If the complaint is upheld, you will receive a written apology and appropriate action will be taken to rectify the complaint, and you will be informed of what that action is;
• Patients are entitled to involve an impartial third party in the complaint procedure if they so wish.

 

Patients and their representatives may take their complaints to persons in authority outside the Company if they are not satisfied with the response that they receive from us.

We aim to respect your privacy and dignity at all times.

Please speak out, or speak to the supervisor or CQC Registered Manager if your privacy or dignity is not being respected.

Records will be designed, used and stored so as to assure privacy. Legislative controls over records, such as the Data Protection Act, will be adhered to, and the Patient’s explicit permission in writing will be sought before information is passed to any person other than those directly concerned with the care of the Patient.

 

Confidentiality of Information

 

Your rights to confidentiality will be safeguarded. We will not disclose any personal information about you to a third party unless this has been agreed with you. Agreement to disclose information should only be sought if it is for your benefit, e.g. for the purpose of assisting in your support.

Our policy is that any information about you is strictly confidential and that maintaining a position of trust in this regard is paramount. However, because some information is relevant to providing quality support, such information will be shared with members of staff who may be supporting you. Visiting professionals and visitors requiring information will be referred in the first instance to the Registered Manager or the person in charge within the Company. You or, where appropriate, your principal Carer will be consulted where appropriate before information is released.

Information about you will be stored in paper form, and may also be held on computer. Both forms are treated in the same strictly confidential way.

CCTV may be used in order to protect your security and well-being. We have strict protocols in place in order to protect unauthorised access to or release of CCTV images. CCTV will not be used in private areas (such as WCs and changing rooms) or in treatment rooms without explicit Patient consent having been obtained.

Information about you is needed in order to enable staff to provide proper support and treatment. Some of the information may also be used for other purposes, such as:

Making sure our services meet your needs.

Helping staff to review the support they provide to you to help them achieve the highest standards.

 

Investigating complaints or legal claims.

 

Auditing of our services.

Some times information about you needs to be passed on to other agencies or organisations, for example if you are receiving care or support from a GP or hospital. The types of organisations with whom we may share information about you are:

• GPs.
• District nurses.
• Other health professionals.
• Socialworkers.
• Care Quality Commission.

Further details about how we use your information are available in our Privacy Notice. See our website (or available upon request)

Equal Opportunities

 

You have the right to practise your beliefs, religion or culture without constraint by restrictive or discriminatory practice.

Complaints of discriminatory practice will be thoroughly investigated and the results of the investigation made known to the complainant.

Teaching

Occasionally staff in training (such as medical students) may wish to be present during your consultations.

If you are not happy with this, please let us know..

Chaperoning

If you wish for a chaperone, please make this known to the receptionist and/or your clinician.

We will do our best to provide for a chaperone, but you may wish to note that if this cannot be arranged immediately then it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment so that a chaperone can be provided.

We will endeavour to provide a chaperone on request without charge, but if additional costs are incurred then these may need to be passed on to you after due notice.

Please note that our clinicians may themselves arrange for a chaperone to be present during their consultations with you if this is required on the clinical or safety grounds.

 

 

Respect For Other Patients And Staff

 

You are requested to afford the same courtesy to other Patients and staff as you would expect to receive yourself.

Note that any loud or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.

Patients are not permitted to smoke on or near the premises.

Patients who are under the influence of drink or self-harm substances maybe asked to leave the premises.

 

Requesting Same-Sex Healthcare Professionals

 

For reasons of dignity or specific cultural traditions patients may prefer to see and be treated by a member of their own sex. It is certain that both male and female nurses, doctors, therapists and other staff will be working at ViTOX. You will see doctors and nurses of both genders.

ViTOX takes has a duty to provide a proper standard of care to all our patients, and will try its best to deliver care by a particular person of either gender.

If for whatever reason, you are very uncomfortable receiving care or treatment from a member of the opposite sex, you may make a request to see a clinician of the same sex. Our ability to respond to such a request will be considered on an individual basis and will be dependent on such circumstances as levels of staffing and the needs of other patients. However, in all but the most exceptional circumstances, you will be seen by the most appropriate clinician. Our prime aim will always be to provide a proper standard of care, regardless of the sex of the clinician.

While we may consider requests for same-sex clinicians, service-users refusing, or requesting care or treatment from health care professionals on the grounds of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or age is regarded by ViTOX as totally unacceptable and without justification. Service-users are reminded that verbal and/or physical abuse to ViTOX staff, will not be tolerated. Any person found to be in breach of this may find their treatment withheld, or we may make alternative arrangements for your treatment to be completed elsewhere.

 

People who do not speak English

In the exercise of ViTOX functions, we have regard to the need to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to:

Their ability to access health services; and

The outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

We use Language Line UK interpreting service that complies with information governance requirements.

Interpreters are trained in safeguarding both children and adults. Any interaction requires the interpreters to be trained to an advanced level.

All safeguarding training is evidenced on request and completed prior to any patient contact.