Complaints Policy
INTRODUCTION
This Complaints Policy explains how Novamedica Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”), trading as The GP Service, handles complaints about our Platform and the services delivered through it.
We take every complaint seriously. The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that complaints are handled fairly, promptly, and in a way that gives you a clear path to resolution or independent escalation.
Please read this Policy alongside our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.
1. HOW COMPLAINTS WORK AT THE GP SERVICE
The GP Service is a healthcare technology platform that connects patients with independent clinicians. Because of this structure, complaints follow one of two tracks depending on what your concern is about. Identifying the right track gets you a faster, more appropriate resolution.
If you are unsure which track applies to your complaint, contact us and we will direct it to the right place.
2. TRACK 1 — PLATFORM COMPLAINTS
Platform complaints are handled directly by The GP Service team. This track covers anything related to the operation of the Platform itself — not clinical decisions.
2.1 Examples of Track 1 complaints:
• Booking or appointment problems
• Payment disputes or billing errors
• Technical issues with the Platform
• Prescription delivery issues
• Communication or administrative failures
• Account access or data access problems
• Customer service concerns
2.2 How to raise a Track 1 complaint:
• Email: complaints@thegpservice.co.uk
• Phone: 024 7745 0727
• Post: Complaints, Novamedica Limited, The Dock, 75 Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NU
Please include your booking reference (if applicable), a description of the issue, when it happened, and the outcome you are seeking.
3. TRACK 2 — CLINICAL COMPLAINTS
Clinical complaints concern the quality, safety, or conduct of a clinician’s professional practice. Because clinicians providing services through the Platform are independent practitioners regulated by their own professional body, clinical complaints follow a different path.
3.1 Examples of Track 2 complaints:
• Concerns about the clinical advice you received
• Concerns about prescribing decisions
• Clinician behaviour or conduct during the consultation
• Quality of clinical assessment
• Missed or delayed diagnosis
• Any patient safety concerns
3.2 Step 1 — Raise it with us
In most cases, we recommend you contact us first at complaints@thegpservice.co.uk. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and work with you to resolve it. In many cases, we can help by facilitating contact with the clinician or passing the concern directly to them for a response. You may, of course, escalate to the regulator directly at any time without going through us first.
Urgent patient safety concerns: If your concern relates to an immediate risk to patient safety, you should contact emergency services (999) or the relevant professional regulator directly without delay. Do not wait for our complaints process.
3.3 Step 2 — Escalate to the clinician’s regulator if needed
If your concern is not resolved through the steps above, or if you prefer to go directly to the regulator, you can escalate to the relevant UK professional body:
General Medical Council (GMC) — for doctors
Concerns about a GMC-registered doctor’s fitness to practise, conduct, or clinical competence.
Website: gmc-uk.org/concerns | Phone: 0161 923 6602
General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) — for pharmacist prescribers
Concerns about a GPhC-registered pharmacist prescriber’s conduct or competence.
Website: pharmacyregulation.org/concerns | Phone: 020 3713 8000
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) — for nurses and nurse prescribers
Concerns about an NMC-registered nurse or nurse prescriber’s fitness to practise.
Website: nmc.org.uk/concerns-nurses-midwives | Phone: 020 7637 7181
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — for other registered health professionals
Concerns about an HCPC-registered professional’s fitness to practise.
Website: hcpc-uk.org/concerns | Phone: 0300 500 6184
4. OUR COMPLAINTS PROCESS
Here is what you can expect when you raise a complaint with us:
4.1 Our commitment. Every complaint is logged, assigned a reference, and tracked through to resolution. Complaints are handled by trained staff who are independent of any operational area the complaint concerns, where reasonably practicable.
4.2 Keeping you informed. If we cannot meet any timescale in this Policy, we will tell you in advance, explain why, and let you know when you can expect a response.
4.3 Learning from complaints. We review complaints regularly to identify patterns and improve the Platform and our services. Your complaint helps us get better.
5. IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH OUR RESPONSE
5.1 Ask us to review. You can ask us to review our response. Email complaints@thegpservice.co.uk within 30 days of our initial response, explaining why you are not satisfied. A senior member of our team who was not previously involved will review your complaint and provide a final response within 14 working days.
5.2 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, we will inform you, on a durable medium, of an appropriate alternative dispute resolution provider and whether or not we are prepared to use that provider to resolve the dispute. ADR is a process where an independent body considers the facts of a dispute and seeks to resolve it without the need for court.
5.3 Escalation to a regulator. Depending on the nature of your complaint, you may refer it to:
• The relevant clinician’s professional regulator (GMC, GPhC, NMC, HCPC — see section 3.3)
• The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection complaints — see section 6
• Trading Standards / Citizens Advice for consumer rights complaints at citizensadvice.org.uk or 0808 223 1133
5.4 Legal action. You retain the right to take legal action at any time. We recommend you seek independent legal advice before doing so.
6. DATA PROTECTION COMPLAINTS
6.1 If your complaint relates to how we have handled your personal information, please contact us at complaints@thegpservice.co.uk in the first instance. We will respond within the timescales set out in section 4.
6.2 Responsibility for clinical records. As set out in our Privacy Policy, The GP Service and the treating clinician act as joint controllers in certain limited respects for your electronic Patient Record. Where a complaint relates specifically to clinical content recorded by the clinician, we will normally direct the request to the clinician for response, and will facilitate contact.
6.3 Right to complain to the ICO. If you remain dissatisfied, or you prefer to contact the ICO directly, you can:
• Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
• Phone: 0303 123 1113
• Post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
7. COMPLAINTS ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE
7.1 If you are making a complaint on behalf of another patient (for example, a family member), we will need their written consent before we can share information about their care or account with you. This is to protect their personal data and confidentiality.
7.2 We can still accept and investigate your complaint in general terms without that consent, but our ability to share specific information will be limited.
8. VEXATIOUS OR ABUSIVE COMPLAINTS
8.1 We treat every complaint in good faith. However, where a complaint is clearly vexatious (for example, repeatedly re-raising a matter that has been fully resolved), or where the person making the complaint is abusive or threatening towards our staff or clinicians, we reserve the right to limit or terminate the complaint process.
8.2 Where this happens we will explain our decision in writing and set out any remaining escalation options open to you.
9. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this Policy from time to time. Where we make material changes, we will notify you through a notice on the Platform. The “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy shows when it was most recently revised.
10. CONTACT US
We want to resolve every complaint as quickly and fairly as possible.
• Email: complaints@thegpservice.co.uk
• Phone: 024 7745 0727
• Post: Complaints, Novamedica Limited, The Dock, 75 Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NU
For general service queries that are not complaints, please contact support@thegpservice.co.uk.