Complaints may be received about both NHS and private services. NHS complaints will relate to GOS services (NHS sight tests) and not to dispensing services. We follow the guidance for the English NHS complaints procedure.

Complaints can be accepted up to 12 months after the incident that gave rise to the complaint or came to the complainant’s notice

The person responsible for handling complaints is:

Faraz Iqbal

Pollards.opticians@nhs.net

01924 373697

We will aim to acknowledge receipt of complaints within three working days. Where complaints take some time to resolve we will keep the complainant informed. We aim to resolve all complaints within six months.

We will treat all complaints confidentially. Where a complaint is made by a 3^rd party on behalf of someone else we must seek that person’s permission to communicate with the 3^rd party before any details can be discussed.

To ensure an effective and speedy resolution to your concerns, we suggest that you contact the practice directly using the details provided above. This will give us a chance to understand what you are concerned about or are unhappy with. Your feedback will also help us to continually review and improve the services we provide.

For GOS NHS services: if it is not possible or you believe it is inappropriate to raise your concerns directly with the practice you can contact the primary care complaints team at:

Email: wyicb.complaints@nhs.net

Telephone: 01924 552 150

Address : Primary Care Complaints Team,

West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

White Rose House West Parade,

Wakefield,

WF1 1LT

Pollards Opticians are committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

This chaperone policy adheres to local and to national guidance and policy as laid out in the Guidance and advice published by the College of Optometrists and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.

Patients are welcome to bring a chaperone to accompany them into the consulting room.

All our practitioners and staff are aware of, and have received appropriate information in relation to, this policy.

Checklist

Our practitioners and staff will:

1. Explain procedures to the patient as necessary and respond to their questions.
2. Comply with any request from a patient not to carry out any procedure, although this may require the sight test to be terminated.
3. When examining a child or vulnerable adult, allow any request for a parent or carer to accompany the patient in the consulting room unless it is contrary to the declared wishes of a “Gillick competent” child.
4. Maintain an open-access policy – i.e. a policy which means that colleagues are able to simply knock and enter the consulting room at any time without having to wait to be invited in after knocking;
5. Where it is thought appropriate, keep the consulting room door ajar to enable the parent or carer to hear the consultation if they are not in the consulting room.
6. Explain what they are doing during the examination, the outcome when it is complete and what they propose to do next. Keep discussion relevant and avoid personal comments.
7. Record any other relevant issues or concerns immediately following the consultation.

PATIENT NOTIFICATION 

Pollards Opticians are committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present in the consulting room where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend.

Your optometrist or optician may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.

If you would like to see a copy of our Chaperone Policy or have any questions or comments regarding this please contact the manager.