Incident Management

What to do in the event of a complaint, a claim, an enquiry from the registration Board ?

It doesn’t matter how good a clinician some one may be it is still possible to have a claim or complaint. Don’t take it is as a personal affront but try and learn from the issues that are raised. Work with Guild as we are working to your best interests, it’s the reason you purchase insurance protection.

The following table summarises what to “do” & “do not” when a loss arises
What to do:	What not to do:
Do show empathy with the complainant. At all times remain calm, sympathetic and co-operative. This gives an opportunity for the complainant to vent their feelings about the incident and gives you an opportunity to gather all the facts, including the extent of harm and injury.	Do not admit you were at fault when the incident occurs as: At the initial time of the incident it may be unclear as to who is at fault, and Secondly it may be taken as an admission of liability. In which case it may prejudice the rights of your insurer and may impact upon policy coverage.
Do contact Guild Insurance and notify us immediately of the incident. We will advise you of what further action can be taken and where it is clear that you have erred we will probably advise you to apologise to the complainant, among other things. However, you should always confer with us.	Do not offer compensation, this could have a similar impact as explained in point 2 above. Do not mention your insurance cover, as this may only sow the seeds of opportunity for the complainant.
Do keep Guild informed as we will take over the conduct of the matter and provide you with specific instructions as to what action is required, as well as keeping you informed as the matter progresses.Do keep clear and detailed notes in relation to every patient who attends your clinic.	Do not respond directly to correspondence issued by the complainant or by a third party acting on behalf of the claimant. Instead direct this to your Insurer.