Clinical Exercise Physiology Clinic complaints procedure

Our commitment

The Clinical Exercise Physiology Clinic is committed to delivering a high quality, respectful, and professional service. We value feedback from service users and view complaints as an opportunity to improve what we do.

We aim to ensure that:

  • making a complaint is straightforward and accessible
  • all feedback, including complaints, compliments, and suggestions, is welcomed
  • complaints are treated as a clear expression of dissatisfaction that requires a timely response
  • all complaints are handled politely, fairly, and, where appropriate, confidentially
  • responses provide clear explanations, and where necessary, apologies or details of actions taken
  • learning from complaints informs ongoing service improvement

Important information about our service

  • The clinic operates as part of a university setting and may have limited capacity at certain times of the year.
  • Appointments are required for consultations, and we operate on a cohort basis so there may be waiting times that will be clearly communicated.
  • We may not be able to support all individuals depending on service capacity or clinical scope.
  • Where we are unable to help, we will aim to signpost you to appropriate alternative services.
  • As part of our commitment to education and training, elements of the service are delivered by students undertaking relevant professional programmes. All student-led activity is appropriately supervised by qualified and experienced staff to ensure safety and quality of care. By engaging with the clinic, you acknowledge and accept that students may be involved in your assessment and/or treatment as part of their learning and professional development.

Confidentiality

We will make every effort to maintain confidentiality in handling your complaint.

However, in some circumstances it may not be possible to do so fully, depending on the nature of the issue. If this applies, we will explain this clearly to you.

How to make a complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, you can make a formal complaint using the process below.

Stage one

  • You should make a complaint in writing.
  • Send your complaint to designated clinic lead (Dr Anthony Crozier, CEPClinic@ljmu.ac.uk). In the event of a complaint concerning Dr Crozier, the complaint should be emailed to (Professor Helen Jones, H.Jones1@ljmu.ac.uk).
  • The person receiving your complaint will confirm in writing that they have received it, within one week.
  • They will investigate the complaint.
  • You will receive a response based on the investigation within four weeks of us receiving your complaint. If this is not possible then we will explain why.

Stage two

  • If you are not satisfied with the decision, we make at Stage one, then you should reply to let us know and we will pass the matter to our Legal and Governance team.
  • They will examine the complaint and may wish to carry out further investigations. They will respond in writing within four weeks of us passing them your complaint. Their decision will be final.

If your concern cannot be resolved through our internal complaints process, you may escalate the matter to the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), which operates independently in considering concerns about a registrant’s Fitness to Practise. The AHCS will assess whether the concern falls within its remit and, where appropriate, may initiate a Fitness to Practise investigation in line with its published procedures.

Review of complaints process

This complaints process is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective and appropriate for service users.