You have a complaint about your GP practice. What now?

A good relationship between you and your counsellor is important. Unfortunately, sometimes things happen that disrupt this relationship and dissatisfaction may arise. This page explains what you can do if you have a complaint about your GP practice and the process at DOKh.

Coming out together

It is often most effective to first discuss and try to resolve the problem in a face-to-face meeting with your GP. Such a conversation can be enlightening and helps the practice learn from your feedback.

If this fails, your GP will put you in touch with DOKh's complaints officer.

Complaint handling by the complaints officer

DOKh's complaints officer is independent and impartial. Within one week of receiving your complaint, the officer will contact you to discuss the problem.

Together with the officer, you will see what steps are needed to reach a solution. Everything you tell will be kept confidential. You will be given advice and, if necessary, help in writing down your complaint.

Complaint mediation

Many complaints can be resolved during a mediation session (e.g. by telephone). You and your doctor will have the opportunity to explain your story and respond to each other's explanations.

The aim of mediation is to increase mutual understanding and, if possible, restore the relationship of trust between you and your doctor. Mediation is only successful when both parties agree on the outcome.

Doctor's opinion

After the complaint process, the doctor is obliged to inform you in writing of his or her assessment within six weeks. This will state what decisions or measures have been taken as a result of your complaint. The deadline can be extended by a maximum of four weeks if you are informed in time.

If you are satisfied with the verdict, then this settles the complaint. If you are not satisfied, you can continue the process as a dispute at DOKh's disputes committee. You have six months to do this.

Are you unable to come to an agreement with the complaints officer?

If you fail to resolve your complaint despite mediation, the Complaints Officer will guide you in filing a dispute with DOKh.

DOKh's disputes committee consists of an independent chairman, a colleague of your healthcare provider and a representative of a patient organisation. The committee makes a binding decision, which means that you cannot appeal to the ordinary courts about the same dispute afterwards.

Game rules

• Help from the Complaints Officer, complaint mediation and complaint handling are free of charge for you.
• Mediation is successful only when both parties agree on this.
• Mediation is based on mutual respect and trust.
• All those involved in the process treat your privacy with the utmost care and have a duty of confidentiality.
• The full complaints procedure can be downloaded below.