Policy Statement
We are committed to providing a high-quality equine veterinary service to all our clients.
Our aim is to provide you and your horse with the best possible service and care and in line with our professional code of conduct; to pursue our work with integrity, respecting our responsibilities to the public, our clients and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. First and foremost, we endeavour to ensure the health and welfare of animals entrusted to our care.
When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. If you have a complaint, please contact us with all the details.
You can use one of the following methods to contact us;
- Speak to us in person – In the first instance we encourage you to speak to the person in charge of your horse’s care; they may be able to resolve your concern immediately. If they are unavailable, please discuss your concerns with any member of our team who will note your concerns and pass onto the relevant personnel to deal with them.
- Email us at hello@stride-vets.co.uk
- Telephone us on (01420) 551365
- Write to us at the practice
What will happen next?
- We will call or send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it.
- We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to the Director, who will review your records and speak to the member of staff, if applicable, associated with the case.
- The Director will then phone and/ or invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. This will be done within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter, but it is likely to be sooner.
- Within three days of the meeting, the Director will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed with you.
- If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, the Director will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including their suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
If you feel we are unable to provide you with a satisfactory response to your complaint you may contact appropriate external bodies such as the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (www.vetmediation.co.uk) or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (www.rcvs.org.uk).
Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the RCVS within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint, or within a year of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or you becoming aware of it).