A complaint about your GP

You have a complaint about your GP. What now?
When you are dissatisfied, we appreciate you discussing this with us. When we are made aware of your dissatisfaction, we can try to resolve it for you. If this is difficult for you or you are unable to work it out with us, you can discuss your complaint with an independent and impartial  complaint officer. The complaint officer looks for a solution to your complaint or problem with you. The complaint officer can try to mediate the complaint. The complaint officer does not take sides and therefore has no judgement. Everything you tell the complaint officer, is confidential. Your GP is affiliated with the complaints procedure of Dokh, about which you can find more information below.

Complaint procedure DOKh

A good (inter)relationship with your doctor is important. Sadly, sometimes things happen that disrupt this relationship. You are dissatisfied, you have a complaint. This brochure provides information on what you can do if you have an issue with your GP. You can read what the options are for resolving your complaint and in what way your complaint is dealt with in the complaints procedure of DOKh.

Working it out together
First try to discuss the issue personally with your GP. Such a conversation can be very clarifying for both parties and enables the GP and their organisation to learn from your feedback. When requesting such a conversation, please indicate that you wish to discuss a complaint with your GP and that you would like to reserve some extra time for that. Your complaint is oftentimes resolved in a satisfactory manner for you.

If you are unable to do this, your GP will put you in contact with the complaints officer of DOKh.

Complaints procedure
You will be granted an appointment with the complaints officer. They will take care of your complaint and will be your contact person for your questions, will be advised and helped where necessary with formulating your complaint in writing. When your complaint is clear, you will get to work with the complaint officer to find a solution. The first option, which is most often chosen, is complaint mediation. You can discuss wether you are open to this with the complaint officer.

Complaint mediation
A lot of complaints can be resolved in a conversation with an impartial mediator present. If you and your GP indicate that mediation is desired, the first mediated conversation will follow within two weeks. The aforementioned complaint officer will act as mediator.
During the mediation discussions you and your GP will get the opportunity to comment on/clarify events. If mutual sympathy/understanding grows, oftentimes a good working atmosphere will form. The ultimate goal of mediation is to restore the trust-based relationship of you and your GP.

Rules

• Help from the complaint officer, the complaint mediation and the treatment of the complaint are free of charge for you.
• Mediation is only successful when both parties agree on this.
• With mediation, mutual respect and trust is assumed.
• All concerned parties handle your privacy with utmost care and have a requirement of confidentiality.
• The full complaint procedure can be downloaded on dokh.nl.

Are you unable to work it out with the complaint officer?
If you are unable to work it out in spite of the mediation conversations, the complaint officer will support you with a potential next step. Your complaint will then become a dispute.

Stichting DOKh
Afdeling Klachten en Geschillen
Robijnstraat 6
1812 RB ALKMAAR
Tel: 072-520 83 25
Website: www.dokh.nl