A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about an organisation’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of the organisation.
Every complaint requires a response.
Complaints are accepted in a number of different ways including in person, over the phone and in writing (post or email).
The Friends of St. Luke’s Hospital (Dublin) (“FOSL”) endeavours to deal with complaints as early as possible and ideally, at the first point of contact. The stages in the complaint handling process should be kept to a minimum.
Staff members who are the subject of a complaint should not handle or respond to the complaint.
Frontline resolution should be completed within 5 working days. Complaints should be acknowledged promptly and within 5 working days from the date of receipt.
A full response to the complaint should issue within 30 working days of receipt.
Staff should advise the complainant that they can progress their complaint on to the investigation stage if they are not satisfied with the outcome following attempts at frontline resolutions. The complainant should be directed to the Finance & Operations Manager who in turn will notify the Chairperson.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the manner in which their complaint is handled by FOSL, they have the right to raise a concern with the Charities Regulator – contact details are provided here: https://www.charitiesregulator.ie/en/contact-us
A complaint file should contain information should as the complainant details, the issues raised and the action taken. It should also include, in chronological order, any correspondence including emails about the complaint, notes of meetings and telephone calls.
Solutions and results should be communicated to the complainant using their preferred means of communication and followed up in writing.