Complaints Policy

Policy Statement

We are committed to providing you and your pet with the absolute best service and care in line with our values; to act with compassion, honesty and humility, to strive to improve, learn and develop our skills, to advise and educate to promote a high level of animal welfare, to value our colleagues and prioritise their wellbeing, to support our community and encourage collaboration. Above all, we endeavour to ensure the health and welfare of animals entrusted to our care.

However, despite our best effects to offer the highest possible standards, you may feel disappointed with our service. We welcome feedback and will constantly strive to make effective improvements. The sooner we are made aware, the sooner we can address any concerns you may have; therefore, we encourage prompt contact even if this is during treatment.

How to give us your feedback

You can use one of the below methods to contact us:

Tell us in person– In the first instance we would encourage you to tell the person in charge of your pet’s care; they may be able to resolve your concern there and then. If they are unavailable, please discuss your concerns with any member of our team who will be happy to help. We would much rather talk to you about it now.
Telephone – our receptionists are trained to handle your call. However, if you would prefer to speak to our practice manager, please let them know.
Email us at the Practice email address – quarryvets@gmail.com
Write to us – at Quarry House Vets, 148 Teignmouth Road, Torquay, Devon TQ1 4RY

What information to include?

When making a complaint, please provide the following information:

Your name, address and preferred contact telephone number and email
The name of your pet
The date on which you visited the clinic
The branch visited
A brief description of your concerns
A summary of what in your opinion we can do to best deal with your concerns

In general, if you have a concern, it is best to raise it as soon as possible – this will make it easier for us to investigate and resolve any matters which are still ongoing.

If any of our colleagues were involved, it would be helpful if you can provide us with their names or a brief description of them.

What if my complaint relates to a referral or out of hours service?

In the event your complaint is relating to a Referral treatment or an Out of Hours service that was not provided by us then we would kindly ask you to firstly direct the complaint to the relevant service provider.

If you are not sure whether this was the case, please ask any of our team and we can quickly clarify to whom the complaint should be directed. We would also appreciate it if you could keep us updated on the outcome.

What will happen next and when will I hear back?

We will treat your complaint with confidentiality. Upon receiving your correspondence, we will acknowledge receipt as soon as possible and within 7 working days. We may need to contact you to find out more.

We may need to investigate the matter further before being able to reach a conclusion; if that is the case, we will do our best to investigate it as quickly as possible and will reply to you as soon as we are able. In normal circumstances, we would aim to have addressed your complaint within 14 working days of receiving it or provide an explanation for any delays.

What if I am unhappy with the outcome?

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this process, you may then raise your concern with external bodies such as the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (www.vetmediation.co.uk) or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (https://www.rcvs.org.uk/home/).

General feedback

If you have any general feedback please:

Email the practice email address (found above or in our contact page).

Alternatively write to the Practice either via post or hand in to reception.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to give us your thoughts.