Complaints procedure

What counts as a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, spoken or written, about anything reasonably connected with the services we provide.

If you raise something verbally and we resolve it within 24 hours, we record it as locally resolved in our complaints register. It still gets recorded.

You will not be treated differently for complaining. Your care will not be affected, and that applies equally if someone complains on your behalf.

How to complain

Tell any member of our team, in person, by phone or in writing. All of our staff are trained to take a complaint.

• Email info@harmonymedical.uk
• Phone or WhatsApp 07355 045 597
• Write to us at 5 Harrison Road, Halifax, HX1 2AF
• Or say it to whoever you are with at the time

If you need help putting your complaint together, ask us and we will support you.

A copy of this procedure is displayed in reception at the clinic as well as being on this page.

Our timescales

We work to fixed timescales so you are not left waiting.

• We acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days.
• We give a full response within 20 working days of receiving it.
• If we cannot meet that, we write to you explaining why, and respond in full within 5 working days of finishing the investigation.
• If anything is delayed, we tell you rather than leaving you to chase.

We will offer you an explanation, or a meeting, whichever is more useful to you.

What we do when we investigate

Every complaint is investigated, and we take proportionate action on anything we find.

• Find out what happened and what went wrong.
• Make it possible for you to discuss it with the people involved.
• Apologise where an apology is owed.
• Identify what we will change so it does not happen again.

At the end we discuss the outcome with you in detail, in person or in writing, and we tell you what action we have taken.

In some cases it may be appropriate to waive a fee or offer a refund.

Complaining for someone else

If you are complaining on behalf of another patient, we still have to protect their confidentiality.

We will need a note signed by them giving their permission, unless they are unable to provide it because of illness.

If your complaint is about the clinic director

Complaints about the Director are not handled internally.

They are referred to an independent external adviser, who decides how the complaint is progressed to a resolution. Ask us and we will pass your complaint to them directly, or give you their details.

Taking it further

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can go outside the clinic.

• The Care Quality Commission, who regulate us. Harmony by Dr Ayah is CQC registered, provider Harmony Medical Aesthetics Ltd. Visit cqc.org.uk or phone 03000 616161.
• Citizens Advice, for free independent advice on your options.

The CQC does not investigate individual complaints, but it does use them as evidence about how a service is run, and it wants to hear from you.

What we do with complaints afterwards

Complaints are not filed and forgotten. They are the main way we find out what is not working.

• Every complaint goes into a register, with the nature of it, the staff involved, what we did, the outcome and the date we responded.
• We audit complaints quarterly, looking at how many, what they were about, how they were resolved and what we changed.
• That quarterly summary is discussed at a staff meeting.
• We track complaints over time to spot patterns and areas of risk.
• Lessons are shared with the whole team.

If we are asked for a summary of complaints and our responses, we provide it within 28 days.

Review

This procedure is reviewed every year. Last reviewed 13 August 2026. Next review due August 2027.