NHS Conciliation
My role as an independent and impartial conciliator is to help patients or those acting on their behalf and NHS staff to resolve any complaint, conflict or relationship difficulty that has arisen between them.NHS conciliation is an integral and important component of the NHS complaints process. It has long been recognized as an effective tool to resolve a wide variety of concerns including:
- Approaches to treatment
- Communication difficulties between patients and NHS staff
- Referrals
- Practitioner role and responsibilities
- Practice procedures
The Process
Conciliators are responsible for facilitating and determining the procedure for the conciliation. They have no legal power, do not offer advice or impose solutions and make no attempt to judge the situation. Conciliation is a voluntary
and confidential process.
The length of the process is dependent upon the severity and complexity of the situation. A relatively straightforward conciliation involving 2 parties usually requires 4 to 6 hours of meeting time.
Stage 1
The conciliator has a private meeting or discussion with each separate party, in order to explain how conciliation works. Those involved are asked to discuss how they see and feel about the situation. The main issues involved are clarified and ways of resolving them explored. At the end of the meeting, the conciliator confirms with the party their agreement to continue with conciliation and how they wish to proceed.
Stage 2
In most cases a joint face-to-face meeting is then arranged. When facilitating face-to-face meetings, the conciliator ensures that they are safe and controlled, allowing those involved the opportunity to speak and to respond to the issues raised. At the start the conciliator confirms how the meeting will be conducted. Each of the parties is then given an opportunity to speak about the situation, without being interrupted. The issues to be discussed are clarified and confirmed. The conciliator works through these issues with the parties, helping them to communicate and work towards their own agreement or understanding.
Key Benefits
- Increase in the number of complaints satisfactorily resolved
- Reduction in time, energy and costs managing the conflict
- The use of conciliation demonstrates commitment by the Primary Care Trust/ Hospital Trust to resolve the complaint fairly and constructively
- Enhancement of the complaints service by the provision of an independent and impartial conciliation service
- Conciliation can be used to resolve conflicts or difficulties where a complaint has not been formally raised
- Quick to initiate and complete
Costs
Because I am a sole operator, without the salaries, costs and expenses of a
larger organisation, I can offer my expertise and a flexible individual service
at very competitive rates.
Free Initial Telephone Consultation With No Obligation
Contact me now by phone or email and we can discuss the next step. All calls
and messages are confidential.
Phone: 020 8527 9555 Email: terry@mediatorlondon.co.uk
