Do not engage in dialogue or admit responsibility and do not incur any costs without the insurer’s agreement.
Regrettably, natural health practitioners are not immune from complaints, and they can happen at any time. As a health professional, small mistakes can have big consequences
Although we want the best health outcome for our patient/client, we may come across someone who is not happy with our professional services. If a patient/client claims that you caused an injury, or they lost money because of your advice or treatment, they could take legal action against you.
The law of dispute resolution (and legal processes) can be complex, and very costly. It is a game in itself. Being a member of the NHPNZ, with representatives who have skills and an understanding of the law and the legal process, is paramount in dealing with the complaints process.
As health professionals it is important to know what steps to take when a complaint is made.
The complaints process is an unfortunate experience, however, it is the way in which a health practitioner handles a complaint when it is first made, which greatly affects both the outcome and the health practitioner’s experience of the process.
Whether there is any fault on your part or not, NHPNZ would urge you to report all complaints to us early, preferably on the day they are received. All too often practitioners let us know only when they receive a legal request from one of the regulatory agencies for their patient notes having missed a golden opportunity to resolve the situation before it gets to that stage.
The bottom line is that ignoring or ‘trying to fix’ the situation yourself is not wise.
Failure to notify the NHPNZ as soon as reasonably possible could lead to your claim being rejected by the insurer. Therefore, even if you are unsure whether it’s worthy of letting NHPNZ know or not, it’s in your best interests to do so.