How do I raise a complaint involving a BAAPS Support member?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of treatment provided by a BAAPS Support member, it is important to know that there is a structured complaints process available to you. Feedback and complaints play a vital role in improving patient care, supporting learning, and helping clinicians reflect on their practice.
The BAAPS Support Complaints Service (BSCS) provides an independent external review for complaints that have not been resolved locally. Patients should feel confident about raising concerns; doing so helps ensure fairness and supports safer care for future patients.
What is the BAAPS Support Complaints Service?
The BAAPS Support Complaints Service (BSCS) is an external complaints review service established for BAAPS Support members and clinics owned by those members. It offers an independent opinion and advice on patient complaints once local complaints procedures have been exhausted.
The service aims to promote fairness, transparency, and reflective learning. It is not a legal process and does not replace a patient’s right to pursue formal legal advice if they wish.
What types of complaints can be considered?
Complaints considered by BSCS may include, but are not limited to:
- Concerns about an aesthetic outcome
- Complications arising from surgery
- Concerns about the quality of care or service provided
BSCS cannot consider complaints that:
- Have already been resolved or are being handled elsewhere
- Are more than 12 months old
- Are subject to legal proceedings or where legal action has been indicated
- Are unclear, vexatious, or unreasonably persistent
- Were made before the surgeon joined BSCS
- Do not have patient consent to share information
Anonymous complaints cannot be accepted.
Where do I start?
All complaints must first be addressed through the local complaints process:
Level 1: The complaint is raised directly with the clinic or hospital where treatment took place.
Level 2: If the patient remains dissatisfied, the complaint should be reviewed internally by someone not involved at Level 1 (for example, a clinic director or head office).
Only once these stages have been completed, and the patient remains dissatisfied, can a complaint be referred to BSCS.
Referral to the BAAPS Support Complaints Service
Referral to BSCS is made by the BAAPS Support member, with the patient’s written consent. Referrals should be made within 12 months of the complaint first being received.
The referral must include:
- A clear summary of the complaint
- A timeline of events
- Relevant documentation (such as clinic records, consent forms, correspondence, operative notes, and clinical photographs)
- Written patient consent
How is the complaint reviewed?
BSCS commissions independent medico-legal advice from an experienced external legal firm. This advice is reviewed by BSCS, which then provides outcomes and/or recommendations to the member.
Possible outcomes include:
- Complaint upheld
- Complaint not upheld
- Outcome pending, with recommendations*
*Recommendations are advisory and not legally binding
They may include, for example:
- A refund of fees
- Notification to the member’s indemnity provider
- Mediation
- A surgical second opinion
- Referral to a regulator
In some cases, BSCS may recommend independent mediation. Participation in mediation is voluntary and requires agreement from both parties.
Important information
- BSCS provides independent third-party opinion, not legal adjudication.
- Patients and clinicians retain the right to seek formal legal advice at any stage.
A fee applies for submission of a complaint to BSCS.
Outcomes focus on fairness, learning, and resolution rather than blame.
Ask your surgeon what the process is, should something go wrong and whether they are registered with BAAPS Support Complaints Service (BSCS).