Complaints
You have a complaint about your doctor. What now?
A good relationship between you and your doctor is important. Unfortunately, things sometimes happen that disrupt this relationship. You are dissatisfied or have a complaint. Below you can read what you can do if you have a problem with your doctor. You will read about the options for resolving your complaint and how your complaint will be handled within the DOKh complaints procedure.
Resolving it together
Try to discuss and resolve the problem first in a personal conversation with your doctor. In many cases, such a conversation can be very enlightening for both parties, and the doctor and their organization can learn from your feedback. When requesting such a conversation, indicate that you want to discuss a complaint with your doctor and that you would like to reserve a bit more time for it. This often resolves your complaint in a way that is satisfactory to you. If this does not work, your doctor will put you in touch with the DOKh complaints officer.
Complaint intake
You will have a conversation with the complaints officer. They will receive you and your complaint, so to speak, and you can go to them with your questions; you will receive advice and, if necessary, help with formulating the complaint in writing. Once your complaint is clear, you and the complaints officer will work together to look for a solution. The first option usually chosen is (telephone) complaint mediation. You can indicate to your complaints officer whether you are open to this.
Complaint mediation
Many complaints can be resolved in a conversation with an impartial mediator at the table. If both you and your doctor indicate that (telephone) mediation is desired, a first mediation meeting will follow within two weeks. The aforementioned complaints officer acts as the mediator. During the mediation meetings, you and your doctor will have the opportunity to explain the event(s). As mutual understanding grows, a workable situation often arises again. The ultimate goal of mediation is to restore the relationship of trust between you and your doctor.
Judgment formulated by the doctor
To complete the complaint process, the doctor is obliged to inform you of their judgment within 6 weeks after the complaint has been submitted. A judgment means that it is indicated in writing which decisions they have made regarding and as a result of the complaint, and which measure(s), if any, will be taken. The 6-week period can be extended by a maximum of four weeks, provided you are informed of this in time. If both parties are satisfied with the judgment, the complaint is considered settled. If you are not satisfied and wish to continue the complaints procedure, this constitutes a dispute. After the judgment, you have 6 months to decide whether you want to submit the dispute to the dispute resolution body.
Ground rules
- Assistance from the complaints officer, complaint mediation, and complaint handling are free of charge for you.
- Mediation is only successful if both parties agree on this.
- Mediation is based on mutual respect and trust.
- Everyone involved in the process will handle your privacy with the utmost care and is bound by a duty of confidentiality.
The full complaints procedure can be downloaded at www.dokh.nl:
Can't work it out with the complaints officer?
Stichting DOKh
Department of Complaints and Disputes
Robijnstraat 6
1812 RB ALKMAAR
Tel: 072-520 83 25 (daily from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Email: klachtenengeschillen@dokh.nl
Website: www.dokh.nl