Background
This case study describes the experience of a patient who raised concerns about the outcome of cosmetic surgery and sought advice when their complaint was initially not accepted.
The patient underwent cosmetic surgery but was unhappy with the final result. They discussed their dissatisfaction with their consultant at follow-up appointments one month and five months after the procedure. At the five-month review, the consultant acknowledged the patient’s concerns and arranged for a second opinion.
Despite this, the patient remained unhappy with the outcome and decided to make a formal written complaint 12 months after surgery.
What Happened Next
An initial review noted that:
- The patient had clearly raised concerns well within the first six months after surgery.
- The consultant recognised the patient’s dissatisfaction and arranged a second opinion.
- Although the patient did not submit a formal complaint early on, their unhappiness was recorded and ongoing.
ISCAS also considered that, for cosmetic surgery, it can take several months for tissues to settle and for final results to be clear. In this case, it was reasonable for the patient to wait before deciding whether the outcome was in line with expectations and acceptable to them.
ISCAS advised that in this particular case, the “event” triggering the complaint was not the surgery itself, but the point at which the patient could reasonably have expected the tissues to settle, and the outcome to be final; and they remained unhappy after the second opinion. This meant the complaint could reasonably be considered to have been raised within an appropriate timeframe.
Outcome
Following ISCAS’s advice, the provider agreed to accept the complaint and address it through their internal complaints process. As a result, the case did not need to proceed to formal adjudication.
Tips For Healthcare providers
This case highlights the importance of:
- Listening carefully to patients and talking openly about concerns
- Checking when and how a patient first raised dissatisfaction
- Being reasonable about complaint timeframes, particularly for cosmetic procedures where outcomes may take time to become clear
- Recognising that the issue prompting a complaint may arise sometime after surgery, not during the procedure itself and that becomes the ‘event’ that triggers the complaint.
- Also noting this time frame should be reasonable, the care records available and staff have recall of the surgical episode.
- Ensuring consultants clearly record patient dissatisfaction and consider using formal complaint pathways when appropriate
Tips For Patients
This case also offers useful guidance for patients who may be unhappy after treatment:
- If you are unhappy, try to put your concerns in writing or ask for them to be formally recorded
- Keep notes of dates, appointments, conversations, symptoms, and outcomes
- Evidence showing when you first raised concerns can be very helpful
- If early responses do not address your concerns, it is okay to follow up and persist politely
Conclusion
This case shows how important clear communication, good record-keeping, and fair complaint processes are for both patients and healthcare providers. By raising concerns early, documenting them clearly, and keeping communication open, patients and providers can work together more effectively to resolve issues and maintain trust.
This case highlights that patients will be listened to when concerns are raised clearly and reasonably. If you are unhappy with an outcome, you do not have to manage this alone – guidance and fair processes are in place to help ensure your concerns are considered.