Complaints Procedure
Last updated: 30 April 2026
1. Our commitment
1.1 Pet Repair Vets is committed to providing the highest standard of veterinary care and client service. We take every complaint seriously and aim to resolve concerns fairly, promptly, and with respect for everyone involved. If something has not gone as it should, we want to know so we can put it right and learn from it.
1.2 This procedure tells you how to raise a complaint, what we will do when we receive it, the timeframes you can expect from us, and the routes available to you if our in-house response does not resolve matters to your satisfaction. It is published openly in line with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct, the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the transparency expectations set out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in its 2024 review of the veterinary services market.
2. Who handles complaints
2.1 Complaints are received and handled in the first instance by the Head Nurse or the Director, Dr Gabor Nemes MRCVS. The Director is the person ultimately accountable for the complaints procedure and for the practice's response to your complaint.
2.2 Every member of our team is trained to recognise when a complaint is being made and to pass it on promptly. You do not need to use the word complaint, and you do not need to put it in any particular form, for us to treat your concern as one.
3. How to make a complaint
3.1 You can raise a complaint with Pet Repair Vets in any of the ways set out below. A written record helps us investigate your concern fully and respond to it accurately, but we do not require complaints to be made in writing. Whichever way you contact us, your complaint will be handled in the same way and to the same timescales.
3.1.1 By email to info@petrepairvets.com.
3.1.2 By post to Pet Repair Vets, 94 Park Grove, Barnsley, S70 1QE.
3.1.3 By telephone on 01226 664826, asking to speak to the Head Nurse or the Director.
3.1.4 In person at the practice, asking to speak to the Head Nurse or the Director. Where a complaint is made verbally, we will write down what you have told us and ask you to confirm we have understood it correctly.
3.2 When making your complaint, please include your name and contact details, the name of your animal, the date or dates of the consultation or event concerned, a description of your concern, and the outcome you are hoping for. The more information you can give us at the outset, the more effectively we can respond.
4. What happens next
4.1 Our procedure runs in four stages. The timeframes below are working day commitments. Where a complaint is complex and we cannot complete a stage within the stated time, we will write to you to explain why and give you a revised date.
4.2 Stage 1: Receipt: Day 1. You raise your complaint by any of the routes set out in section 3.
4.3 Stage 2: Acknowledgement: Within 5 working days. We acknowledge your complaint in writing, confirm what we have understood it to be, and tell you the name of the person handling it and the date by which we expect to provide a substantive response.
4.4 Stage 3: Investigation and response: Within 20 working days. We provide a written response setting out our findings, our explanation, any action we will take, and any goodwill gesture or remedy we consider appropriate.
4.5 Stage 4: Escalation: If unresolved or if you remain dissatisfied after our written response, you may refer the matter to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service, to the RCVS, or pursue a civil claim through the courts. See section 5.
4.6 After we have sent our written response, we are happy to discuss it with you by telephone or in person, where it would help. Just let us know.
5. If your complaint is not resolved
5.1 The Veterinary Client Mediation Service. If you remain dissatisfied after our final written response, you can refer your complaint to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS). The VCMS is a free, independent mediation service funded by the RCVS. It handles disputes between clients and veterinary practices about service or fees, and works with both sides to reach a resolution. Using the VCMS does not affect your right to take the matter further if you wish. The VCMS can be contacted at www.vetmediation.co.uk or by telephone on 0345 040 5834.
5.2 The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. If your complaint concerns the professional conduct of a veterinary surgeon or registered veterinary nurse, you may contact the RCVS. The RCVS handles concerns about professional misconduct, that is, conduct that falls seriously below the standards expected of a registered professional. The RCVS is not an arbitration service for service or fee disputes, but it is the right route for serious professional concerns. The RCVS can be contacted at www.rcvs.org.uk, by telephone on 020 7222 2001, or by email at enquiries@rcvs.org.uk.
5.3 Court proceedings. You retain the right at all times to pursue a civil claim through the courts if you consider you have suffered loss as a result of our actions. Engaging with our in-house procedure or with the VCMS does not prevent you from taking legal action. Where court proceedings are issued, we will cooperate fully.
6. Confidentiality
6.1 All complaint records are treated as confidential. We may share information from a complaint with our professional indemnity provider, the Veterinary Defence Society, with our insurers, with the VCMS where you have referred a matter to it, and with any other professional advisor where this is necessary to investigate or resolve the complaint or to defend a claim. Our handling of personal data is set out in full in our Privacy Notice, available on our website.
7. Records and retention
7.1 We keep a written record of every complaint we receive, the steps we took to investigate it, our response, and any action we took as a result. Complaint files are retained for seven years from the date of our final response, in line with our professional indemnity policy and the limitation periods that apply to civil claims. After that period the file is securely destroyed unless ongoing legal proceedings or regulatory matters require its retention.
8. Learning from complaints
8.1 We review every complaint as part of our commitment to continuous improvement. Themes and individual complaints are discussed at the practice's clinical governance meetings. Where a complaint identifies a systemic issue with our processes, equipment, training, or clinical practice, we take steps to address it, and where appropriate we will tell the complainant what we have changed as a result.
9. Review of this procedure
9.1 This Complaints Procedure is reviewed annually by the Director, and sooner if there are material changes to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, RCVS Practice Standards Scheme requirements, the CMA's findings on the veterinary services market, or relevant consumer protection legislation. The current version is always the version published on our website.
If you have any questions about this Complaints Procedure, please contact us by writing to Pet Repair Vets, 94 Park Grove, Barnsley, S70 1QE, by telephone on 01226 664826, or by email at info@petrepairvets.com.
Last updated: 30 April 2026