Complaints Procedure

Our main aim is to make sure you are in safe hands. We aim to provide high quality treatment at all times.

We want you to be happy with the standard of care provided at York Natural Health. If for any reason you feel you have a complaint or a concern, please speak to us as soon as possible and we will try our best to resolve the issue to your satisfaction.

1. York Natural Health Internal Complaints Resolution

Initially, we would request that you contact the practitioner concerned; this gives us the opportunity to resolve the matter in the most direct way. If we cannot speak at the time, we will arrange a mutually convenient opportunity to do so, preferably in person. All concerns are to be raised with the practitioner involved, as each practitioner is responsible for their own patients, rather than YNH.

Our reception at York Natural Health holds contact details for all practitioners who are self employed at the clinic. By phoning 01904 788411 or speaking to one our receptionist we can provide you with contact details for the individual practitioners concerned.

2. British Osteopathic Association Complaints Resolution Service

For osteopathic treatment, if you still do not feel that your complaint has been resolved by us to your satisfaction, you can talk to an independent source about it by ringing the British Osteopathic Association on:

Freephone 0800 110 5857
or email: boa@osteopathy.org

All concerns or complaints are the responsibility of the individual practitioner concerned.

For all other therapies please contact the individual practitioner for details on their professional association.

3. General Osteopathic Council

For osteopathic treatment, if the situation has still not been resolved to your satisfaction and you wish to instigate a formal complaint with the regulatory body, the General Osteopathic Council can be contacted on
0207 3576655

Please note that the General Osteopathic Council cannot award compensation.

Data Protection Complaints Procedure 
This procedure explains how individuals can raise concerns about how their
personal information is collected, used, stored, or shared. It meets the requirements of the
Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) and associated ICO guidance (February 2026).

1. How individuals can make a complaint
Individuals may raise a data protection complaint in the following formats. We will accept
complaints made:

• Using a Data Protection Complaint Form
• By email
• By telephone
• In writing
• Through our website or online portal
• Via social media
• In person (where applicable)

We will never refuse a complaint because it was not submitted through the “official” route.

2. Information we may need
To help us investigate, we may ask for:

• The nature of the concern
• Relevant dates, interactions, or evidence
• What outcome the individual is seeking
• Proof of identity (if needed to confirm who we are communicating with)
• A letter of authority or power of attorney if someone is acting on another person’s
  behalf

We will request this information as early as possible.

3. Acknowledging the complaint
We will:

• Acknowledge all data protection complaints within 30 days
• Confirm who is handling the complaint
• Explain the next steps and expected timescales

If the complaint is from a child or young person, we will assess their competence to exercise
their rights and adapt our communication accordingly.

4. Investigating the complaint
We will:

• Review the issues raised and any relevant records
• Speak with staff involved (if applicable)
• Assess whether our data handling complied with DUAA and ICO guidance
• Identify any risks, errors, or areas for improvement
• Keep the individual updated if the investigation takes longer than expected

5. Responding to the complaint
We will provide a written response that includes:

• The outcome of our investigation
• Any actions we have taken or will take
• Any learning or improvements identified
• Information on the individual’s right to escalate the matter

6. If the individual is not satisfied
If the individual remains unhappy with our response, they may:

• Ask us to review the decision
• Raise their concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

We will provide the ICO’s contact details in our response.

7. Recording and learning
We will:

• Log all data protection complaints
• Record outcomes and actions taken
• Identify themes or recurring issues
• Use learning to improve our data protection practices, staff training, and
  member/patient communications

8. Staff responsibilities
All staff must:

• Know how to recognise a data protection complaint
• Forward complaints immediately to the Data Protection Lead
• Support investigations promptly and transparently
• Complete any required training on DUAA and complaint handling