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Making a complaint

We take every complaint seriously. This is how the process works.

We hope that you will never have cause to complain about our staff or the standard of care that we provide for your pets. However, any complaints must be addressed in writing within 28 days to either the Director, Mrs J Bellis, or the Practice Manager, Mrs M Brett. We will then fully investigate the complaint and respond fully to you, also in writing, within 21 days.

The process

  1. Once a complaint has been received, we will acknowledge receipt of the complaint. It will be recorded and logged, and an investigation will start. All complaints are dealt with confidentially. If you can, please do mention names, approximate dates and any further information that will help our investigations.
  2. After the investigation, the appropriate action will be agreed within the practice.
  3. You will then be informed of the investigation outcome by phone, email or face to face, and an appropriate action agreed with you, our client.
  4. You will always be thanked for bringing the complaint or your concerns to our attention. There are always things to be learned from them.
  5. A review of policies, procedures and training will be undertaken to help ensure it is unable to happen again.

If you are not happy with the outcome

If you do not feel happy with the outcome of our investigation and the action taken, you can seek assistance from the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) mediation process. Both these services are free and are usually dealt with over the telephone. You can contact the VCMS on 0345 040 5834 or at vetmediation.co.uk, and the RCVS at rcvs.org.uk.

How to reach us

You can send a complaint by email to accounts@downwoodvets.co.uk, which is monitored confidentially, or by letter to Downwood Veterinary Centre, 6-8 High Street, Horam, East Sussex, TN21 0EJ.

Behaviour

Downwood Veterinary Centre will not tolerate any aggressive or abusive behaviour towards any staff member. Any client behaving in such a manner will be asked to leave the premises immediately and will then be notified in writing that they must find alternative veterinary cover. Please see our Zero Tolerance Policy.

Last reviewed: January 2026.