Complaints Procedure
Last updated: 23/08/2026
If something has gone wrong, we want to know.
Nobody enjoys complaining, and most people don't. They just quietly go elsewhere — which means we never find out what we did badly, and the next client gets the same treatment. So we'd genuinely rather you told us.
This page explains exactly what happens if you raise a concern with us: who reads it, how long we take, and what you can do if we don't put it right. No hoops, no forms you have to find, and no requirement to use the word "complaint" before anyone takes you seriously.
Tell us any way you want to
Ring us on 01825 700909. Often the quickest way, and for many things the conversation is the whole resolution.
Email hello@atticusequine.com. Useful if you'd rather set it out in your own words and have a record.
Write to us at Atticus Equine Ltd, Horsted Pond Cottage, Horsted Lane, Uckfield, TN22 5TH
Or just say it to the clinician at the yard. You don't have to escalate anything to be heard. If something felt wrong during a visit, saying so at the time is entirely reasonable and we would rather you did.
You don't need to phrase it formally. "I wasn't happy with what happened on Tuesday" is a complaint, and we'll treat it as one.
What happens next
Day One
Within one working day, we'll acknowledge that we've received it, and tell you who is looking into it.
Day Ten
Within ten working days, we'll give you a full response in writing. That will set out what we found, what we think went wrong, what we're doing about it, and — where it applies — what we're proposing to do to put it right.
If it's genuinely complicated, and sometimes clinical matters are, we may need longer. If so we'll tell you why and give you a date, rather than leaving you wondering. We won't let it drift.
Who deals with it. Complaints about clinical care or dentistry are reviewed by Dr Imogen Burrows, our Veterinary Services Director. Complaints about fees, admin, communication or anything else are handled by Gareth Burrows, our Managing Director. If your complaint is about one of them personally, the other one handles it — and we'll tell you that's what's happening.
We are a small, independent practice. There is no complaints department and no call centre. Your concern will be read by a director, not filtered by someone paid to make it go away. We view complaints as a failure in our commitment to living our values, so rest assured we'll be all over it.
What we will do
We'll look at the clinical records, talk to whoever was involved, and be honest with you about what we find — including when the answer is that we got it wrong. If we made a mistake, we'll say so plainly and apologise properly, rather than writing you the sort of letter that never quite admits anything.
Where a mistake has cost you money, we'll discuss putting that right. Where it's affected your horse, we'll tell you what we're doing clinically and what it means going forward.
And we'll tell you what we've changed as a result. A complaint that produces an apology but no change hasn't really been dealt with.
Complaining will not affect your horse's care. Your horse remains our patient and will be treated exactly as before. If you'd prefer a different vet from our team while a complaint is open, just say — that's a reasonable request, not an awkward one.
If we don't put things right
Sometimes we won't agree, or our answer won't satisfy you. That's your right, and there are places to go that don't depend on us.
The Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS)
The VCMS provides free, independent mediation between clients and veterinary practices. It's funded by the RCVS, it costs you nothing, and you don't need our permission to use it — though normally it's used once our own process has run its course.
vetmediation.co.uk
We will engage with the VCMS if you ask them to look at your complaint. We're saying that in advance, in writing, because a mediation service only works if the practice turns up.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
If your concern is about a veterinary surgeon's professional conduct — rather than a disagreement about fees or service — the RCVS is the regulator and can investigate.
rcvs.org.uk · Professional Conduct Department, 0207 202 0789
The RCVS deals with serious professional misconduct. It cannot award compensation or settle a billing dispute; the VCMS is usually the better route for those.
ICO
The Information Commissioner's Office is there for all worries and complaints about your data. If you feel we have mishandled your data then you always have the right to complain to the ICO
None of this affects your statutory rights as a consumer, or your ability to take legal advice.
What we do with complaints
Every complaint is recorded, and we review them together as directors. Patterns matter more than individual incidents: two people confused by the same invoice line means the invoice is wrong, not that two people were careless readers.
We keep records of complaints in line with our Privacy Policy.
The bottom line
We say unapologetic transparency is one of our three values. This is the page where that's easiest to dodge and hardest to fake, so:
- We will not make you chase us.
- We will tell you when we were wrong.
- We will not treat you differently for having complained.
- We will tell you about the VCMS rather than hoping you don't find out.
- We will thank you for your complaint - because your feedback allows us to improve.
If we fail at any of that, that's a complaint too — and you should ring us about it.