MHS complaints procedure

The MHS tries to provide a quality service, with which all our service users are satisfied. However, sometimes things go wrong. When this happens, we encourage you to let us know. In the majority of cases, raising a complaint and having it investigated at a local level is the simplest and quickest way of having a matter resolved. We encourage everyone to do this wherever possible. However, sometimes a complaint raises complex issues, or requires more detailed investigation. It is also accepted that, in certain cases, an individual may want a matter to be investigated by someone more senior. This guidance sets out a three-stage process for dealing with complaints that cannot be resolved informally.

In addition to complaints, we welcome more general comments about our service as well as compliments when things go well. This guidance sets out ways in which you can contact us to make sure that your comments and compliments are heard and acted upon.

What is a complaint?
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, please let us know. Any expression of dissatisfaction will be treated as a complaint. Examples of things that you may wish to complain about may include:

• discourtesy of our staff
• dissatisfaction with any of our decisions, such as the inappropriate application of regulations
• undue delays in replying to correspondence
• incorrect invoicing for our services

Please do not let the term 'complaint' put you off actually making a complaint. While the term has a negative connotation, complaints enable us to identify areas of our service that we may be able to improve. Complaints provide us with a valuable insight into our service, and give us the opportunity to improve our performance.

When should I make a complaint?
You should complain whenever you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service. It is advisable to make a complaint as soon after the event as possible. This will help ensure that the situation is still fresh in the mind of everyone involved, and may help prevent a situation recurring.

Making a complaint
We would like all complaints to be investigated as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is best done informally at a local level, between you and whoever in the MHS with whom you have direct contact. However, it is not always appropriate to deal directly with the person with whom you have routine contact (you may, for instance, wish to complain about them). In such situations, complaints should be directed to the person's line manager. If you are not sure who this is, ask MHS Headquarters (HQ). Contact details are given at the end of this guidance.

We aim to deal swiftly with your complaint (within 20 working days) and, where your complaint is upheld, take action to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence (you will be informed of what action will be taken, and the timescale involved). Where possible, we will deal with the matter face-to-face or over the telephone.

However, a written reply may sometimes be appropriate (or can be provided in any case if you would prefer). You can be assured that, no matter how your complaint is dealt with, a record of the complaint and outcome will be kept.

If you have a complaint or query about an invoice, your first point of contact should be the Finance Department. You will find contact details on every invoice.

Sometimes, complaints cannot be resolved informally. This may be because the complaint raises a complex issue, or because it simply cannot be resolved to your satisfaction. In these cases a complaint can be formally referred through a number of stages. These are described below.

Stage one – referral
If it is not possible to resolve your complaint locally, or if you are unhappy with the decision taken, you may wish to pursue the matter further. You should ask the appropriate headquarters director to take up the matter. We aim to deal with your complaint within the timescales detailed above.

If your complaint is complex, or if the person dealing with it needs to refer to others in the MHS, they may not be able to give you a full response within 20 working days. If this is the case, the person dealing with your complaint will tell you so within 20 working days of your original complaint. They will give you reasons for the delay and an estimate of when you can expect a full response.

Stage two – internal review
If, following referral, you are unhappy with the response to your complaint by the HQ director, you may ask for the matter to be reviewed. This will be done by the MHS Chief Executive, whom you should contact at MHS headquarters (address given at the end of this page). Your complaint will be investigated, and you will be informed in writing of the Chief Executive's conclusions within 20 working days of your request being received. If it is not possible to respond within this timescale, you will be informed of the reason and given an estimate of when to expect a response.

Stage three – external review
If your complaint relates to a decision made by the MHS that has been upheld, or partly upheld by the Chief Executive and you are still unhappy with that decision, you may request that it be reviewed independently. You should do this by writing to the Meat Hygiene and Veterinary Division of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) (address given at the end of this page). The FSA will appoint an independent assessor and will let you know who this is and the arrangements for the review. The assessor may need to contact you for further information and may also need to seek the advice of appointed experts in veterinary practice, meat industry operations or consumer protection. It is possible that the assessor may decide that an oral hearing is appropriate in particular cases. The assessor's report and recommendations to the FSA, and the FSA's decision(s) on the matter will be published.

The FSA will meet the costs of the independent review that it incurs. The MHS will meet its own costs. However, you will have to meet any expenses that you yourself incur (to cover costs such as time spent on preparing documentation or giving oral evidence).

If you believe that your complaint, or our handling of it, is the result of 'maladministration', you may raise the matter with the Parliamentary Ombudsman. To do so, you should write to your Member of Parliament (MP) or Assembly Member for Wales (AM) asking them to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. In Scotland, you should write to your Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) asking them to refer the matter to the Ombudsman for Scotland. Before you complain to the Ombudsman, you must put your complaint through the MHS complaints procedure. If you are in any doubt about whether your case is suitable for referral to the Ombudsman, contact the Ombudsman's helpline on 0845 015 4033 for guidance or email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Irrespective of the MHS complaints procedure you can always raise any issue of concern you have with your MP, MSP, AM, a trade association, the Chair of the FSA or Ministers at the Department of Health.

Records are kept of all the complaints received by the MHS, whether they are dealt with at a local level or referred for further investigation. Complaints are regularly reviewed, so that we can see if there are lessons we can learn.

A summary of the complaints received in 2006/07 along with anonymised details of complaints can be found at the links below. This information provides identification of the areas in which we may need to improve, and actions we have already taken.

When we publish summaries of complaints, you can be assured that confidentiality will be respected.

The MHS Complaints Procedure is not applicable to some types of complaints. The following areas are dealt with by way of separate procedures:

Disputes regarding the MHS audit of the Food Business Operator's Food Safety Management System
If you are dissatisfied with a score awarded in any section of the Audit Category Assessment Report, you have the right of appeal. Contact your Regional Audit Co-ordinator and request the form entitled 'Review of the Audit of the FBO Safety Management Systems'. You should request, complete and return the form within 28 calendar days of receiving the report. When completing the form, you should list the sections of the report that you are appealing against and supply supporting evidence. An investigating officer will be appointed. For full details of the procedure, please see Chapter 4 in the Manual for Official Controls.

Additional charges
There is an independent appeals mechanism for objections to the levy of an additional charge for MHS work made under the revised meat hygiene inspection charging system. Appeals should be made within one calendar week of the initial notification of additional charges. If you wish to appeal, you should write to the Finance Department in MHS HQ. The MHS will notify the FSA's Charging Policy and Approvals Administration Branch who act as Secretariat for all appeals.

Remedial Action Notices and Hygiene Improvement Notices
Appeals against Remedial Action Notices and Hygiene Improvement Notices should be lodged with your local Magistrate's Court in England and Wales, or the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. Full details of how you can appeal against such enforcement notices are given on the reverse of the notices themselves.

Establishment Approvals
If you are unhappy about the FSA's decision to suspend or revoke an Establishment Approval, you are given one calendar month, from the date of the letter notifying you of the revocation/ suspension, to make an appeal. The FSA will give you details in the revocation/suspension letter of how to make an appeal. Appeals will be heard by the Magistrate's Court in England and Wales and the Sheriff's Court in Scotland.

You may wish to make a comment about the MHS's service that isn't a complaint. You may, for instance, have an idea of how we can improve our service in a particular area, or wish to make a general point about meat hygiene or animal welfare. Such comments are always welcome and can be very helpful. If you wish to make a comment, please contact the Head of Business Development at the address below. We aim to acknowledge your comments within 20 working days.

In addition to knowing when you are unhappy with our service, it can be very helpful to know when things are going well, or when you are pleased with a particular aspect of our service. If you wish to pay us a compliment please do so. Compliments made directly to your local MHS contact are particularly welcome. However, if you prefer, you can always contact the Business Development Unit or the Chief Executive.

MHS Chief Executive
Meat Hygiene Service
Headquarters
Kings Pool
Peasholme Green
York YO1 7PR
tel: 01904 455 636
fax: 01904 455 502
email: mhs.enquiries@mhs.gov.uk

Business Development Unit
Meat Hygiene Service
Headquarters
Kings Pool
Peasholme Green
York YO1 7PR
tel: 01904 455 558
fax: 01904 455 502
email: mhs.enquiries@mhs.gov.uk

Charging Policy and Approvals Administration Branch
Meat Hygiene and Veterinary Division
Food Standards Agency
Room 315B
Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH
tel: 0207 276 8385
fax: 0207 276 8311