{"id":18918,"date":"2021-11-23T12:34:16","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T12:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bant.org.uk\/?page_id=18918"},"modified":"2025-08-27T15:06:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:06:36","slug":"complaints","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bant.org.uk\/bant-professional-practice-handbook\/complaints\/","title":{"rendered":"COMPLAINTS"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” el_id=”top-section” z_index=”” css=”.vc_custom_1619334407087{padding-bottom: 45px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTVCcHJpbnRmcmllbmRseSU1RA==[\/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Different complaint procedures are in place for complaints made against members in their roles of Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NT) and BANT Registered Nutritionist\u00ae (BANT RN). If a member suspects a complaint is going to be made against them, or if they know a complaint has been made, they are advised to contact the PPP. To enable the PPP to support the NT with complaints to the CNHC or another statutory regulatory body, permission needs to be granted from the complainant for the PPP to view complaint, or the information needs to be anonymised. Details of how to do this are covered here along with the BANT Complaint Record Retention Policy.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” z_index=”” anchor=”main_anchor1″][vc_column]\n\n\t\n\t Complaints & Disciplinary Procedures<\/span><\/i><\/span>\t<\/a>\n\n[vc_separator type=”transparent” thickness=”5″ up=”2″ down=”2″]\n\n\t\n\t Informing the PPP of a Complaint or Investigation<\/span><\/i><\/span>\t<\/a>\n\n[vc_separator type=”transparent” thickness=”5″ up=”2″ down=”2″]\n\n\t\n\t Anonymising Client Data<\/span><\/i><\/span>\t<\/a>\n\n[vc_separator type=”transparent” thickness=”5″ up=”2″ down=”2″]\n\n\t\n\t Complaint Record Retention Policy<\/span><\/i><\/span>\t<\/a>\n\n[vc_separator type=”transparent” thickness=”30″][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” anchor=”complaints-and-disciplinary-procedures” el_class=”anchordiv”][vc_column_inner el_class=”anchor_col” css=”.vc_custom_1618397491357{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;}”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Complaints & Disciplinary Procedures:<\/i> Top<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

The different processes for complaints made against members in their roles of Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NT) and BANT Registered Nutritionist\u00ae (BANT RN) are set out below.<\/p>\n

Complaints against Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (NTs)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Complaints against BANT members relating to 1:1 nutritional therapy consultations are handled by the member\u2019s registrant body, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) or their statutory regulatory body. A complainant making a complaint against an NT should be informed of their complaints procedures and directed to the CNHC or the relevant statutory regulator, information of which is typically available on members\u2019 practice details and on the\u00a0BANT Practitioner Directory.<\/a><\/p>\n

Please note that unless there are exceptional circumstances, the CNHC will not consider complaints about something that happened more than two years ago, or about something you became aware of more than two years ago.<\/p>\n

If a member suspects a client might make a formal complaint against them, they should ensure their client documentation is organised. In the event of an official complaint, they will need to submit all documentation relating to that client to their regulatory body, including relevant correspondence between appointments as well as clinic notes. The information below outlines the process based on CNHC regulations as the main regulatory body for BANT member practitioners.<\/p>\n

Once the complaint has been received by the CNHC, the process is as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The CNHC CEO contacts the NT to advise them of the complaint<\/li>\n
  2. The complaint is emailed to the NT<\/li>\n
  3. The NT has 7 days to submit their client file to the CNHC.<\/li>\n
  4. The NT then has a further 28 days to respond to the complaint.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As soon as the NT is made aware of the complaint, they must inform their insurance company and accept the legal advice offered. The appointed solicitor will support the NT with their response to the complaint to the CNHC. They are advised to also inform the Professional Practice Panel (PPP), however the PPP will be limited in the support it can offer the NT and will only be able to signpost the member to areas to address in their response, where guidelines may have been breached. The PPP cannot comment or override any specific legal advice given to the NT by their appointed solicitor or legal team.<\/p>\n

    Submissions to the CNHC should be factual accounts using neutral language, which is not emotional or inflammatory. Members are advised to ensure documentation is easy to navigate by dating all documents and including an index. This will also enable the member to refer to sections of the client file in their response to the complaint.<\/p>\n

    If the NT would like PPP support with their response to the complaint to the CNHC, they should ask the client\u2019s permission for the PPP to view the complaint file. The PPP cannot request this from the complainant unless they have previously been contacted by them regarding the complaint and therefore already have their contact details. If the NT does not want to ask the complainant for this, or if permission to view the complaint file is not granted, the PPP can only view the file if it is sufficiently anonymised so that the client cannot be identified, see\u00a0Anonymising Client Data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Once the complaint has concluded with the CNHC, and if a fitness-to-practice issue has not been upheld, the PPP will offer to review the complaint with the NT if they feel it is appropriate.\u00a0 Whilst recommended, this is voluntary, and there is no obligation for the member to participate. The PPP will highlight any relevant sections of the Professional Practice Handbook to the complaint and advise the NT how to incorporate changes into their practice to try to avoid future complaints.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Complaints against BANT Registered Nutritionists\u00ae (BANT RN)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Complaints which do not relate to a 1:1 nutritional therapy consultation are reviewed by the Professional Practice Panel (PPP).\u00a0 If a member of the public or another BANT practitioner wishes to make a complaint against a member in their role as a BANT RN, they will need to complete the\u00a0BANT Complaint Form<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0email it to the PPP<\/a>\u00a0with any relevant supporting documentation.\u00a0 If any additional information is required, this will be requested within 16 days of receipt of the complaint. By signing the form, the complainant is consenting to BANT processing the complaint and to the retention of all files relevant to the complaint in line with the BANT\u00a0Complaint Record Retention Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Please note that unless there are exceptional circumstances, BANT will not consider complaints about something that happened more than two years ago, or about something you became aware of more than two years ago.<\/p>\n

    The PPP will inform the member who is the subject of the complaint and provide them with the submitted BANT Complaints Form and supporting documentation. The member has 16 days to submit their written report in response to the complaint, along with any supporting documentation.<\/p>\n

    On receipt, the PPP will review the complaint to assess if there have been any breaches of the guidelines and to determine if any remedial action is required. The PPP will reach its decision based on the facts of the case, as far as can reasonably be established, but it may be necessary to consider whether there have been any prior incidents or warnings. The member will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible, however, due to the volunteer nature of the PPP; this may take up to 2 months.<\/p>\n

    Resulting actions are:<\/p>\n