Five years after the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) first decided upon CEDR (the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) as the organisation best suited to support its operational services, the two organisations have decided that joining forces is the best way to take forward their work to ensure that all private sector patients have access to high quality complaints systems.

Since early 2016 CEDR has hosted ISCAS and supported the operation of its independent adjudication service. Both organisations recognise that coming together has helped maintain and improve the experience that subscribers and patients receive.

CEDR, which provides innovative consumer and public body adjudication in many other sectors, including banking, house building, utilities and travel, has found that operating the ISCAS complaint scheme, like its other work, delivers significant public benefit in an important social context.

ISCAS is known for its high-quality Code of Practice for the handling of patient complaints about independent healthcare providers. This provides a blueprint for good complaints handling in the sector, and specifies a three-stage process:
• Stage 1 – Local Resolution: complaint addressed directly by the clinic or hospital where care was provided
• Stage 2 – Complaint Review: internal review of complaint by someone who was not directly involved at stage 1 (e.g. regional/head office)
• Stage 3 – ISCAS Independent Adjudication

ISCAS Director, Sally Taber said: “The Board of ISCAS has and will continue to promote high standards of patient complaint handling in the independent healthcare sector, which is important for patients and also for the reputation of subscribing healthcare providers. The formalisation of our attachment to CEDR supports this aim and our sustained provision of an efficient and patient-responsive service. We welcome this new direct relationship with CEDR along with the continued invaluable support of our expert panel of adjudicators.”

James South, Managing Director of CEDR commented "This next step in our collaboration with ISCAS is testament to the great relationship we have with ISCAS’s directors and the stewardship provided by CEDR’s management of the ISCAS operations. We are enthusiastic about the positive future that awaits ISCAS in the role it will play for the independent healthcare sector."

Ends

Notes for Editors

About ISCAS
The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) provides the recognised complaints management framework in the independent healthcare sector. The actual Adjudication Service is the third stage of the complaints’ process. ISCAS is a voluntary membership scheme with subscribers representing the vast majority (95%) of all independent healthcare providers across the UK. The ISCAS Complaints Code of Practice sets out the standards that ISCAS subscribers agree to meet when handling complaints from privately funded patients about their service.
https://iscas.cedr.com/

About CEDR
CEDR is Europe’s largest independent Dispute Resolution Centre for both commercial and consumer disputes handling thousands of referrals a year. CEDR operates the Court of Appeal’s Mediation Service and is certified by numerous regulators and authorities including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute under Directive on Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution. CEDR is a leading negotiation and conflict management trainer internationally in the field and its acclaimed Mediator Skills Training Accreditation has been awarded to over 7,000 mediators in 70 countries. As a non-profit organisation with a public mission to innovate and develop conflict management and dispute resolution, CEDR undertakes unique foundation activities such as the national negotiation competition, guidance for public inquiries and rules for settlement in arbitration.
www.cedr.com

Press Contact: Andy Rogers +44(0)20 7536 6000 arogers@cedr.com