Handling Disputes, Patient Complaints, and Clinical Concerns on sureCova

DISPUTES, COMPLAINTS, AND RESOLVING CONCERNS

How to handle patient complaints, clinical disagreements, prescription concerns, payment disputes, and situations that require support from sureCova.

Disagreements and concerns may arise during the course of a Personal Doctor relationship. A patient may be dissatisfied with a response, question a clinical decision, experience a problem with a prescription, or have concerns about a payment.

sureCova is committed to handling these matters through a structured process that prioritises patient safety, professional accountability, fairness, and clear communication.

Doctors are expected to respond to concerns professionally, maintain appropriate documentation, and cooperate with authorised reviews when necessary.

This section explains how to manage common concerns and how sureCova handles disputes that require further review.

 Handling Patient Complaints

Patients may raise concerns about communication, response times, treatment recommendations, follow-up arrangements, or their overall experience with the service.

When a patient makes a complaint:

1. Listen carefully. Allow the patient to explain the concern without becoming defensive or dismissive.
2. Acknowledge the concern. Respond respectfully and confirm that you understand the issue raised.
3. Clarify the facts. Review the relevant conversation, clinical notes, and agreed care plan.
4. Explain your position. Where appropriate, explain the clinical reasoning or circumstances in clear, respectful language.
5. Agree on the next step. Resolve the issue where possible, clarify any misunderstanding, or arrange further clinical assessment if needed.
6. Document relevant details. Record significant concerns and actions taken in accordance with sureCova's documentation requirements.

Do not dismiss a patient's concerns, respond with hostility, or make promises you cannot fulfil.

If a complaint involves serious allegations, a potential safety incident, or a matter beyond your authority, escalate it to sureCova support.

Managing Clinical Disagreements

Patients may disagree with a diagnosis, question a treatment recommendation, request a different medication, or seek a second opinion.

These situations should be handled with professional judgement and respect for the patient's right to make informed decisions about their care.

You should:

• Explain your clinical reasoning in language the patient can understand.
• Discuss relevant benefits, risks, uncertainties, and alternatives where appropriate.
• Listen to the patient's concerns and consider any new information they provide.
• Avoid pressuring or intimidating the patient into accepting a recommendation.
• Document significant discussions and decisions.
• Recommend a second opinion or further assessment when clinically appropriate.

A patient's disagreement does not automatically mean that your clinical decision was incorrect. Equally, you should remain open to reviewing your assessment when new information becomes available.

If a disagreement cannot be resolved through discussion, explain the available next steps and maintain professional communication.

Where the disagreement develops into a formal clinical dispute between the doctor and the patient, the matter may be escalated through sureCova's clinical dispute resolution process described in Section below

Clinical Dispute Resolution and Governance

sureCova has a Clinical Governance Board composed of experienced and seasoned doctors to support the review of clinical disputes and uphold appropriate standards of clinical practice on the platform.

When a clinical dispute arises between a doctor and a patient and cannot be resolved directly, sureCova follows a structured escalation pathway. The process begins with an internal review and may progress to specialised clinical review and, where necessary, referral to the relevant external medical or regulatory body.

Stage 1: Initial Review by the CEO/Medical Director

Clinical disputes are first reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer/Medical Director (CEO/MD) of sureCova.

The purpose of this stage is to understand the nature of the complaint, examine the circumstances surrounding the case, and determine whether the concern can be resolved through clarification, communication, or other appropriate steps.

The review may consider relevant patient communications, clinical documentation, the doctor's account of events, and other information necessary to understand the dispute.

Stage 2: Review by the Clinical Governance Board

If the dispute cannot be resolved at the initial review stage, it is escalated to the sureCova Clinical Governance Board.

The Board comprises experienced doctors who review the clinical aspects of the dispute and consider the relevant information, clinical documentation, and professional issues involved.

This stage provides a specialised clinical review to help clarify the issues and determine an appropriate way forward.

Doctors involved in the dispute are expected to cooperate with the review and provide accurate, relevant information when requested.

Stage 3: Referral to the Relevant External Medical or Regulatory Body

If the dispute remains unresolved following review by the Clinical Governance Board, the matter is referred to the relevant medical or regulatory body in the country where the doctor practises or the patient is located, as appropriate to the nature of the complaint and the applicable jurisdiction.

The external body may examine the matter in accordance with its own procedures, professional standards, and authority.

Referral does not predetermine the outcome of the case. Any decision or action by the external body remains subject to its applicable processes.

Principles Governing Clinical Dispute Resolution

Throughout the process:

• Fairness: The concern should be considered on the basis of relevant information, with appropriate opportunity for the parties involved to provide their accounts.
• Professional accountability: Doctors are expected to maintain accurate clinical records and cooperate with authorised reviews.
• Confidentiality: Patient information must be handled responsibly and shared only as appropriate for the review and applicable requirements.
• Patient safety: Urgent clinical needs must be addressed without waiting for the dispute resolution process to conclude.
• Professional conduct: Neither party should face threats, harassment, or retaliation for raising a concern in good faith.

The clinical dispute escalation pathway is:

CEO/MD review → sureCova Clinical Governance Board review → referral to the relevant external medical or regulatory body if the matter remains unresolved.

This process is intended to provide a clear route for addressing clinical disputes while maintaining professional accountability and patient safety.

Prescription-Related Concerns

Prescription-related concerns may include a patient questioning a prescribed medicine, a pharmacist requesting clarification, a prescription error, or a prescription that cannot be dispensed.

Patient safety must take priority when handling these situations.

If a patient raises a concern about a medicine:

• Clarify the nature of the concern and assess whether it requires urgent clinical attention.
• Review the relevant clinical information and prescription details.
• Explain the intended use of the medication and relevant instructions where appropriate.
• Reassess the treatment decision if new information or a potential error is identified.
• Document any clinically significant discussion or change to the treatment plan.

If a pharmacist requests clarification, respond promptly through the appropriate communication channel to minimise avoidable delays in dispensing.

If you identify a possible prescribing error or a patient reports a potentially serious adverse reaction, take appropriate clinical action. Direct the patient to urgent or emergency care when indicated.

Prescription Concerns in Cross-Border Care

Every cross-border prescription must be routed to a locally licensed Prescribing Doctor in the patient's country before it is authorised and delivered to the patient.

If a concern arises during this process, follow the established sureCova cross-border workflow. Do not bypass local review or represent a prescription as authorised before the process is complete.

If the concern involves a technical issue with prescription generation, access, or verification, contact sureCova support.

For further information, refer to Part 8 — Cross-Border Healthcare and the sureCova Prescription Policy.

Payment and Refund Disputes

Patients may raise concerns about subscription charges, unexpected deductions, failed payments, refunds, cancellations, or differences between the amount paid and the service received.

Doctors should distinguish between a clinical concern and a payment or account issue.

When a patient raises a payment concern:

1. Listen to the patient and clarify the nature of the issue.
2. Review any relevant information available to you.
3. Avoid promising a refund or making financial commitments on behalf of sureCova unless you are authorised to do so.
4. Direct the patient to the applicable sureCova Refund and Cancellation Policy.
5. Refer payment-processing, subscription, or refund requests to sureCova support for review.
6. Continue to manage any separate clinical concern appropriately.

Refund requests are subject to the applicable sureCova policy and review process. A complaint does not automatically mean that a refund will be approved.

For issues involving your own subscription earnings, payout amounts, or payment processing, refer to Part 7 — Payments, Earnings, and Your Finances and contact sureCova support where necessary.

Escalating Concerns to sureCova Support

Some issues cannot be resolved through the doctor–patient relationship alone. These may include formal complaints, technical failures affecting care, disputed transactions, or concerns involving the platform's processes.

Contact sureCova support when:

• A patient complaint remains unresolved or involves a serious allegation.
• A technical problem affects patient access, consultations, prescriptions, or investigation requests.
• A prescription cannot be accessed, verified, or processed correctly.
• A payment, subscription, or payout issue requires platform-level review.
• You identify a potential safety incident or confidentiality concern requiring escalation.
• You need clarification about a sureCova policy or operational process.
• A patient submits feedback or a complaint through the app that requires platform-level review, investigation, or escalation.

When contacting support, provide a clear description of the issue, the relevant dates, and any transaction reference or other information needed to investigate it.

Include patient information only where necessary and use the appropriate authorised channel. Avoid including unnecessary patient-identifiable information in ordinary emails.

For support requests, contact support@surecova.com.

Escalating an issue to sureCova does not replace your responsibility to take immediate clinical action when a patient's safety is at risk.

Where a concern constitutes a clinical dispute between a doctor and a patient, it may proceed through the clinical dispute resolution pathway described in Section 10.3.

Submitting Feedback and Complaints Through the App

Patients can submit feedback and complaints directly through the sureCova app. This gives patients a way to communicate concerns about their experience, raise issues, and share feedback about the care or service they receive.

As a doctor, you should take patient feedback seriously and use it constructively to improve communication and the quality of care you provide.

Where a concern is brought to your attention, review it professionally and take appropriate steps to address it. Complaints that require further investigation or cannot be resolved directly may be escalated through sureCova's complaint and clinical dispute resolution processes.

Submitting a complaint through the app does not prevent a patient from contacting sureCova support directly where necessary.

Maintaining Professionalism During Disputes

Disputes can be stressful, but every interaction should remain professional.

Doctors are expected to:

• Communicate respectfully, even when a patient is dissatisfied.
• Keep relevant clinical documentation accurate and factual.
• Protect patient confidentiality.
• Avoid threats, retaliation, or inappropriate disclosure of patient information.
• Avoid making unsupported accusations against patients, colleagues, pharmacists, or the platform.
• Prioritise urgent clinical needs while the dispute is being addressed.
• Cooperate appropriately with authorised reviews of the matter.

The goal is not simply to end a disagreement. It is to address the underlying concern fairly, maintain safe clinical care, and identify when additional support is necessary.