Complaints Policy

For CAA applicants using Altitude Aeromedical. This policy explains how to raise a service concern and how to seek CAA review of a medical fitness assessment.

Document: AA-GOV-04 | Version 1.0
Owner: Dr Simon John Forrington
Effective date: 16 September 2026
Review due: 16 September 2027 or earlier after a material change

Our commitment

We welcome concerns and respond fairly, promptly and openly. A complaint will not disadvantage an applicant’s care or access to the service. Medical fitness decisions remain based on the relevant requirements and evidence. Dr Simon John Forrington is the complaints lead and policy owner.

How to complain

You can:

• Contact us
• Speak to Dr Forrington privately at the clinic
• Write to Dr Forrington at Altitude Aeromedical, North Camp Pharmacy, 39–41 Camp Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6EN

Please mark correspondence “Private and confidential — complaint”. Please give your name, a safe reply contact, what happened and when, and what outcome you seek. You do not need to use a particular form or legal wording.

We accept verbal complaints and will make a written record for you to check. You may ask for help, an accessible format or a representative. We check consent before sharing information with someone acting for you.

Please raise concerns as soon as you can; we consider older complaints fairly in light of available evidence rather than imposing an automatic local cut-off.

What happens next

We aim to acknowledge the complaint within three working days, identify the issues, explain who will investigate and agree how to contact you.

We aim to give a full written response within twenty working days. If more time is needed, we explain the reason, give a revised date and update you at least every twenty working days.

These are Altitude service targets, not statutory CAA deadlines. Urgent clinical, safeguarding or privacy risks are acted on immediately through the appropriate route.

Fair investigation

We preserve relevant records, review the facts and seek accounts from those involved.

If the complaint concerns Dr Forrington, he will acknowledge that conflict and seek appropriate independent professional input where practicable, with confidentiality safeguards. We will explain the review arrangements available for your particular concern.

Response and external routes

Our response and learning

The response addresses each issue, explains the evidence and conclusions, acknowledges uncertainty, gives an apology where appropriate and sets out corrective action, responsibility and timescale.

We explain any further route available. Openness and appropriate candour apply throughout; seeking professional advice must not cause avoidable delay.

If dissatisfied, tell Dr Forrington what remains unresolved and request reconsideration. We record any new evidence and respond under the same local targets.

This does not prevent you using an external route at any stage or extend a CAA review deadline.

Service and professional concerns

For aeromedical or certification concerns, contact the CAA Medical Department:

Email: medicalweb@caa.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)330 022 1972, option 1

The CAA oversees aeromedical standards; it does not provide a general refund or compensation service for practice complaints. Complaints about the CAA’s own service use its separate complaints process.

Serious concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise may be raised with the GMC. Privacy concerns may be raised with the ICO; see our Applicant Privacy Notice (AA-GOV-03).

These bodies have different remits and do not replace each other. A commercial fee dispute does not by itself establish a medical appeal.

Challenging a medical fitness assessment

An applicant assessed as unfit must be told about the right to a CAA secondary review. We will explain and document the decision and provide the current review information promptly.

Applicants can seek that review without first completing this complaints process.

Use Appendix A of the CAA Secondary Review procedure, normally within six months of the primary assessment, and send it with supporting evidence to medicalweb@caa.co.uk.

The CAA may consider exceptional late requests; do not assume an extension. Review concerns about a limitation should be raised promptly with CAA Medical under the applicable route.

A complaint or review request does not itself change a certificate, limitation or unfit assessment.

After secondary review, the published Final Medical Appeal procedure provides for an appeal to the CAA Chief Medical Officer where a certificate is refused, varied or limited.

It normally requires an application within 28 days of receiving the secondary-review decision. Use the current CAA form and instructions; request any extension directly from CAA.

Records and applicant information

Internal complaint record

Maintain a confidential complaints register and a separate restricted complaint file containing receipt date, concerns, agreed communication needs, consent for a representative, evidence, responses, deadlines, outcome and actions.

Record clinically relevant findings in the clinical record without prejudicial labels. Apply AA-GOV-02 retention and preserve records subject to an investigation or claim.

Review completion of corrective actions and trends at least annually. Update the policy and applicant information when learning or CAA guidance changes. Staff must know how to receive a complaint and escalate an urgent issue.

Short wording for the clinic and website

If you are unhappy with our service, please contact Dr Simon John Forrington or speak to him privately at the clinic.

We aim to acknowledge complaints within three working days and respond fully within twenty working days, or explain any delay. You may complain without affecting your care. Ask for our full Complaints Policy for help and external routes.

If you disagree with a medical fitness assessment, the CAA secondary-review process is separate. You do not need to finish our complaints process first. The CAA procedure and form explain how to request review, normally within six months of the primary assessment.

Contact medicalweb@caa.co.uk. Further appeal rights and deadlines may apply after secondary review.

Source guidance

Checked 16 September 2026. Read these with the current CAA approval conditions and subsequent updates. Local service targets and working arrangements are practice policy, not CAA statutory deadlines.

• GMC — Good medical practice, Domain 2, paragraphs 45 and 46
• CAA — Secondary review of an AME or Medical Assessor assessment, January 2024 v2.1
• CAA — Final Medical Appeal, March 2022 v9.3
• CAA — Contacting the Medical Department
• GMC — Concerns
• ICO — Make a complaint