Complaints Procedure
The Complementary Medicine Association (CMA) takes complaints against its members very seriously and WILL act upon them. Complaints from patients, fellow members or any member of the public will all be treated equally and follow the same procedure.
The complaints procedure is:
- Complaints MUST be in writing in the form of a Statutory Declaration.
- They must be forwarded to the CMA Federal Executive via the Federal Administration Office.
- The Federal Executive will contact the member concerned and provide them with a copy of the complaint affording the member an opportunity to respond.
- The Federal Executive also reserves the right to undertake its own investigations.
- The complaint together with all relevant associated material will then presented at a formal meeting of the Federal Executive when the appropriate action will be decided by a majority vote.
- Members will be afforded the opportunity, should they formally request it, to make a personal representation to the Federal Executive at that meeting.
- The decision of the Federal Executive will be regarded as final and not subject to appeal unless formally granted by the Federal Executive due to new evidence.
Following the receipt of a complaint, the Federal Executive will perform an investigation. In the Federal Executive finds in favour of the member no action will be taken and the complainant advised of the outcome accordingly. Reasons may or may not be given to either party.
In the case where the Federal Executive finds against the member, they have the power to:
- Caution the member and obtain undertakings that such incidences will not happen again.
- Reduce their membership status and privileges for a prescribed period, or until the Federal Executive is prepared to reinstate the member to their previous status.
- Suspend their membership for a prescribed period or cancel their membership and expel them from the association.
The complainant will also be advised of this outcome with or without any further explanation.