Sparc is committed to ensuring that all ophthalmology referrals are processed efficiently, accurately, and transparently. When patients or optometrists experience issues during the referral process, Sparc provides a clear pathway for raising and resolving complaints. All complaints are logged, audited, and used to improve service quality.
This policy and its associated procedures ensure that effective arrangements are in place to meet statutory obligations and national standards, and that the complaints process is accessible, transparent, and easily understood by all Trust staff and by anyone wishing to raise a concern about any aspect of service provided by Sparc.
Patients may raise concerns about any aspect of their referral processing, including:
Not receiving an appointment letter
Delays in referral processing
Missed or unacknowledged referrals
Any other administrative issues related to Sparc
Patients should email their complaint to the eyeadmin inbox (see section 5 for specific email) and include:
Full name
Date of birth
Details of the original referral
Description of the issue
The complaint is received by the Sparc Administration Team.
It is reviewed by the Sparc Team Leader / Project Support.
If the issue can be resolved at this stage, a response will be sent directly to the patient via email or the patient’s preferred contact method (phone call or letter).
If further review is required, the complaint will be escalated as follows:
Escalation Level | Reviewer | Responsibility |
Level 1 | Digital Clinical Services Service Manager | Full review and management of the complaint |
Level 2 | Clinical Lead & Lead Provider Development Manager | Further investigation and resolution |
Level 3 | SWL ICB | Final escalation for full review and management |
All complaints are recorded and audited for governance and service improvement.
Optometrists may raise concerns regarding:
Not receiving appointment confirmations
Delays in referral processing
Missed referrals
Dissatisfaction with clinical outcomes or referral handling
Optometrists should email the eyeadmin inbox (see section 5 for specific email) and include:
Patient’s full name
Patient’s date of birth
Details of the original referral
Description of the issue
The complaint is received by the Sparc Administration Team.
It is reviewed by the Sparc Team Leader / Project Support.
If the issue can be resolved at this stage, a response will be sent to the optometrist via email or the optometrist’s preferred contact method (phone call or letter)
The escalation process mirrors the patient pathway:
Escalation Level | Reviewer | Responsibility |
Level 1 | Digital Clinical Services Service Manager | Review and management |
Level 2 | Clinical Lead & Lead Provider Development Manager | Further investigation |
Level 3 | SWL ICB | Final review and management |
All optometrist complaints are logged and audited.
All complaints for patient or optometrist are formally recorded.
Complaints are audited regularly to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Outcomes are used to support service development and ensure high-quality referral management.
Complaints can be sent to respective email dependant on area referral is sent under.
Area | Email Address |
North Central London | |
North East London | |
South West London |
Date issued: March 2026
Author: Monique Shonde