Managing patient dissatisfaction and protecting your reputation with Dr Uzma Qureshi

In this episode of the Aesthetics Business Cast, Vicky Eldridge and Eddie Hooker are joined by Dr Uzma Qureshi, a GP with over 20 years of experience and Medical Director of the doctor-led, CQC-registered My Skin Clinic in Bradford.

With a background that includes working as a lead clinician for the Health Service Ombudsman handling NHS complaints nationally, Dr Uzma brings a uniquely informed perspective to one of the most uncomfortable but important topics in aesthetics: what to do when a patient is unhappy.

In this episode, Dr Uzma discusses:

• Why aesthetics is a particularly challenging environment for managing dissatisfaction
• The unique pressures faced by solo practitioners
• How communication breakdowns sit at the heart of most complaints
• A practical framework for responding: acknowledge, listen, empathise, explain, plan
• Why defensiveness escalates complaints and how to avoid it
• Building robust processes across the entire patient journey
• The critical role of documentation and record keeping
• How to handle negative online reviews and protect your reputation
• Fostering a clinic culture where mistakes can be discussed openly
• What the upcoming licensing regime and Trading Standards involvement will mean for practitioners
• Her single most important piece of advice for handling dissatisfaction

Whether you're running a clinic, supervising a team, or simply keen to be prepared for every scenario, this episode offers practical, real-world guidance from someone who has handled complaints at the highest level.

For more on managing complaints, record keeping and protecting your practice, visit the Hamilton Fraser Content Hub.

To find out more about Dr Uzma Qureshi and My Skin Clinic, visit myskyn.co.uk.