The Trust takes complaints seriously, where things may have gone wrong, we want to ensure that lessons are learned and mistakes are not repeated in the future. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care or surroundings, in the first instance please talk with the person in charge of the relevant ward or department, such as the ward manager or modern matron.
If you still have concerns or are not satisfied having spoken directly to the relevant ward or department, the Patient Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) is here to listen in confidence to any concerns or comments you may have and can provide advice and guidance on the process for concerns or complaints within the Trust.
When emailing concerns or complaints please ensure that the following details are included in the email to enable us to provide a prompt response:
- Patient’s Name
- Patient’s Date of Birth
- Up to date contact number for person registering the concern/complaint
If you are making a complaint on behalf of a patient, signed consent will be sought from the patient before the Trust can proceed with your complaint.
Where possible complaints should be made within twelve months of the event you want to complain about, or within twelve months of the date you found out about the problem. We will record any details you provide, and we may share them with appropriate members of staff to help us to make sure we deal with any problems fully.
If you make a complaint, we will contact you to confirm the issues, identify the outcomes you expect, agree a timescale and agree your preferred method of response. Our response will tell you about the results of the investigation and where required, any action we plan to take to deal with the problem. If we cannot complete our investigation within the agreed timescale, we will contact you to explain the reason for the delay and agree a new timescale.
If you are not happy with our response or would like any clarification, we will agree your outstanding issues with you and take further action to resolve your concerns to your satisfaction.
If you are not satisfied with our final response to your complaint, and would like to take the matter further, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO makes final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS, government departments and some other public organisations.
The PHSO can be contact by:
Email: www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint
Telephone Helpline: 0345 015 4033.
Writing:
Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Some complaints have been on hold during the coronavirus pandemic but have now been resumed and will be investigated in date order, where possible with responses actioned accordingly. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
The Patient Advice and Complaints Team is available Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm (excluding Bank Holidays).
