Complaints & Compliments
NHS staff will do whatever they can to make sure you get quick, fair and proper treatment. However, sometimes things can go wrong and you might not be happy with the treatment you, a friend or a member of your family has received.
If you are not happy with any NHS treatment, or any other matter connected with the service you receive, you can make a complaint or a suggestion to improve services.
Every complaint will be treated seriously and confidentially and will not affect your future care or treatment. NHS Brent values your comments, suggestions and complaints, and these will be used to try and improve our services.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you are not happy about something, PALS will help you to try and resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Every NHS trust and primary care trust (PCT) has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service. They are not part of the official complaints procedure, but they might be able to deal with your concerns informally. They can also give you more information about the complaints procedure and about independent complaints advocacy services that can represent you and give advice.
You can speak to PALS by contacting the Patient Services Department on:
Tel 020 8795 6140 / 6771 or email PALS@brentpct.nhs.uk
Before you make a complaint, it is important to think about what you want to happen as a result of your complaint, and to make this clear at the beginning. You may want:
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an apology |
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someone to explain what has happened |
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some changes or improvements to be made |
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to make sure people recognise their mistakes |
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to make sure the same thing does not happen again. |
There are two stages to the complaints procedure. ‘Local Resolution’ is the first stage, and ‘the Ombudsman’ is the second stage. You can use the NHS Complaints Procedure to complain about anything to do with services that an NHS hospital, community health service or primary care practitioner (for example, GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists) has provided.
Who can complain?
You can complain if you are a patient or if you have been affected, or are likely to be affected, by something an NHS organisation or primary care practitioner has done or not done. You can also complain on behalf of someone else if you have his or her permission in writing.
What is the time limit for making a complaint?
You should normally complain within 12 months of the events happening. Primary care practitioners and complaints managers in NHS organisations can extend this time limit if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier.
Will my complaint be kept confidential?
If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, you will need to get their permission in writing before we can give you any of their personal information.
If you are complaining about a treatment, the investigators will need to get the relevant information from your records. If you don’t want them to do this, you should let the complaints manager know.
First Stage – Local Resolution
Local Resolution aims to sort out your complaint quickly, and as close as possible to the person, service or organisation you are complaining about, in the most appropriate way.
You should complain to the NHS organisation or primary care practitioner providing the service. You can do this immediately by speaking to:
Explain the nature of your complaint and what you would like to happen. In many cases your complaint will be able to be resolved informally at this point.
However, if you want to make a formal complaint, you can do this verbally or by writing to or e-mailing the primary care practitioner or NHS organisation concerned. If you make your complaint verbally, the complaints department must make a written record. Or, if you prefer, ICAS can do this. You will be invited to sign your statement of complaint to make sure that you agree with it.
The complaints manager will acknowledge your complaint within two working days. A primary care practitioner will respond to it within 10 working days. The chief executive of the NHS organisation concerned will respond within 25 working days. You will be advised when you will get a response if this is not possible.
Please note
Under the NHS Complaints Procedure, NHS Brent has no remit to directly investigate complaints against family practitioners. The role of the complaints department in this regard is to pass complaints to the appropriate person in the practice and monitor the progress of cases. It can also provide help, support and advice during the resolution of your complaint.
Conciliation
Conciliation, or mediation, is one way to sort out your complaint at the local resolution stage. This process uses an independent lay conciliator to help sort out your concerns. You can ask the complaints department for more information on this service.
What if I am not happy with local resolution?
The Healthcare Commission ceased to exist on 31 March 2009, and the Ombudsman is now responsible for the second tier of health related complaint handling.
If you are not happy with the response to your complaint you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to look into it by writing to the following address:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
You can contact the helpline on 0345 015 4033
E-mail: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
How can I get compensation for the poor treatment I have received?
To get compensation, you will usually need to take legal action. You will need to prove that you were not treated properly and that this was the reason you were injured.
You cannot complain through the NHS Complaints Procedures described here if you are taking, or are going to take, legal action.
If you would like more information about taking legal action, you can contact Action Against Medical Accidents, which provides confidential advice and support for victims of medical accidents.
Action Against Medical Accidents
44 High Street
Croydon
Surrey CR0 1YB
Tel: 0845 1232352
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) can help people make a complaint or express a concern about NHS services. ICAS provides the help that community health councils (CHCs) used to provide.
Staff at ICAS can support you if you want to make a complaint, and give you advice about using the complaints system. They can also write letters on your behalf, and go with you to meetings.
In London, POhWER provides this service which is available on 0845 120 3784.
If you need particular help (for example, if English is not your first language) you can speak to ICAS or the relevant complaints manager. If they cannot give you the help themselves, they will tell you where you can get help.
The Department of Health's website also has information on the NHS complaints procedure: www.dh.gov.uk
Compliments
Please let us know if you have any compliments to make about any of the services that you have received. It is extremely helpful for us to know when we are getting things right as we can use the information to help plan future improvements. NHS Brent can also show staff that they are valued by passing on your appreciation to the individuals who you feel deserve it.
Complaints about private treatment
Tha Patients Association
The Patients Association is a national charity providing patients with an opportunity to raise concerns and share experiences of healthcare.
http://www.patients-association.org.uk/
If you require any further information about how to make a complaint about a tPCT service, or would like a translation in another language, in Braille or on audio tape, please contact:
The Patient Services Department
Wembley Centre for Health & Care
116 Chaplin Road
Wembley
Middlesex HA0 4UZ
Tel: 020 8795 6771
E-mail PALS@brentpct.nhs.uk
Harrow Primary Care Trust
The Heights
59-65 Lowlands Road
Harrow on the Hill
Harrow HA1 3AW
Tel: 020 8966 1146
North West London Hospital Trust Complaints (for complaints concerning Northwick Park Hospital & Central Middlesex Hospital)
Northwick Park Hospital
The Patient Relations Office
Watford Road
Harrow HA1 3UJ
Tel: 020 8869 2026
Page updated on 5 May 2010, Danielle Aronowitz |
