Complaints Compliments Comments Concerns

Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us to learn from your experience and act upon it.

As a Trust we welcome any feedback we receive, whether this be in the form of a compliment, complaint, comment or suggestion.

How do I make a comment, suggestion or compliment?

If you would like to make a comment or a suggestion as to how we can improve the service we provide, or if you would like to compliment us on the service you have received, please either:

Contact the Ward/Department Manager
Phone the Patient Relations Team on 01753 634081 or 634805
Write to the Chief Executive or Patient Relations Manager at Wexham Park Hospital
Email us at patient_feedback@hwph-tr.nhs.uk

We will ensure that your compliment, comment or suggestion is brought to the attention of the relevant manager, who will be expected to assess your comments and, where appropriate, make any improvements or celebrate your compliments. If your comment or compliment is on behalf of someone else, please let us know his or her details so that we can recall the patient.

If you would like to be informed of any changes that have been made as a result of your feedback, please let us know when you contact us.

The number of compliments received is reported regularly to the Trust Board, and these are valued greatly by our staff.

How do I make a complaint and raise concerns?

You may have concerns regarding the service either you or a family member or friend has received, that you would like to raise with us as a complaint, to be formally or informally investigated by us. The Patient Relations Team are happy to co-ordinate any necessary investigations. To start this process, please:

Contact the Ward/Department Manager
Phone the Patient Relations Team on 01753 634081 or 634805
Write to the Chief Executive at Wexham Park Hospital
Email us at complaints@hwph-tr.nhs.uk

You can also contact the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS), for assistance in resolving a concern informally, on 01753 633365.

If you are writing to us with your concerns, please clearly explain the issues that you want us to investigate. Using bullet points or numbers can be helpful, as we can use these to refer to in our reply, which will help to make our response to your individual concerns clear and easy to understand.

The Trust recognises that patients or their representatives may be reluctant to complain about their treatment, and we would like to assure you that your complaint will not compromise any current or future treatment at the Trust. Details of complaints are used for our learning and in order for us to improve our services to patients.

In order to preserve patient confidentiality, we also require the patient’s consent. Therefore if you are raising concerns regarding a friend or family member please ask them to countersign the letter. Alternatively if you hold power of attorney to act on their behalf please enclose a copy of this document with your letter. If you forget to do this, please do not worry as we will send a form requesting consent.

The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) can provide assistance and are able to act as your advocate if you prefer. In some circumstances, we may recommend that advocacy support will help ensure that the matter is dealt with impartially: ICAS (Aylesbury) Telephone: 01296 468170

Complaints must be made within 12 months of the date of the event that gave you cause for concern. However, exceptions can be made.

What will the Trust do about my concerns?

Pass your concerns on to the relevant staff for their information
Fully investigate the issues you raise, explaining why something happened and what action will be taken to prevent it happening again
Learn from them
Respond to you

How will the Trust respond to me?

The Trust can respond in several ways. Please tell us when you start the process how you would like us to respond to you:

Talk to you in person
Talk to you on the telephone (usually within 3 working days)
Write to you (usually within 25 working days)
Record the matter so that the Trust is made aware of your concerns
Offer you a meeting with staff, if appropriate

Response times are dependent on the amount of investigation required, and the number of areas that are involved, to allow us to fully explore what has happened. In cases where the timescales may be exceeded, we will contact you and explain the reason, and agree a time extension with you.

If you are unhappy with our response

You may contact us, explaining which issues you feel we have failed to address. We will review the complaint and your comments and see if a further response or a meeting would be the best way forward.

If we feel that, within reason, there is no further action that can be taken to resolve your complaint, then the matter would be referred to the Health Service Ombudsman. Their contact details are as follows:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Complaints Helpline Tel: 0345 015 4033

Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

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. For more information please visit http://www.ombudsman.org.uk

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for all health and social care services in England. The CQC cannot investigate individual complaints but can be contacted directly for information and advice, and to share feedback and experiences with them about health and social care services.

They can be contacted via the contact details below, but also online via the following link on their website.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/contactus.cfm

CQC National Correspondence
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

Telephone: 03000 616161
Opening hours Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 5:30pm
Fax: 03000 616171

Further information

Have Your Say - How Patients can pass on a Complaint, Comment or Compliment - Leaflet