Patient information A Users Guide to the Hospitals Complaints Procedure Trust wide PIF 091 V10
At the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals we treat thousands of people each year, the vast majority of who are satisfied with the service and care they receive. The Trust is committed to giving the best possible service and care to patients, their families, carers and visitors. However, we realise that we may not always get things right. On these occasions we welcome your comments and feedback. By contacting the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team and sharing your experience, you will be helping us to improve the services we provide for you, our users. For the times we do not get it right we have a Complaints Procedure, which this leaflet will guide you through the process. If I raise concerns or make a complaint will this affect my future care? Absolutely not, please be assured the Trust welcomes feedback from our patients via the PALS Team who can advise and guide you on the NHS and Adult Social Care Complaints Process. Complaint files are stored away from the clinical areas and the Trust will take seriously and deal firmly with any member of staff who discriminates against a patient as a result of them having made a complaint. No details or correspondence of any complaint will be placed onto your health records. Do I have to put my complaint in writing? No, you can speak to any member of staff. All staff are responsible for resolving issues raised by patients, relatives or carers.
Staff members may need to escalate concerns to their Line Manager or Matron. Each department should be able to provide a speedy resolution to the issues raised. You can also contact the PALS Team direct on Tel: 0151 706 4903 Textphone Number:18001 0151 706 4903 Or email the PALS&Complaints@rlbuht.nhs.uk or through our website. We will make a note of your concern or complaint and deal with it in complete confidence. Alternatively you may wish to contact Merseyside and Cheshire Healthwatch Advocacy Service who will be able to provide help and advice on how to make a complaint and offer you support throughout the complaints process. If you prefer to put your complaint in writing, you should write to the Chief Executive of the Trust (you will find both of these addresses on the back of this leaflet) it would be helpful if you included a contact number. The Chief Executive will ask the PALS and Complaints Team to carry out an investigation into your complaint on their behalf. What happens then? We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We will contact you personally to discuss and agree how your complaint will be handled. We will investigate your concerns thoroughly and fairly and contact you again when our investigations are completed. If you have requested a written response, this will be sent in accordance with the agreed management plan and timeframe. If we cannot reply to you within the agreed timeframe we will keep you informed of our progress and the reason for the delay.
What if I am still not satisfied? You should contact the PALS and Complaints Team, explaining the reasons why you are not satisfied with the Trust s response. We can then investigate further or suggest a meeting to try to resolve any outstanding issues. If you remain dissatisfied after this, you can request the Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate your complaint (contact details are on the back of this leaflet). This request should be made within six months of receipt of the Trust s final response. What will happen next? If you request an investigation by the Parliamentary Ombudsman you will receive further details, directly from him/her, of the process involved. This is not an automatic right. It might be decided that your complaint was not fully investigated by the Trust and it will be referred back to the Chief Executive for further investigation. It may be thought that the Trust has done everything possible to resolve your complaint therefore a further investigation would be of no added value. The Parliamentary Ombudsman will inform you of the outcome of his/her investigations and may offer you an independent review of your complaint. What happens following the independent review? The Parliamentary Ombudsman will inform you and the Trust s Chief Executive of his/her findings and of any recommendations he/she makes to the Trust.
What if I do not agree with the findings of the review? Ombudsman s decision is final and completes the Complaints Process. We really do want you to let us know when we get things wrong, but we also like to know when you feel we are getting it right! If you have been satisfied with the service you have received from us, or have any comments, suggestions or ideas for ways to improve our service to you, why not contact the PALS Team in the same way as above or through our website. You will find the address and telephone number under the useful contact section of this leaflet. Contacts Patient Advice Liaison Service Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust Prescot Street Liverpool L7 8XP Telephone: PALS 0151 706 4903/4909 Textphone number: 18001 0151 706 4903/4909 Or Complaints Tel: 0151 706 3216/2265/ Textphone number: 18001 0151 706 3216/2265
Chief Executive Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust Prescot Street Liverpool L7 8XP Tel: 0151 706 2000 Textphone: 18001 0151 706 4903 Merseyside and Cheshire Healthwatch Advocacy Service. Tel: 0808 801 0389 Email merseysideandcheshire@healthwatchadvocay.co.uk The Parliamentary NHS Ombudsman for England Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Tel: 0345 015 4033 (calls charged at local rate open 8am 6pm Monday to Friday. E-mail: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk www.ombudsman.org.uk Author: PALS Team Review Date: August 2020
All Trust approved information is available on request in alternative formats, including other languages, easy read, large print, audio, Braille, moon and electronically.