If you feel like something has not gone right or are not happy with the care and treatment that you have received from the NHS, you may wish to raise a complaint.
To raise a complaint formally, you can speak to PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service). They provide help in several ways such as:
- Helping to resolve concerns or problems in regard to the NHS;
- Giving you more information about the NHS complaints procedure;
- Letting you know how to get independent help to assist with your complaint .
PALS is an independent service and does not replace the existing NHS complaints procedure.
There are two stages to the National Health Services complaints procedure:
Stage 1: Local Resolution
This is the first stage, where the aim is to address your concerns and to sort them out as quickly and as easily as possible. There are three ways you can do this:
- Contact PALS, they will provide you with support aiming to resolve the local difficulties.
- Seek out the Practice Complaints Lead or the Trust Complaints Manager, who will advise you on how to make a complaint and will explain how complaints are handled.
- For general concerns, rather than an individual concern, you can contact your local PPI Forum (Public and Patient Involvement Forum). This is if you would like to raise awareness on a particular issue.
If PALS or the individual have not been able to address your concerns, you may start the NHS Complaints procedure. A complaint should be made within 12 months of the incident or 12 months from when you realised that you need to make a complaint. There is sometimes some flexibility with these timescales, but not always; it’s always best to lodge a complaint as soon as you have any concerns as to the treatment you received.
Once you write your complaint, you should receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within 2 weeks of sending it, and a full response within 20 working days. Please note that this may take longer, but you should be advised if there is a delay.
Tips on writing your complaint:
- Make sure that you are clear and concise, set out what has happened and what you are unhappy about, you may even include a list of questions you would like answers to.
- Include dates. Even if the dates are approximate, give a timeline of the events that have occurred.
- Include your name, date of birth and NHS number if possible.
Stage 2: Independent Review
If you receive a response and you are not satisfied, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman for an independent review. They will investigate your complaint and will send you a report of their findings and recommendations.
Legal Action
Sometimes, a complaint might not lead to the resolution you need. If you would like financial compensation, for instance, legal advice/action is essential and must be started within 3 years of the event, this is called the limitation period. The limitation period runs from the date of the alleged negligence or from when you found out about the alleged negligence. It is essential you seek the advice of a Solicitor who specialises in clinical negligence to help assist you with this.
You have a right to a complaint if you are not satisfied. Your complaint should also not affect your care or treatment. If you would like to discuss your enquiry, or are not sure whether you are able to make a claim, contact us.
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