How to Complain

A Guide to making a complaint about NHS treatment

We always aim to give high standards of care. Unfortunately, there may be occasions when you feel your expectations have not been met. If this happens we will do our best to resolve any problems.

In the first instance, please talk to the staff involved in your care as soon as possible. If your issues remain unresolved please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to discuss the way forward. PALS may be able to help find a resolution informally and quickly without the need to make a formal written complaint.

If your issues remain unresolved and you wish to make a formal complaint about our services please write to:

The Chief Executive
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Queen’s Hospital
Belvedere Road
Burton upon Trent
Staffordshire
DE13 0RB

or alternatively you can use our on-line complaints form

• on-line complaints form

If you have difficulty writing your complaint

• You may wish to ask family or friends to help you, or

• Our Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) can meet with you in the hospital and help you make your complaint. You can contact PALS by telephoning 01283 593110.

• Alternatively you can ask the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) to assist you. This free and confidential service can support and guide you through the NHS Complaints Procedure. The ICAS Helplines are:
• ICAS Staffordshire: 0300 456 2370
• ICAS Derbyshire & East Midlands: 0300 456 8347

Time limits for making a complaint

Please make your complaint as soon as possible after the event – it is easier to investigate the issues raised.

You should normally raise a complaint within twelve months of the event, or within twelve months of becoming aware that you have a complaint. We will waive this time limit if there are good reasons why you were unable to complain earlier and it is still possible to investigate your complaint.

Guidance for writing your complaint.

•  Jot down the main points of your complaint

•  Head your letter ‘’Complaint’’.

•  Set out your letter in logical order of events.

• Include

  ü your name
  ü address and telephone contact details
  ühospital and/or NHS number
  üdates and times,
  ü where events took place
  ü and if possible names of people involved

• If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, please include their full name, address and date of birth. We will need their written consent for you to act on their behalf and for us to share information about them with you. PALS can provide a consent form on request.
  
  In the case of a complaint relating to a deceased patient, we will need the consent of the next of kin. PALS can provide a consent form.

• Attach copies of any documents that are relevant to your complaint.

• At the end of your letter state what you want as an outcome to your complaint. This may be an apology, an explanation of what happened, or other action taken to put the matter right. Please be aware that the purpose of the NHS Complaints Procedure is not to provide compensation. If you require compensation you will need to take legal advice.

• If your first language is not English and you wish us to respond to you in another language, please let us know. We can also provide our letters in large print, Braille or other format if you let us know of any special needs you have.

• Keep a copy of your letter and a record of when you sent it

 What happens next?

• On receipt of your complaint we will contact you within 3 working days to confirm that the issues you have raised will be investigated through the Trust’s Complaints Procedure.
  
  We will send you an acknowledgement and agree the most appropriate way to investigate your concerns and respond to you.  This may mean that when our investigation is completed we will send you a written response or you may request to meet with relevant staff to discuss your concerns.
  
  If you do not receive an acknowledgement please telephone the Complaints Office on 01283 593110 to check if your complaint has been received.

• We try to respond to complaints within 25 working days. On occasions it may not be possible to meet this time scale due to the complexity of the investigation or the availability of staff involved. In these circumstances we ask for your patience and understanding whilst our detailed investigations are completed. We will write to you after 25 working days if our response is going to be delayed.

• During the investigation we will discuss your concerns with relevant staff and review any relevant documentation including medical records.  Any disclosure will be confined to that which is relevant to the investigation of your complaint. Information will only be disclosed to those people who have a need to know it for the purpose of investigating your complaint. Please be assured that your care, or that of the patient your complaint relates to, will not be affected – we welcome patient experience feedback and use it to improve our services.

• The information you have given us will be stored on a Database so that we can monitor our service and ensure that the issues raised with the Trust are appropriately followed up.  Any information about you will be stored in a strictly confidential manner. 

• If you remain unhappy with our response to your complaint we will do all we can to resolve your outstanding issues. If we are unable to resolve your concerns we will advise you about any further steps you can take, including referring your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman.