Compliments, Complaints and Concerns
From November 2012 the WWL Complaints process was reviewed and following this, changes were made to the process as follows:
Within three working days, we will send you an initial letter informing you that we have received your complaint.
Improvements to the service now include
Sending you a second formal acknowledgement letter, which outlines:
The points of concern from within your complaint
Gives you the opportunity to amend or add to these before your complaint is investigated
Provides you with the contact details and number for who will be leading on your complaint
Provides you with an estimated timescale within which you will receive a response to your complaint
- Download our patient information leaflet for more information
- Comments and Concerns
If you have any comments, good or bad about our services, we would like to know. We want to provide the best possible care, and your views will help us to get things right and improve our standards and recognise good service.
If there is a problem, the best way to get it resolved is usually to tell someone there and then. On a ward, talk to the sister or charge nurse on duty. In a clinic/department, talk to the receptionist or a member of staff.
If you want to talk to a senior manager or to someone who has not been directly involved in your care and treatment, we can usually arrange this straight away during office hours. You can also ask to speak to a member of the Patient Relations/PALS Department. Staff in any ward or department will be able to contact a member of the team for you or you can telephone 01942 822376 during office hours Monday to Friday 9 am – 4 pm (excluding bank holidays). Outside of these hours there is an answer-phone service. Please leave a message and be assured that a member of the team will contact you, during the office hours above.
The Patient Relations/PALS Department provides confidential on the spot advice, information and support to patients, relatives and carers. We can help you sort out any concerns you may have about the care received. We can also give you information on the services provided by the Trust.
- Complaints Procedure
The Complaints Policy can be provided upon request. If you would like a copy of this policy please ring the Patient Relations Department on: 01942 822376.
If you feel you cannot discuss your concerns with the department involved or you want to have your concerns looked at more formally, we have a procedure to make sure that complaints are investigated thoroughly and that action is taken if necessary to put things right.
Please be assured that we want to hear your complaint and if you make a complaint this will not detrimentally affect your treatment. Complaints are treated with the strictest confidence and are kept separate from your medical records.
If you have a complaint about any aspect of service provided by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, or would like more information about the Trust Complaints Procedure, please contact:
The Patient Relations/PALS Department
Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Albert Edward Infirmary
Wigan Lane
Wigan
WN1 2NN
Telephone: (01942) 822376
Email: patient.relations@wwl.nhs.ukWhen making a complaint, it helps if you tell us:
When and where the problem happened
Your name, address and phone number
The Patient’s name, address and date of birth if you are writing on behalf of a relative or friend and either their consent/countersignature
Any relevant details about what happened
What you would like investigated, this may include some specific questions you may have.
What outcome you wish from your complaint
You may wish to use our downloadable form below:
Download our Complaint Form - Your Complaint
You can make your complaint in writing, email, by phone or at a face-to-face meeting. If a complaint is made verbally, we will make a written note of it in the form of a statement, and you will be asked to confirm that this statement is accurate. Until your statement has been verified as an accurate reflection of your concerns we cannot start any investigations.
A friend, relative or other representative may complain on behalf of a patient, but we would normally require the patient’s consent to proceed with a full investigation. The Patient Relations/PALS Department can advise you of this if required.
When we receive your complaint, we will contact you within 3 working days to initially acknowledge your complaint. Following review of your complaint a more detailed formal acknowledgement letter will be provided. It may also be felt that a meeting would prove more beneficial and this may be offered either in writing or by personal contact. Once our investigation is complete, if a meeting is not the way forward, a full written response will be sent to you and is normally signed by the Chief Executive, and however, at times it may be necessary for this to be signed by another Trust Board member.
However we respond to you we aim to provide information, explanations, answers to your questions, and an apology where appropriate. We will inform you about any actions we are taking to improve services in the light of your comments.
A freedom of Information request may be made to the Trust to provide a redacted copy of your complaint. If you do not wish to have your complaint shared, please advise in your letter or on your complaint form.
- If you are not satisfied
If you are unhappy with the Trust response to your complaint, please let us know as soon as possible:
if you feel there are any questions we have not answered,
if there are issues where you feel we could take further action, or
f you have any new cause for concern which was not raised earlierThe sooner you contact us the sooner we can discuss with you a way forward. If possible please contact us within 28 days of our final contact with you.
We will be happy to carry out further investigations, where appropriate, and again we may suggest a meeting at this stage, if one has not already taken place.
We would always wish to try to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction. However, if you remain unhappy The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigates complaints about NHS services, including criticism of how complaints have been handled locally. She will not usually investigate unless you have complained to the Trust and had a final response.
We can provide you with more information about the Ombudsman’s role on request but their contact details are:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QPTelephone: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk - Getting Help
Our staff are here to help you and guide you through the complaints process, but you may feel you need extra independent support in making your views known to us. The NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICA) supports and represents individuals complaining about the NHS.
ICA can:
Give you advice on how to make a complaint
Support you and help you in drafting letters
Represent you or attend meetings with youICA can be contacted by telephone on: 0808 801 0390
- Giving praise where it’s due
Naturally, most patients, relatives and carers are quite satisfied with the service they receive. If you feel that a particular member of staff or team, or a particular aspect of service, deserves special praise or thanks, please do let us know. Your comments will be passed on to the people involved. Similarly, suggestions for ways in which services might be improved will be passed on to the relevant managers.
- Improvements from Complaints
It is important that where we can we identify improvements following complaints. We will regularly update our website with examples of current improvements that have been made.
- The menu for Mondays in our restaurants have been updated and meat options are now available. Lunchtimes are still meat free but with improved options.
- Patient property boxes are in place on wards for patients to safely store their personal belongings.