Our promise to you
The Trust will carry out a full investigation. The investigators will be senior members of the relevant department/service involved. In all cases, we will:
- give you information
- try to answer your questions
- tell you what we are doing to put the matter right
We would like to let you know that your care will not be affected as a result of you making a complaint. We do not keep your complaint in your medical notes so it will not affect your care in any way. If at any point in the process you are concerned that your care has been affected as a result of you raising your concerns, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (also known as PALS).
What the complaints process cannot do
The complaints procedure cannot:
- look at disciplinary issues, for example whether a staff member should be sacked, ‘strike off’ a health professional, or suspend their registration
- look at complaints about treatment provided privately unless the NHS paid for it
- investigate issues that have already been investigated as part of the complaints process or by the Ombudsman
What will you do with my complaint?
We will not routinely contact you to discuss your complaint. We will only contact you if we need further information or clarification of your concerns. If we need to talk to other professionals such as your GP or other healthcare trusts, we will have to ask for consent in order for us to share your complaint with that service. We have acknowledged your complaint, letting you know:
- of the intended deadline
- how we will contact you
- your case handler and case manager
The senior members of the relevant department/service will now carry out an investigation into your concerns. They will:
- look at the facts relating to your concerns
- look at the evidence available on our electronic systems
- talk to the staff involved
- look at medical records if needed
We may use complaints anonymously for research and training purposes unless you specifically ask that it is not used for this.
What can I do if I am unhappy with your response?
Tell us
Let us know if you are not happy with our response. We will look again at any issues that you feel we have not dealt with properly and answer any other questions you may have. We may also be able to arrange for you to meet relevant staff to discuss your complaint. This can help to clear up any areas of concern and answer any questions you may have about our response.
Contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Finally, if after going through our complaints procedure, you are still not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your concerns, you have the right to ask the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to review your complaint. However, it is important to note that the Trust must be given a chance to look at your concerns first.
The contact details for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Text Phone: 0300 061 4298
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
If you wish to make a claim
We are more than happy to answer your complaint if you intend to make a future claim, but claims and litigation are not dealt with under the complaints process. This is dealt with by our Claims and Litigation Department. You can contact them in writing at the following address:
Litigation Department
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Belgrave House – Leicester General Hospital
Gwendolen Road
Leicester
LE5 4PW
You can also email the team on: [email protected]