NHS Complaints Procedures
What to do when things go wrong
Your doctor will usually discuss this with you. But if not satisfied, you should use the NHS complaints procedure. You do this by writing a letter describing what happened and listing what it is that causes concern. It may be treatment errors and poor outcomes, it may be delays, cancellations or staff being rude and uncaring. Very often, unless a complaint is made, managers will not get to hear that things are wrong. Once they have to investigate in order to respond to your complaint, they are well placed to change hospital procedures or arrange extra training to make sure that whatever happened to you does not happen again to someone else. And although the investigation will not put the clock back you will get more information and an explanation, and sometimes a timely apology.
This is the system in England. In Wales the procedure is a little different.
If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint then there is provision for an independent review of the complaint by the Healthcare Commission. They will not investigate every request, but if they do, will involve an outside expert which can get a more objective view.
You can get help with the complaint process from ICAS, an independent publicly funded service. You will find details of local help through your hospital or doctor’s surgery, or by contacting NHS Direct.
You can find a useful summary about NHS complaints procedures on the Department of Health website
www.dh.gov.ukThere is no formal complaint procedure in the private sector but reputable healthcare providers should respond properly to complaints.
Making a Compensation Claim
If you or anyone you know has suffered from any form of clinical negligence, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.
There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury compensation claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all matters relating to clinical negligence and will be able to advise you as to whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Their specialist clinical negligence lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.
Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.
