How to give feedback

If you would like to say thank you

Our staff work very hard to give the best possible, quality care to our patients and appreciate being told that they have helped someone recover or had a positive impact on improving someone’s life. If you would like to thank a team or member of staff involved in your care you can write to the team or individual directly.

Alternatively, email, write to or telephone our Patient Experience Team who will record your appreciation and pass it on to the team involved.

If you would like to feedback about a recent care experience using the Friends & Family Test

You may be asked to complete a paper questionnaire or a brief survey on an iPad. This may include the Friends & Family question: "Overall, how was your experience of our service?”  The rating you give (anonymously) is sent to NHS England and contributes to our national ratings, so using this method is important to us.

See more information in our leaflets - links to the right of the page.

If you would like to share your story

If you’ve experienced any of our services recently, either as a patient yourself or as a carer or friend of someone else,  please visit the Care Opinion website.

Care Opinion is an independent website that gives people the opportunity to share stories and opinions on services they have received. Your story can be shared anonymously and will be handled confidentially by this non-profit service. We will respond to all comments about us on the Care Opinion website, and share them with staff.

You can also share your story by going to NHS website

If you need to contact our PALS team

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provides confidential advice, support or information on health-related matters. They provide a point of contact for patients, their families and their carers.

How can PALS help?

PALS provides help in many ways including:

• Advice and support to service users, families and their carers.
• Confidential assistance in resolving problems and concerns quickly.
• Information on and explanations of NHS complaints procedures and how to get in touch with someone who can help.
• A focal point for feedback from service users to inform service developments.
• An early warning system for by monitoring trends and gaps in services and reporting these to the Trust management for action.

PALS can be contacted by calling 01529 222265.  Available Monday to Friday 9am-4.30pm or by email: lpft.PALS@nhs.net Closed bank holidays.

If you would like to raise a concern or make a complaint

We hope it won’t happen, but unfortunately, you may feel it necessary to raise a concern or make a complaint about our services. If there is an aspect of your care experience that you are not satisfied with please in the first instance raise it with the staff involved in your care and treatment. If you are still not satisfied or feel unable to do this, you can make a complaint by email, letter or telephone directly to our Patient Experience Team or by contacting Voiceability, the NHS complaints advocacy on Tel: 0300 303 1660 | Email: helpline@voiceability.org. Voiceability is a free, independent and confidential advocacy service to support people with their NHS complaint. 

Who can complain?

A complaint can be made by a service user or person affected, or likely to be affected by our actions or decisions, or by someone acting on behalf of the person. If you wish to make a complaint on behalf of another person, we will need their consent to discuss their personal health information with you.

Making a complaint on behalf of someone else leaflet>>

[Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_NyJd4jjoM]

What is the time limit for making a complaint?

You should normally complain within 12 months of the event(s) concerned or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have something to be concerned about. However, the Patient Experiences Lead has the discretion to adjust time limits if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier. We assure you that any record of your complaint will be kept separately from, and not in, your health records. This is to ensure that you will not be treated any differently or disadvantaged because you have made a complaint, nor will you be discriminated against on the ground of religion, gender, race/ethnicity, disability, age or sexual orientation. If you are concerned that making a complaint will affect your treatment and care, please let the Patient Experience Team know immediately.

What happens after a complaint is made?

You will be given the opportunity to discuss your complaint and agree the best way forward and a time frame for your response. You should also be kept informed of what happens, especially if the agreed timescales are not going to be met.

If you are still not happy

If you remain unhappy at the end of the local resolution process, you have the right to ask the  Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint and the way it has been handled.  You can contact the Ombudsman on 0345 015 4033 (calls to this number cost the same as a call to a UK landline) 8.30am - 5.30pm, Monday - Friday.

You can also request a call back. Just text 'call back' with your name and your mobile number to 07624 813 005 (charged at your standard text rate) and they will call you back within one working day during their office hours.

Alternatively, you can email your complaint to: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk, fax it to: 0300 061 4000 or write to:

The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London   SW1P 4QP

For further information please visit their website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

NHS Complaints Advocacy Service

You can get free information and support from us to help you use the NHS complaints process from Voiceability.

Advocates are independent professionals who are trained to support you. They are on your side and don’t work for the hospital or the NHS.