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Class 11. Complaints

Class description: Policies, procedures and contacts for complaints.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust aims to provide high quality services to all the people who use them. Sometimes things do go wrong and people want to complain and to have that complaint investigated. It is useful for the Trust to have people’s views so that they can be taken into account in planning for the future and to improve services for the benefit of the whole community. The Trust welcomes complaints, compliments, comments and suggestions about the way in which we undertake our work.

We treat all complaints seriously, listen carefully to what complainants have to say, investigate any concerns thoroughly, confidentially, fairly and quickly. We aim to acknowledge a complaint within two working days and respond within twenty working days following the processes and framework prescribed by the NHS Complaints Procedure. The Director of Clinical Governance and Safety has delegated authority from the Chief Executive in respect of complaints. The Chief Executive and the Trust Board are provided with a quarterly report

The Trust regards complaints as a way of improving services in the future. Anonymous, statistical information about the complaints received, the issues raised and how they have been dealt with are reported quarterly in the Board papers and details are presented in the Trust Annual Report.

Who can complain?

If you are unable to complain yourself, or would like someone to act on your behalf, your written authorisation will be required.

How to complain?

Wherever possible you should speak to someone – for example a doctor, nurse, receptionist or manager – at the place where you received your care. Every effort will be made to answer your concerns and, in many cases, it will be possible to sort out any problems straight away.

To assist you we have an information leaflet ‘A Guide to Making Comments and Complaints’ which is available from the office of the Complaints Manager .

If you wish to talk to someone who is not involved in your care or to make a complaint about the services provided by this Trust, please contact the Trust Complaints Manager as follows:

Complaints Manager
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester GL1 3NN

Telephone: 08454 226101

Patient confidentiality is observed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The Trust does not publish details of individual complaints or any information, which contains person identifiable data.