How to raise your concerns, complaints or comment on the care or services we provide.
At Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital we are committed to providing the best possible experience to patients, their families and carers. We aim to provide excellent, safe and compassionate care to all our patients every day. We treat thousands of patients each year, as inpatients, outpatients and also in the community at various locations. The majority of patients are happy and satisfied with the care and services we provide but on occasion we need to learn from your experience.
We try to make it easy for patients and their families to raise a concern or complaint. We understand that it can be difficult to complain about a hospital service, particularly if a patient is an inpatient or still receiving treatment. We would like to assure you that patients or their families will never be treated differently because they have raised a concern. We can only learn and improve our services if you let us know when we do not get it right.
The Care Quality Commission or CQC as they are commonly known, independently regulate and monitor health and social care services. This includes the care and services that we provide here at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. The CQC ensure that you as patients receive safe, high-quality, compassionate care and they encourage all hospitals to improve the care they provide. The CQC visit our hospital to undertake inspections, and it is through these inspections that they ensure the hospital is meeting national standards. They also review how we deal with concerns and complaints to ensure that we do this in a fair, open and honest manner and learn from your experience.
Our complaint values:
- We will listen and provide support
- We will undertake an appropriate investigation
- We will respond in a way that you prefer and meet with you if you wish
- We will be open & honest about the outcome of the complaint
- We promise that by making a complaint this will not affect your care
- We will let you know if we need to learn from your complaint and what we plan to do
- We will provide you with an explanation in a way that you can understand and if we feel that we have no lessons to learn we will explain how we reached this outcome
How do I raise my concerns or complaint?
You should firstly speak to the manager of the ward, department or doctor in charge of your care and let them know what you are unhappy with. It may be possible for them to be able to resolve your concerns or complaint straight away so it is important to let them know. If they are unable to resolve your concern or complaint, they will refer you to our Patient & Family Support Team, who will listen and advise the best way to resolve your concerns or complaint. All useful telephone numbers and contact details are at the back of this leaflet.
If I raise a complaint or concern will it affect my care or treatment?
Absolutely not, please be assured that we encourage feedback from patients and their families so we can learn from your experience. We can offer assurance that details of complaints and concerns are not detailed in health records and these files are confidential and kept separately.
Do I have to put my complaint in writing?
You can do this if you wish or you can contact our Patient & Family Support Team. The team will advise you on what steps can be taken to resolve your concern or complaint. They will listen to you and meet with you if you wish and they can also advise you on the information you should put in your letter or they will take details of your complaint and agree the points that will be investigated.
What if I want to speak to someone independently of the hospital?
You can contact Healthwatch who are independent from the NHS and offer a free advocacy service. They can provide you with help and support on how to make a complaint and support you through the process. They will even offer support and write the complaint letter on your behalf.
What if I want to put my complaint in writing and what will happen next?
You can write or email directly to the Chief Executive or the Patient & Family Support Manager who will lead on the investigation of your complaint. We will acknowledge your complaint and, depending on the details, let you know approximately how long we think it will take to undertake an investigation. We will provide you with a date when you can expect a response and any relevant contact details for the Patient & Family Support Team.
If you put your complaint in writing please include:
- Your name, date of birth and address
- Details of your concerns or complaint including dates and times if possible
- Any specific questions you would like answers to
Can someone complain on my behalf?
Yes, but we will always ask the patient to ensure they are aware and happy that someone has made a complaint on their behalf. We will ask the patient to give permission to disclose any confidential or personal information when responding to the complaint.
What if I want to meet with staff involved?
The Patient & Family Support Team will advise you regarding this and arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time for all concerned. They will also support you during the meeting. We usually ask you to provide some details of your complaint in order for us to ensure that we have the right members of staff at the meeting so they can answer any questions you may have.
How can I be assured that my complaint will be taken seriously?
The Patient & Family Support Team will review your complaint and share this with the appropriate management team. The Patient & Family Support Manager will also escalate any serious complaints or any recurring themes to the Chief Executive and Director of Nursing as they occur. They both also review all complaint investigations once they are complete.
What if I do not want to come back to the hospital to meet with staff?
We will do our upmost to arrange to meet with you at a convenient setting to suit all involved. We understand that it may be difficult to come back to the hospital and for this reason we aim to hold our meetings in a non-clinical area. If you do not feel that you are able to come back to the hospital, we will discuss this with you, and make alternative arrangements.
What will happen as a result of my complaint?
With all complaints we undertake an appropriate investigation. If we feel we need to make any changes, improvements or take any action to ensure there is not a reoccurrence of your complaint, we will inform you of this. If we feel we have got things wrong, we will be open and honest and will provide you with a meaningful apology and explanation of what we will do to prevent a reoccurrence. On occasion, during the investigation we may need to contact other staff or NHS organisations and if the investigation takes longer than we initially thought, we will inform you of this.
What will happen if I am dissatisfied after receiving my response?
We will do all we can to help resolve your concerns, however, if you remain dissatisfied you can write to the Chief Executive or contact the Patient & Family Support team and explain why you are unhappy with our response. We will review your complaint further and undertake a further investigation if we feel this is necessary or may suggest a meeting with staff involved. If you remain dissatisfied following this further investigation process, you can request that the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PSHO) take an independent review of your complaint. This request should be made within six months of receiving our final response.
What will the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PSHO) do?
If you ask the PSHO to review your complaint, they will do one of three things.
- Take the decision to investigate your complaint further
- They may refer your complaint back to the hospital for further investigation
- They will review and inform you that they feel in their opinion the hospital has done everything possible to investigate your complaint
When my complaint is closed, what happens next?
Any lessons learnt or actions from complaints are managed and discussed at the relevant governance committees and at board level, if we feel this is appropriate. All complaints and concerns raised are discussed at these meetings to ensure that lessons are learnt across the organisation. We also review any themes arising from complaints and undertake additional work if we feel this is necessary. As we continually strive to improve the services we provide, and this includes how we manage your complaint, we will ask you to complete a survey and return this to us.
Our Values & Behaviours
We expect all Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital staff to adhere to the Trust's values and behaviours and always treat people with compassion, respect and courtesy. We also expect our staff to be treated with the same respect.
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital operates a Zero Tolerance Policy for abuse and aggression against staff and we request that complainants approach staff with courtesy when raising concerns.
Finally … Let us know when you receive a good service
We strive to always listen to our patients, their families and carers and learn from their experience. We really do want you to let us know immediately if we do not get things right.
We would also really like you to let us know when we do get things right and when you are happy with the care and services we provide.
You can do this by writing directly to the Chief Executive or Patient & Family Support Manager.