Making a complaint

Listening and Learning from
COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS

Your views are important to us
Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is always pleased to hear from people who feel we have provided a good service and we always welcome suggestions on how we can make improvements.  We also like to hear from people if they are not happy with the standard of service, care or treatment we provide.

The Trust recognises that some groups of people can experience unfair discrimination and is committed to ensuring that everyone regardless of their age, gender, disability, race or sexuality is able to make a comment or complaint, and to have any issues addressed fairly.

You can speak to one of our staff
You can speak confidentially to the person providing your care or ask to speak to the person in charge of the ward/department. Speaking to someone in the Trust who is or has supported you gives us the opportunity to sort out things more quickly.

You can speak to PALS
You can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for information and support.  The PALS service is a confidential service that will listen to your concerns and issues and support you to put things right as soon as possible.

You can make a complaint
If, after speaking with a member of staff or PALS, you feel that your concern has not been satisfactorily resolved, you can telephone or write to us.  It will help if you do this as soon as possible after the event.  Please be assured that making a complaint will not affect the way you are treated.

Send your complaint to:
Complaints Manager or Chief Executive
Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
99 Waverley Road
St Albans
AL3 5TL

You can complete our online comment, compliment or complaint form or can telephone on 01727 804705

The Trust works in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Care Services and if your complaint has health and social care issues, either or both complaints managers will be in touch with you to discuss the most appropriate process for investigation of your complaint.

Help and support
If you would like help and support to make a formal complaint you can contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS).  POhWER ICAS (www.pohwer.net) is an independent body offering advocacy support to people who wish to make a complaint about the Trust’s services as well as other NHS services.  The service is free, independent and confidential. 

What happens next?

  • We will contact you within three working days to clarify the issues you have raised, the outcome you wish for and the time we will take to investigate and respond to you.
  • We will write a full and thorough reply within 25 working days or the time agreed if different
  • We will contact to you if the investigation of your complaint is delayed
  • You will receive an apology if we have made a mistake
  • You will be advised what the Trust is doing to put things right

What happens if you are not satisfied?
Once every attempt to resolve your complaint has been made, either in writing or by meeting with staff, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review the way the Trust has handled your complaint.  The Ombudsman works jointly with the Local Government Ombudsman if a complaint covers both health and social care.

The Ombudsman is independent of government and of the NHS and her service is confidential and free. There are time limits for taking a complaint to the Ombudsman, although she can waive them if she thinks there is a good reason to do so. You can contact the PHSO helpline on 0345 015 4033, email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk or fax 0300 061 4000 or you can write to the Ombudsman at: PHSO, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 2QP.

Our Guide to Making a Comments, Compliments and Complaint leaflet contains some useful contact addresses. We have also provided links to some useful websites for organisations who can also help you raise any issues you may have about the care and treatment available to specialist groups:

Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services www.hertsdirect.org/acs

Carers in Hertfordshire www.carersinherts.org.uk

Age Concern www.ageconcern.org.uk

Help the Aged www.helptheaged.org.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau www.citizensadvice.org.uk

MIND www.mind.org.uk

MENCAP www.mencap.org.uk

Alzheimer’s Society www.alzeiheimers.org.uk

National Schizophrenia Foundation www.rethink.org

Royal National Institute for the Blind www.rnib.org.uk

Royal National Institute for the Deaf www.rnid.org.uk

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