Complaints Policy
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be:
- Within 12 months of the incident,
- Or within 12 months of you discovering that you giving as much detail as you can.
If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care. You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. See the separate section in this leaflet.
Please find our complaints form attached complaint. This includes a third-party authority area to enable a complaint to be made by someone else.
You can also provide this in your own format providing this covers all the necessary aspects.
Please address your complaint to:
Julee Moon – Clinical Operations Manager
Ariel Healthcare
59 Fore Street
Chard
TA20 1QA
You can also email: somicb.pm-arielhealthcare@nhs.net
What we do next
We look to settle complaints as soon as possible.
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and will offer to discuss how you would like us to take your complaint forward, confirm what outcome you are seeking and agree a reasonable timescale to provide a formal reply. In most cases, this will be within 30 days.
The formal reply may be in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than agreed we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.
When looking into a complaint we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can learn from this and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you would like to do so.
Where your complaint involves more than one organisation (e.g. social services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do this. Where your complaint has been sent initially to an incorrect organisation, we may seek your consent to forward this to the correct person to deal with.
The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and also your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.
Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter.
Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply.
We may still need to correspond direct with the patient, or may be able to deal direct with the third party, and this depends on the wording of the authority provided.
If you are Dissatisfied with the Outcome
We will do our best to resolve your complaint, however, should you feel that we have not addressed your concerns or are not happy with the outcome, you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
You may also approach PALS for help or advice;
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is here to help when you need advice, have concerns or don’t know where to turn.
As a patient, relative or carer, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice and support. This is where the Patient Advice and Liaison Service can help.
This service is free and confidential. Our aim is to help sort out any problems or concerns you may have when using health services, agree the best way forward to deal with a problem and get it resolved as quickly as possible.
NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group,
Freepost RRKL-XKSC-ACSG,
Yeovil,
Somerset,
BA22 8HR
Telephone us: 08000 851067
Email us: somicb.pals@nhs.net