From 1 April 2009, the Healthcare Commission will cease to exist and the NHS will be introducing changes to the way it operates it's complaints system.
A single complaints system will now cover all aspects of health, adult and social care services in England.
Attempts to streamline the process will result in a two stage process which will consist of the following:
(1) An initial complaint letter is submitted and will be responded to by the Trust in detail;
(2) If the complainant is not satisfied with the response then they may refer the matter directly to the Parliamentary Healthcare Ombudsman.
The practical effect of this change is that it will remove the need for the Trust's response to be reviewed by the Healthcare Commission before there is a right to refer the matter to the Ombudsman.
We hope that this will result in a more open complaints process. We are often faced with clients who have felt that the complaints procedure has failed to address their concerns and that they have not received a satisfactory explanation. The new changes should encourage a more speedy response and for positive action to be taken to prevent similar problems arising in the future.
If you would like advice on making a complaint, or would like to discuss any concerns that you may have with your treatment, please contact a member of the Patient Rights and Healthcare team on 0114 266 6660 or email [email protected].
Links to useful resources regarding complaints can be found below:
