|
Over
the months of the campaign we have heard many
people's stories and experiences. Mostly when
we ask if they have made a formal complaint they
have not done so as they perceive the paperwork
and time etc involved in the formal process as
daunting, complicated and protracted. However,
the very fact that these incidents are not being
brought to the attention of the authorities means
that NHS Lothian are unaware of the problems we
in West Lothian face and are unaware of our complaints
and the costs that centralisation of services
etc has cost us and not only in money.
The
following is a simple “how to complain made
easy” guide together with the address to
write to. If after reading this you are still
unsure about what to do or if you should proceed
please call us on 07892 349 139 and we will assist
you.
HOW TO COMPLAIN MADE EASY
You
can complain to NHS Lothian about any part of
your treatment which you received in any NHS Lothian
facility or received from any NHS Lothian service
or about the service supplied by NHS Lothian.
You
can complain on behalf of a patient with their
agreement or as a parent/guardian/carer of a child
or as a relative of a deceased patient. There
are also advocacy services i.e. Citizens Advice
etc who can assist.
You
must make your complaint within 6 months of the
incident or 6 months of realising that you have
cause for complaint, but this must not be any
longer than 12 months in total of the event occurring.
You
can register your complaint with a member of staff
at the time, or you can complain on the phone,
fax, and email or in writing.
You
should include the following information:-
| Patients
name, address, and if possible date of birth
|
| If
complaining on behalf of another person
include your name and address |
| Include
as much information as possible, tell them
what happened |
| Where
it happened (i.e. which hospital/service
was involved) |
When It happened - if possible include all
relevant dates. |
Send your complaint to:-
The Complaints Officer,
Deaconess House,
148, Pleasance,
Edinburgh.
EH8 9RS.
Or
Telephone: - 0131 536 9054
What
happens next………..
You
should hear initially within 3 days of your complaint,
this letter will inform you of what they will
do next and of advice, services etc and options
open to you.
You
should get a full response and the outcome within
20 days. This will outline how they investigated
your complaint and their reply to each issue you
have raised. They will also inform you what actions
will be taken to address your complaints and stop
them happening again together with any apology
necessary, or why no action is necessary and why
they will not take your complaint further, together
with information in regard to what you can do
next.
If
you are not happy with how NHS Lothian have investigated
your complaint or with any aspect of the complaints
procedures, you can contact the Scottish Public
Services Ombudsman. This, in general you must
do within 12 months of the event you are complaining
about occurring (there are sometimes exceptions
to this time limit). The Ombudsman has complete
discretion as to which cases they will take up.
You
can contact the Ombudsman at:-
The
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman,
Freepost EH641,
Edinburgh,
EH3 0BR.
TEL: - 0870 011 5378
FAX: - 0870 011 5379
TEXT: - 07900 494 372
E.MAIL: enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk
WEB SITE www.scottishombudsman.org.uk
We
hope the above helps you however if you need any
assistance or further information please contact
us on 07892 349 139 we will do all we can to help.
The
latest complaints procedure and contact information
can be found on the NHS Lothian website here
|
