- You are here:
- Home
- >About NHS Sheffield
- > Local NHS Services
- > Compliments, concerns, comments & complaints
- > How to make a compliment or complaint
How to make a compliment or complaint about local health services - including GPs, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists
Whether you are happy or unhappy with the care and treatment that you have received, please get in touch and let us know your views.
Receiving compliments and complaints is important to ensuring good quality local healthcare in Sheffield - helping us to find out more about what we’re getting right and what we can improve.
We hope this leaflet will help you to make your feelings and experiences known to the appropriate people. Should you have a complaint we hope this leaflet will give you more information about what to do, who to contact and what happens next.
How do I raise a concern / informal complaint?
You can speak to any member of staff initially with your complaint. This gives you the opportunity to resolve any concern you may have without it going through a formal process.
Most complaints are best resolved within the practice or department concerned. NHS Sheffield and local practices have designated staff who manage complaints.
If you feel you do not want to contact the service directly, then you can contactthe Sheffield Patient Services Team. Patient Services is
a confidential service in the NHS, which aims to advise and support patients, their families and
carers, and deals with concerns informally and quickly.
Find out more about the Sheffield Patient Services Team.
You can also make an informal complaint by filling in a comments form online , or contact the the complaints team for a paper copy.
How do I make a formal complaint?
If you feel that your concerns cannot be resolved informally you can make a formal complaint to NHS Sheffield. Please outline your concerns in writing to the Chief Executive, or to the complaints team.
For more detailed guidance on how to make a complaint please see NHS Sheffield’s complaints policy.
Download the Complaints Policy (698kb pdf, opens in a new window)
You can complain about NHS treatment or services. A relative or friend may be able to complain on your behalf. A complaint should be made within 12 months of realising that you have something to complain about. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else who is over 18, you must have their permission in writing. This is because we have a duty to protect the confidentiality of any information we have about patients.
What will happen next?
Stage 1 - Local Resolution
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and offer to discuss the matter within two working days. The appropriate Professional Manager or Practice Manager will investigate the issues raised. We aim to provide a response within 35 working days. However, some complaints are more complicated and may need more investigation. If this is the case we will discuss and agree an alternative timescale with you. We may also invite you to come for a meeting to discuss your concerns in more detail.
Interpreting Service
NHS Sheffield can arrange for interpreting services to help people who may wish to complain, - where their first language is not English or where they need to communicate in other ways. Please contact the complaints team to request this.
Conciliation
If you are unhappy about the response you receive we can arrange a conciliation meeting between yourself, the relevant staff and an independent conciliator. The conciliator will talk to both parties and try to help resolve matters for you.
Stage 2 - Independent review
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the local resolution, you may write to the Health Service Ombudsman within six months of receiving the final formal written response from NHS Sheffield.
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)
If you require independent support, guidance and advice you can contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service. They can help you write letters to the right people and go to meetings with you.
Service evaluation and monitoring
When you register a concern or a complaint you will be asked to provide personal information about yourself and/or if you are not the patient, the patient themselves. Information that will be collected includes:
- name of patient/caller;
- contact details;
- date of birth (patient);
- what the complaint is about;
- ethnic group;
- whether interpreting or other communication support services are required;
- if you are not the complainant, written agreement from the patient to act on their behalf.
We will use annoymised details to consider themes and trends and most importantly, to improve our services wherever possible.
NHS Sheffield assures you that if you make a complaint it will not compromise the care of yourself or anyone else.
If you experience being treated differently as a result of raising a concern or a complaint this should be reported to the complaints team and would be taken up as a serious matter.
Contact Details
Please contact any of the following. They are here to help you.
Complaints team
NHS Sheffield
722 Prince of Wales Road
Sheffield
S9 4EU
Tel: 0114 305 1094
Email: shef-pct.Complaints@nhs.net
Patient Services Team
Tel: 0114 271 2400
Email: PST@sth.nhs.uk
Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS)
Tel: 0300 456 8349 (as at May 2009)
If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved please contact:
The Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
LONDON SW1P 4QP
tel: 0345 015 4033
You must ask the Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint after receiving a final formal written response from NHS Sheffield.
Compliments
We are very pleased to receive your compliments as they highlight areas of good practice and acknowledge the hard work of our staff.
Please forward your views to the complaints team, contact details above.
Download the Compliments & Complaints leaflet (83kb pdf, opens in a new window)
Compliments and complaints main page
- Share this!
- Delicious
- Digg
- StumbleUpon
