How you can make a complaint

Sometimes, things may not go to plan and you may wish to get in contact and let us know what has gone wrong. If you are unhappy with the care or support you are receiving, we encourage you to get in contact so we can work to put things right.

If you are anxious about making a complaint yourself, it is acceptable for somebody to make a complaint on your behalf, for example a family member or friend. We will ask your relative or friend whether they have your permission to do this and you will be asked to sign a consent form to give us permission to discuss your complaint with them.

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In order to make this process as simple as possible, we have introduced a three step system which will help you decide on your next course of action.

In the first instance, we urge you to speak directly to your clinician on their manager if you feel able to do so. Our staff are there to help, and will be happy to listen to your concerns and do everything they can do make it right.
In some cases, it may not be possible or you may not feel comfortable speaking directly to the service. you may wish instead to talk to somebody who has had no involvement in your care. In these circumstances, please contact our Patient Services Manager, on the below details:Bristol Community Health
South Plaza, Marlborough Street, Bristol, BS1 3NX
Tel: 0117 900 2540
Fax: 0117 900 2587Email: [email protected]
If you remain unhappy after your complaint has been fully investigated, and you have received a formal written response, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) who may agree to investigate your complaint further. This ombudsman is separate from the NHS and from the government, and can be contacted at:The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QPTel: 0345 015 4033 (open 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday)You should contact the Health Service Ombudsman within six months of your final response letter

We require the following information in order to investigate your complaint:

  • Who or what you are complaining about
  • Include the name and job title of the staff members if you know them
  • Include when and where the event(s) you are complaining about happened
  • The result you would like from your complaint

If you would like help or support to make your complaint, you can contact the Health Complaints Advocacy Service, which is provided by SEAP Advocacy. SEAP provide a free, impartial and confidential service, they can be contacted on 0330 440 9000 or by email to [email protected] you can view their website at www.seap.or.uk

All of this information can also be found in our ‘How are we doing?’ leaflet. This leaflet is also available in Somali, Urdu, Punjabi and Polish.

Duty of Candour

Within our organisation, our staff comply fully with duty of candour, which outlines new rules around transparency and openness in NHS organisations if things go wrong with care or treatment. To find out more about it, download our duty of candour leaflet.

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