How to make a complaint
Complaints are useful because they enable us to identify and rectify problems, making our centre better and safer. There are several ways in which you can make a complaint.
By speaking to a member of staff
You can voice your complaint about a problem to any member of staff so that the situation can be rectified immediately and so that the reason for the problem can be explained to you. Alternatively, you could phone 4908 to speak to a Patient Advice and Liaison Service volunteer ('PALS Vols'), who will deal with the problem.
If you mention a problem to our specialist ocular oncology nurse or our consultant, then a letter will be written to the relevant authority, if possible, immediately and in your presence. A copy of this letter will be filed in a special folder, which is kept in the oncology office. When a response is received, we will inform you of this response. The contents of our complaints file will be reviewed and discussed by our team at least every three months to ensure that all possible remedial measures have been taken. We envisage that important complaints and their solutions will be published on this website.
By writing a letter to the Chief Executive of our hospital
If you are not satisfied with the response to an informal complaint or if you wish to make a more formal approach, you can write to:
The Chief Executive
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
Prescot Street
Liverpool L7 8XP
By speaking to the Assistant Director of Quality
If you are unable to complain in writing or if you wish to speak in person, please contact the Assistant Director of Quality by telephoning 0151 706 2268. This official will take the relevant details and investigate the matter.
Your complaint will be acknowledged as soon as it is received and you can expect to receive a detailed response within 20 working days (unless the complaint requires an intensive investigation involving several members of staff).
By requesting an investigation by an independent review panel
If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from the Assistant Director of Quality, you can write to the Chief Executive, requesting an investigation by an independent review panel. You must do this within 20 working days of receiving the response to your complaint.
A hospital representative will contact you to ask why you are dissatisfied with the response to your complaint and will decide whether or not a panel can resolve the problem.
If the independent review panel investigates your complaint, the Chief Executive will write to you to inform you of the conclusions of the panel's investigation. This process can take up to six months.
By writing to the Health Service Ombudsman for England
If your complaint is not considered by the independent review panel or if you are dissatisfied with the conclusions reached by that panel, you can appeal in writing to:
The Health Service Ombudsman for England,
11th Floor,
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
The health service ombudsman's services are free and completely independent of the government and health authorities.
