Northern Health and Social Care Trust Complaints Handling Procedure
Introduction
We are committed to providing high quality treatment and care. We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.
If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us. This page describes our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. It also tells you about how we will handle your complaint and what you can expect from us.
What is a complaint?
“Any expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.”
If you need to complain about something, we encourage you to do so. We also understand that your complaint may involve more than one Health and Social Care (HSC) body or service, or relate to both health and social care services, or it may be about someone working on our behalf. We will help you with your complaint and signpost you as required.
What the Complaints Procedure covers
You can complain about:
- failure or refusal to provide a service
- inadequate quality or standard of care and treatment, or an unreasonable delay in the provision of care
- failure to properly implement or follow policy, procedures and standards
- failure to properly apply law, procedure or guidance when delivering services
- failure to follow the appropriate administrative process
- the conduct, behaviour or attitude of a member of staff
- disagreement with a decision, (except where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision, or an established appeals process).
- dissatisfaction with how an element of the decision was administered
- a concern about the actions or service of an organisation who is delivering services on our behalf. You should complain directly to the service provider. If the service provider does not resolve your complaint, you can ask the Trust for advice on the next steps.
What can’t be dealt with through the Complaints Procedure
There are some things we are unable to deal with through our Complaints Handling Procedure.
While it is not possible to list everything, we have set out below what this includes:
- a routine first-time request for a service – you may be reporting a service request for the first time, for example a request for a piece of equipment that you need, information you need with regard to your care or treatment.
- a request for a second opinion in respect of care or treatment
- matters relating to private healthcare or treatment
- matters relating to services not provided by or funded by the NHS
- a previously concluded complaint or a request to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision
- a complaint made by an employee of the Trust or health service provider or other person in relation to their employment contract
- a complaint that is being or has been previously investigated by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)
- a complaint arising from a suggested failure to comply with a request for information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 2018
- matters where there is intent to or instigation of legal action
- matters where there is an ongoing criminal investigation
We will give you information and advice to help you resolve your concerns in these situations.
Who can complain?
A complaint may be made by anyone who receives, requests or is directly affected by or comes into contact with a service provided by the Trust, or a service contracted or commissioned by the Trust. A representative (for example, a relative, friend, advocate or adviser) may act on behalf of a person entitled to make a complaint. This will normally require your verbal or written consent.
Please also read the sections below on Getting help to make your complaint and consent.
How do I complain?
At the frontline – you can make a complaint in person at the place where you have received care, treatment or advice, or by making contact with the service, where the matter that you want to complain about happened, you can do this by telephone, by email, or in writing.
It is easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. Please talk to a member of our staff at the service you are complaining about. They will always try to resolve any problems on the spot if it is possible to do so.
You can complain by using our online complaints form, or contacting us by:
Telephone: 028 94424655
Email: Complaints@northerntrust.hscni.net
Write to:
Complaints Department
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Bush House
45 Bush Road
Antrim
Co Antrim
BT41 2QB
When submitting your complaint, please tell us:
- your full name and address
- your phone number, if you are happy to provide it, so we can call you to discuss your complaint
- your email address (if this is your preferred method of contact)
- the full name, address and date of birth of the person affected if you are complaining on behalf of somebody else
- as much helpful detail as you can about the complaint
- what has gone wrong; and
- what outcome you are seeking
Giving us this information will help us to clearly identify the problem and what we need to do to resolve matters.
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Normally you must make your complaint within six months of:
- the event you want to complain about, or
- finding out that you have a reason to complain
In exceptional circumstances (for example bereavement, poor health, communication difficulties, limited support or you may have only recently become aware of the issue(s) of concern) we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why. If we decide that, because of the time that has passed since the incident occurred, we cannot consider your complaint, we will confirm our rationale in writing.
Expected behaviour
The Trust recognises that people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. Sometimes a health condition or a disability can also affect how a person expresses themselves. The circumstances leading to a complaint may also result in the service user displaying unacceptable behaviours. We recognise that service users who have a history of challenging or inappropriate actions, or have difficulty expressing themselves, may still have a legitimate grievance, and it is important to us that all complaints are taken seriously.
However, the Trust recognises that the actions of some service users may result in unreasonable demands on time and resources or unacceptable behaviour towards staff. To promote positive behaviour in managing complaints, we have set out expected behaviours that will allow us to resolve or respond to your complaint. A copy of this document can be requested from the Trust.
Responsibilities of complainants
As a service user of the Trust, you have the right to expect the best possible services. If we fall short, you have the right to complain. When you complain, we ask you to follow these guiding principles:
- provide adequate details of your complaint
- set out clearly the cause for dissatisfaction
- provide accurate details and supporting correspondence or other relevant supporting evidence
- if there has been a delay in submitting your complaint explain the cause of that delay
- explain what you believe to be a satisfactory outcome
- treat our staff with good manners, politeness and respect at all times
- accept that we will act fairly and promptly in dealing with your complaint
- be reasonable and open minded and listen to reasonable explanations; and
- be realistic. It may not always be possible to achieve the outcome you want.
What happens when I have complained?
We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint and/or provide you with contact information if you have further enquiries. Our Complaints Handling Procedure has two stages:
Stage 1: Frontline Response
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, with immediate action to resolve the problem.
Sometimes we will have to make some enquiries before we can respond to your complaint. It is our aim to give you our response at Stage 1 within five working days or less, however there may be circumstances where we need more time to provide you with a response. If this is the case, we will advise you and will provide you with a response within ten working days.
Stage 2: Investigation
If you remain dissatisfied, you may request that we look at your complaint at Stage 2. You should include details of what you remain dissatisfied with and what outcome you are looking for. This should be done within 30 days of receiving our response at Stage 1 of the process. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a stage 2 complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.
We may also move your complaint to Stage 2 if it is complex and requires a detailed investigation that cannot be achieved at Stage 1.
At Stage 2 we will:
- acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days
- discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied with our response at Stage 1 and what outcome you are looking for at Stage 2
- if appropriate consider alternative resolution approaches such as mediation or conciliation; and
- explain the timeframe for a Stage 2 written response, which we should provide within 20 working days
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
What if I’m still dissatisfied?
After we have given you our final decision, if you are still dissatisfied with either our decision or the way in which we have dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) to look at it. NIPSO is the final stage for complaints about HSC services in Northern Ireland. NIPSO is an independent organisation that investigates complaints. The service provided by NIPSO is free. It is not an advocacy or support service (but there are other organisations who can help you with advocacy or support).
NIPSO generally expect complaints to be brought to them within six months from when you received correspondence from us informing you that the complaints handling procedure is complete and of your right to refer your complaint to NIPSO.
NIPSO will generally ask you to provide details of your complaint and a copy of our final response to your complaint. You can contact NIPSO online or call 0800 34 34 24.
You may wish to get independent support or advocacy to help you progress your complaint.
NIPSO’s contact details are:
The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN
Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Web: NIPSO
If you would like to visit NIPSO in person, you must make an appointment.
Their freepost address is: FREEPOST NIPSO
If NIPSO cannot investigate your complaint and your complaint requires an alternative route for independent review, NIPSO will tell you and provide you with the relevant contact details.
Getting help to make your complaint
We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a service user who is dissatisfied with our service as long as the service user has given their permission for us to deal with that person. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.
The Patient Client Council (PCC) is an organisation that provides free and confidential advice and support to patients and other members of the public in relation to HSC services. The service promotes an awareness and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of patients and can advise and support people who wish to make a complaint about an HSC organisation. Further information and contact details can be found on the PCC website or email: info@pcc-ni.net or by telephoning on 0800 917 0222.
We are committed to making our services easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equality duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you to access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, tell us in person, contact us on 028 94424655, or email us at Complaints@northerntrust.hscni.net.
We can also provide information in other languages and formats, for example:
- easy read versions of your complaint information
- sign language videos of your complaint information
- complaint information in other languages
- how to request information in other formats for example large font, or in a different language
- how to request an interpreter
- who to contact if you would like to discuss your /service user’s accessibility requirements or if you have questions.
Consent
When we look into a complaint, we may need to review information from your health or social care records to help us understand what happened and provide a full response.
We may have to share your information to allow us to respond to your complaint. Only staff directly involved in investigating the complaint will see this information, and it will be used solely for that purpose.
If you prefer that your information is not shared, we will respect your wishes. However, this may limit what we can investigate or the outcome we can provide. In some cases, we may still need to continue the investigation if there is an overriding public interest, such as a concern for safety.
Complaints by a third party should be made with the verbal or written consent of the individual concerned. There will be situations where it is not possible to obtain consent and, in this circumstance, we will agree with you that we will provide a response to the complaint.
