HEALTHY PEOPLE HEALTHY LIVES HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Everyone at NHS Oldham is committed to providing the best possible service at all times. However, it is inevitable that sometimes things do go wrong.
We welcome your comments if this is the case and you feel you are not happy with the healthcare you have received. By finding out about things that you are not happy with we can try to put them right and make them better in the future.
If you want to get in touch, please be assured that you can speak openly and honestly about your complaint. Whatever you tell us will be treated in the strictest confidence and handled with sensitivity.
You don’t need to worry about the service you receive in future being adversely affected because you have made a complaint. We take all comments seriously and will use the information to review our services and make improvements, where needed.
We’d also like to hear from you if you think you have received a particularly good service, as if we know we are getting things right, we can make sure things stay that way.
Our information leaflet ‘Complaints, Compliments and Comments’ can be found in all our health centres and can also be accessed here.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you have received from us, we’d like to know about it as soon as possible.
You should make a complaint within 12 months of the incident or the date on which you discovered the problem.
Where there are good reasons for you not complaining within this time we may be able to extend this time limit and still investigate your complaint.
Please contact us in whichever way suits you best – by phone, in person, by email, or in writing. Contact details for our locality director and complaints service manager are given in the Useful Contacts section at the end of this page.
There are two stages to the complaints procedure:
All complaints are acknowledged within three working days. We try to contact you by phone at an early stage to discuss your complaint and agree how it will be handled.
We try to investigate and respond to complaints within a time period agreed with the complainant, which is usually within 25 working days. In some complex cases this may take a little longer but we will always keep you informed of progress.
We are always also happy to meet in person to discuss your complaint, if you would prefer to talk to someone face-to-face.
Our complaints policy and procedure complies with the national NHS complaints regulations and guidance on dealing with complaints. You can read our complaints policy and procedure here.
If you are unhappy with the way in which we have handled your complaint, you can take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman.
If you remain unhappy after local resolution and independent review then you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS and government.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is now responsible for the second tier of health related complaint handling.
You can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service ombudsman at:
Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP Tel: 0345 015 4033 Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. It regulates care provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations. It aims to make sure better care is provided for everyone - in hospitals, care homes and people's own homes. It also seeks to protect the interests of people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act.
Before 1 April 2009, this work was carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. These organisations no longer exist.
For general enquiries call the Care Quality Commission customer services team, who are available 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Care Quality Commission National Correspondence Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Tel: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) supports patients and their carers who wish to pursue a complaint about their NHS treatment or care. This service is free, confidential and independent.
Complaints team Ellen House Waddington Street Oldham OL9 6EE
Tel: 0161 622 6430 / 6431 / 6432 Email: olp-pct.nhsoldhamcomplaints@nhs.net
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Oldham Integrated Care Centre New Radcliffe Street Oldham. OL1 1NL Tel: 0800 389 8679 Email: olp-pct.pals@nhs.net
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) Arthur House Chorlton Street Manchester M1 3FH
Tel: 0300 456 8350 Email: manchestericas@carersfederation.co.uk