At University Hospitals Bristol and
Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) we are passionate about patient
experience - we want every one of our patients, together with their
relatives, carers and visitors, to receive the best possible
service when being treated at or visiting our hospitals.
Sometimes however, things do not go to plan, and we want to
assure you that whatever happens, we will always do our best to put
things right and, equally importantly, try to stop it from
happening again.
What does the Patient Advice and Liaison
Service (PALS) and Complaints
Team do?
The aim of the PALS and Complaints Team is to resolve any
concerns, queries or questions that our patients, their families or
members of the public raise with us about our Trust.
We cover all of UHBW's Bristol hospital sites: Bristol Eye
Hospital, Bristol Dental Hospital, St Michael's Hospital, Bristol
Heart Institute, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, Bristol
Royal Hospital for Children, South Bristol Community Hospital,
Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Central Health Clinic.
Details for Weston General Hospital's PALs and Complaints Team can
be found here.
We are able to assist with problems and can liaise with staff on
your behalf. We can provide:
- non-clinical information and advice
- a contact point for patients who wish to make suggestions about
how services can be improved
- support for patients and their relatives/carers, including
signposting to other appropriate services and/or organisations
- management of complaints
We welcome any comments, suggestions or compliments you may have
and would like you to tell us what you think of our Trust's
services and what we can do to improve our services.
The Trust takes great pride in delivering exceptional service.
If your experience does not match your expectations, please tell us
about it.
Please view the UHBW Complaints Policy.
How to contact the PALS and Complaints Team
We have a variety of ways you can contact us so please use the
method that suits you best. Be aware that we are receiving a high
number of enquiries and there may be a delay before we contact you,
thank you for you patience.
| Complete an online
enquiry/concerns/compliment form.
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Telephone - You can telephone us on
0117 342 1050, where you can leave a message with our answering
service and one of our administrators will contact you within
two working days to take the details of your enquiry. In the
majority of cases, your call will be returned on the same day. Our
administrators will then pass your enquiry on to a Complaints
Officer who will be in contact with you to discuss your enquiry in
more detail.
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Write to us - You can send your complaint in
writing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation
Trust, PALS and Complaints Team, A201, Welcome Centre, Bristol
Royal Infirmary, Upper Maudlin Street, Bristol, BS2 8HW
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Email us - You can email us as
PALSandComplaints@uhbw.nhs.uk
and you will receive an automated acknowledgement that your
message has been received. One of the team will then be in touch to
discuss your enquiry/complaint in more detail.
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BRI drop-in service - The
drop-in service is temporarily closed, in the meantime please
contact us by any of the methods above.
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For further information about our service, please click on the
link for our PALS and Complaints Team leaflet which is
available in:
The PALS and Complaints
Team leaflet is also available in other languages/formats on
request.
What happens next?
If you have a concern about the
care that you are currently receiving, or wish to raise a concern
on behalf of a current patient (either an inpatient or outpatient),
we would recommend that in the first instance, you speak to a
member of staff in the hospital who is providing this care. This
could be a nurse or doctor or a non-clinical member of staff and
they should be able to resolve this directly with you or find
someone to help you. Our staff are trained to help patients resolve
their concerns there and then wherever possible and may be able to
offer you a quick and easy solution to your complaint.
If you feel that a member
of staff has not adequately resolved your concerns or you wish
to raise an issue directly with the PALS and Complaints Team,
they will be happy to help you.
You can contact the team via one
of the methods described above and a named Complaints
Officer will be assigned to advise you how best to proceed
with your enquiry or complaint.
We will involve you and work
with you to achieve a satisfactory resolution; whether you are
requesting information, providing feedback, raising a concern or
making a complaint.
If you are a relative or carer,
it may be necessary for us to know that the patient is happy for
you to act on their behalf, for example, if your enquiry relates to
confidential information about the patient's care or treatment. If
this is the case, you can either complete the consent form here and send it to us,
or the form can be requested by contacting the department. If you
are not sure whether a consent form will be needed, please contact
us and we will be happy to advise you.
Independent Advocacy
Services
If you would like some help with your
complaint prior to submitting it to the PALS and Complaints Team,
you can contact an independent complaints advocacy
service.
VoiceAbility provide advocacy services for
residents of South Gloucestershire and you can contact them on 0300
303 1660 or via their website at www.voiceability.org
POWhER Advocacy provides similar services in
Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and Gloucestershire. Their
website is https://www.pohwer.net/ and you can contact
them on 0300 456 2370 or by email at powher@powher.net
The role of the Parliamentary
and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
If you feel that the Trust has
not answered your questions adequately, please contact the PALS and
Complaints Team so we can arrange for someone to look again at
your concerns. If, having done this, you are still unhappy with the
outcome, or you feel that the Trust has not dealt with your
concerns appropriately, you have the right to seek advice from the
PHSO.
The PHSO carries out independent
investigations into complaints made by people who are unhappy with
the treatment or service that has been provided to them through the
NHS.
