Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and Complaints

Introduction

At Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, we always try to provide the best possible care.

We encourage feedback and suggestions, as we wish to continuously improve our services. We would also like to hear about positive experiences with our services.

This leaflet tells you what to do if you wish to raise a concern.

Mersey Care follows a complaints procedure which aims to:

• allow more complaints to be resolved locally through a more accessible, personal and flexible approach to complaints handling
• treat each complaint individually, with emphasis on achieving the desired outcome for the service user
• ensure we learn from our experiences.

Who do I complain to?

It is important that you raise your concerns as soon as possible after the event you want to complain about has happened. Wherever possible, you should tell someone close to the cause of your complaint like a doctor, nurse, receptionist etc.

In many cases, it should be possible to sort the problem out straight away. The PALS and Complaints Team can provide you with support, information and advice to help resolve any concerns or complaints that may arise during your contact with the Trust.

Whoever you ask to look into your complaint, they will do their best to sort it out as quickly as possible. 

You can also contact your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

If you have been affected by a medical accident, you can get free and independent advice from Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) on 0845 123 2352.

If your complaint relates to the exercise of powers and duties under the Mental Health Act, you can take your complaint to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is the independent regulator of healthcare in England. They protect the rights and interests of people who are detained under the Mental Health Act.

You can contact their office at:

Care Quality Commission Citygate,
Gallowate,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 4PA

Tel: 0300 0616 161

What happens next?

When you raise a concern, if you provide a contact telephone number you will be contacted to discuss how your concern can be addressed.

We will agree with you the most appropriate way of handling your concern, which may be a formal investigation or possibly a meeting with the staff involved.

If your complaint is formally investigated, we will agree a timescale by which we would hope to respond to you. Information from your records may need to be disclosed as part of the investigation, but we will be careful to ensure that any information about you is kept confidential.

If your complaint is formally investigated, you will receive a written response from the Chief Executive of the Trust that will hopefully answer all the concerns you raised.

You will be kept informed and involved throughout the entire process.

What if I am still not happy after I have received a written response?

If you do not feel as though your complaint has been fully answered, please contact the PALS and Complaints Team, who will endeavour to resolve any outstanding concerns.

If you are still dissatisfied, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to review your case.

The Ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS and of the Government. You can find out more on the Ombudsman website ombudsman.org.uk or call them on 0345 015 4033.

Useful contacts

Support services

If you require support in raising a concern, the following independent advocacy services can help you:

Independent Mental Health Advocacy Service - IMHA

For Mersey Care Inpatient IMHA service contact:

Together Advocacy

Broadoak Unit,
Broadgreen Hospital,
Liverpool
L14 3PJ

Tel: 0151 330 7273
Email: together.imha@merseycare.nhs.uk

For high, medium and low secure IMHA services, contact:

PoHWER

Central Services Building
Ashworth Hospital,
Maghull,
Liverpool
L31 1HW

Tel: 0151 472 4583

Specialist Learning Disabilty IMHA Services Whalley, contact POhWER on 01254 821 202 or email whalley.advocacy@merseycare.nhs.uk

Contact your nearest Healthwatch Independent Complaints Advocacy on the Healthwatch website.

Citizens Advice

Telephone: 0344 4111 444
Citizens Advice website

Patient’s Association

Telephone: 0208 423 8999 
Patient’s Association website

If you require a version of this leaflet in a different language or format, please contact the PALS and Complaints Team on 0151 471 2377 or 0800 328 2941.