What Is The Process For NHS Complaints?

Written By: David Halbert on July 16, 2010 No Comment

NHS is the department of National Health Service, which ensures that medical service is provided to all the citizens of England, as it is a public department run from the taxes, which the taxpayers give in order to ensure top quality medical service in case of need. It is a known fact that doctors, and nurses also make mistakes, but sometimes these mistakes can be extremely severe, and it can harm the patient, and can be life taking as well.

It is important to keep in mind the time limits for lodging the complaints. The complaint should be made as soon as the incident happens. The time limit for a complaint is normally: * 12 months from starting from the moment that the event happened, or * 12 months from the time, you came to know about the occurrence of the event.

As a patient, you should be aware of your rights. If you have suffered from a pain or any serious injury due to medical negligence, you have the right to file a complaint against the doctor or the medical staff; and to inquire about it after filing it, but make sure that it is being investigated and you get a quick reply.

If you want to learn about your rights in detail, you should check the NHS constitution. It is better to learn about your rights before undergoing a legal procedure, so that if things go wrong, you know what to do. However, it is never too late. If you have suffered from a trauma, you have every right to make sure that your complaint is being properly investigated.

The NHS complaint process is simples. It has two stages. 1. First, you need to ask your hospital, or trust to provide you with a copy of its complaints procedure. This copy will provide you with the procedure on how to make the proceedings. You need to make a local resolution first. It involves raising the issue directly to the nurse, or doctor involved, or with their organisation, which will have a complaints manager. 2. If you feel unsatisfied with your local resolution, then you can raise the matter to the Parliamentary, and Health Service Ombudsman.

You can file a complaint to the higher authorities of the medical centre too. If they are not working on your complaint properly, you can file a complaint to the local primary care trust. Moreover, the complaint should be filed as soon as possible without any delay. It is understandable that it may take some time for you to get out of the trauma, but make sure that you file a complaint within 12 months. An extension in the time limit is possible in rare cases only.

Make a draft of the necessary and relevant events, dates, times, names, and conversations including every minute detail. The resolution of your complaint can take some time, so you should better be prepared for it.

Organisations such as PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service), or ICAS can help the affected people in their complaint process, and provide them with necessary solutions. They provide detailed solutions about the NHS complaints procedure, and in a way, they are a source of help to resolve your complaint informally.

Information on how to makeNHS Complaints and advice.