Making a complaint

Many issues can be resolved by speaking to the person in charge of your care. However, if you have already spoken with our teams, including PALS, and remain unhappy, you can make a formal complaint.

Who can complain?

• The patient themselves.
• Someone else, with the patient’s consent (we can advise on consent requirements).

When to complain

Please contact us as soon as you can, so we can carry out a thorough investigation. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the event, but if more time has passed, please speak to us, we will consider your circumstances.

What to include

• The patient’s full name, date of birth and address
• Dates of treatment or the event
• What happened
• What you would like to achieve from the complaint

What happens after you complain?

• You’ll receive a written acknowledgement within three working days.
• A member of the Patient Experience Team will contact you to discuss the investigation and what matters most to you.
• We can offer a meeting to talk through the findings or send the outcome in writing, whichever you prefer.
• Our Chief Executive reviews every complaint and signs the final response.
• We aim to provide a full response within 35 or 60 working days, depending on complexity. We will keep you updated throughout.

If you remain unhappy

If we feel we have done everything possible to address your concerns, we will let you know. You then have the option to take your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), who carry out an independent review of NHS complaints.

How to contact us

You can submit your complaint using our online form, or contact us:

Phone: 01204 390390 ext. 144704

Email: complaints@boltonft.nhs.uk