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19 October 2011

Press statement

The Trust is disappointed that there has been an increase in the number of patients who have felt it necessary to approach the Ombudsman.  However, we would like to point out that three quarters of the 97 complaints were resolved by us.  The Ombudsman asked us to provide information on 24 cases and only 2 required an investigation by them.  This is why we don’t feature in the other tables in the report  that detail  those complaints requiring further investigation and intervention by the Ombudsman, which is good news.

We recognise that our complaints process wasn’t robust enough last year as the time we were taking to respond to complaints resulted in a backlog that would have triggered an increase in the number of people approaching the Ombudsman.  This was addressed as a priority and due to a real team effort by everyone in the Trust, and in particular clinical staff, the backlog was eradicated by the end of March 2011.  

We fully support the Ombudsman’s view that handling complaints in a timely manner and recognising something has gone wrong at an early stage is a top priority.  We have now put in new processes and introduced a robust complaints handling system to ensure that all complaints are dealt with quickly and effectively.   We are making every effort to ensure that our complaints process is communicated to our patients so we can deal with any concerns locally, rather than patients directing their concerns to the Ombudsman.

All patient feedback, including the learning from complaints is important to us as it helps us to shape and develop our services. We have extended our patient surveys to include real time surveys using the bedside terminals.  We are proud of our very active Patient Council who undertake regular patient surveys across the Hospital.   Our Board are totally committed to improving patient feedback and receive a patient story at each Board meeting.   We realise there is still more to do, but excellent patient care is a top priority for the trust  and we will continue to strive to deliver the best possible care at all times. 

None of the above makes us complacent.  We are committed to continuous improvement in supporting patients and users of our services. 

ENDS

Media contacts : Jo Triggs tel: (01245) 514235 | Mobile : 0790 005 4948

Out of Hours Media Calls : 0790 005 4948