Making a Complaint

If you are unhappy about something that happens (or doesn't happen) during the course of care you receive from any agency or individual the first step is always, if possible, to raise it with the member of staff concerned. Mistakes and misunderstandings will inevitably occur in any endeavour involving the judgement of human beings and mental health care is obviously no exception. Often problems of this type, where the consequences are not too serious, can be cleared up quickly by an apology and action taken to rectify the situation.

However if you feel unable to approach the person involved or having done so you are unhappy with their response you should consider making a complaint.

Both health and Social Services have complaints procedures which vary slightly in detail but operate to the same two basic principles :

	Complaints must be dealt with fairly and confidentially within a given time frame.
	An attempt must be made to resolve the complaint at the lowest organisational level possible. Only if it remains unresolved does it pass up to the next level of management.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust (HPCT)

HPCT is responsible for the management of all mental health services in Herefordshire. Thus if you wish to make a formal complaint about the service or an individual working within it you should address either verbally or in writing to:

Mike Thomas
Mental Health Service Manager
Stonebow Unit
Hereford
01432 270243

Your complaint should be acknowledged within two working days and a date set for you to discuss it with The Service Manager or someone else appointed by him.
If having done so you remain dissatisfied and do not wish to discuss it further with the Service Manager, you can ask for your complaint ot be referred to :

The Chief Executive
Hereford Primary Care Trust
Belmont Abbey
Belmont
Hereford
HR2 9RP
01432 344344

Independent Review

If you are dissatisfied with the response of the Chief Executive you can write back to him requesting an Independent Review. You need to do this within 28 days of formal notification that the end of the local resolution stage of the complaints process has been reached.
He will pass your request to a Non Executive Director of the HPCT (the Convenor) who will decide along with an independent chairman, whether the Trust has done all it can or whether there is justification for an Independent Review. If the Convenor decides not to appoint an Independent Review Panel, you will be informed and then have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman.
If a Panel is appointed your complaint will be reviewed and they will make comments/suggestions to the Trust board within twelve weeks of the panel's initial appointment. You will then be informed of what action is being taken.

Health Service Commissioner

Finally, if having exhausted the process described thus far, you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Health Services Ombudsman on the :

14th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0207 217 4979

This nationally appointed officer makes independent investigations of complaints about hospitals and other health services in the UK.

GPs

GPs are essentially self employed and not managed directly by the HPCT. However they are licensed by and thus responsible to the General Medical Council (GMC) whose overall purpose is "to protect patients and guide doctors". The GMC does this via four main functions: keeping registers of qualified doctors ;fostering good medical practice; promoting high standards of medical education; dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practice is in doubt.
If you have a complaint about your doctor or the practice, try to sort it out with him/her or the practice manager first. If you believe that your doctor has behaved unethically, unprofessionally or incompetently complain directly to the GMC at

The General Medical Council
178 Great Portland St
020 7580 7642

Advocacy

All complainants are welcome to involve a friend or some other independent person at all stages in the complaints process. If you need support but do not have anyone you can ask see our advocacy page on this site.

Social Care & Strategic Housing

If you want to complain about any service supplied by Herefordshire Council (including Social Care & Strategic Housing), the first step is again to raise it with the person concerned. If not satisfied you can make a formal complaint by ringing 01432 260000 and telling the operator that you want to make a formal complaint. You will then be told how to contact the appropriate complaints officer.

Alternatively you can write to them at :

Complaints Officer
Herefordshire Council
FREEPOST HR368
P.O. Box 228
Hereford
HR4 9ZZ

Or, contact them through the COUNCIL WEBSITE

What happens then :

	Your complaint should be acknowledged within 3 days, and you will be given the name and phone number of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.
	Your complaint should be investigated and a response made to you within ten working days, or if this target cannot be met, a date given when you can expect a full response.

Still not satisfied ?

With the reply to your complaint, you will receive a complaints response form. This will tell you about your right to appeal to the relevant director.

If you are still not satisfied after the Directors investigation, you can refer your complaint to the Chief Executive who together with two Councillors will undertake a full enquiry.

The final step available within the complaints process is to refer your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not get involved until the local council has had the opportunity to it.
For further information about the Ombudsman you can either go to The Local Government Ombudsmans Website
or ring the Adviceline, which is open between 9.00am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday, on 0845 602 1983.

Voluntary or Independent Organisations

As with any complaint, try to sort out the problem with the person involved straight away. All reputable organisations will have a complaints procedure in place, which will involve putting your complaint in wrirting to the person in charge. If you don't get a satisfactory response locally, and the organisation is part of a larger one or umbrella body, you can try complaining to head office. If your unhappy with a particular individual, for example a private counsellor you can find out what professional body or association they belong to (eg The British Association for Counselling) and make a complaint to them.