Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS is a free, informal, confidential help and advice service for everyone.
It is here to offer guidance and support and may be able to resolve any issues without the need for a formal complaint.
PALS will:
- Help you get the information you need about the NHS
- Listen and respond to your concerns, suggestions or queries
- Sort out problems quickly on your behalf in an informal and friendly manner
- Use your feedback to help improve the services that we deliver
There are several organisations who provide health and social care within Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and we encourage you to contact these organisations directly if you need any advice or have any concerns about the service that you have received.
Most organisations have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Please find below links to local health service websites for more information and contact details:
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital:
Phone:01743 261691
Email: sath.pals@nhs.net
Princess Royal Hospital:
Phone: 01952 282888
Email: sath.pals@nhs.net
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
Phone: 01743 277689
Email: shropcom.customerservices@nhs.net
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (Provider of mental health and learning disabilities local services)
Phone: 0800 783 2865
Email: palsandexperience@mpft.nhs.uk
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Phone: 01691 404 606
Email: rjah.pals.office@nhs.net
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
Phone: 0300 303 0996
Email: patientexperience@wmas.nhs.uk
NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) Patient Services Team
If you are unsure who to contact patient services team at NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB will be happy to assist in ensuring your enquiry reaches the most appropriate service. The patient services team can also assist with enquiries related to the Referral Assessment Service, Prescription Ordering Department, the Individual Commissioning Team or local commissioning decisions.
Phone: 01952 580407
Email: stw.patientservices@nhs.net
How to make a complaint:
All of our staff work hard to get things right but sometimes things don’t go as well as we would like them to. We would encourage you to raise any concerns that you may have, as they arise, or via the PALS service initially. If you have not been able to find a resolution to your concerns then you can raise a formal complaint.
Below you can find some brief information about the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin complaint process. Or alternatively you can download a copy of our Complaints and Compliments Policy and Procedure.
You can make your complaint directly with the service whose contact details are listed above or via NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB Patient Services Team. The Patient Services Team will then make a decision around the best process for your complaint.
Telephone: 01952 580407
Email: stw.patientservices@nhs.net
In writing: Patient Services Team, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Wellington Civic Offices, Larkin Way, Tan Bank, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1LX
We understand that some people worry about their treatment being adversely affected if they have raised a complaint. Please do not worry about this. Every complaint received is treated seriously and confidentially and will not affect future care or treatment.
Where possible we use comments, complaints and concerns, raised by patients and their representatives, to improve our services and the quality of care commissioned by us.
We also appreciate that those using the services we commission have different needs and we want to make sure that you do not face any unnecessary barriers to raising a complaint. Staff will be happy to discuss this with you to ensure that you are not disadvantaged in any way.
You should raise your complaint as soon as possible and within twelve months of you becoming aware of an issue.
We appreciate that this is not always possible, therefore if this time period has passed, please contact us to discuss whether it is still possible for an investigation to be undertaken.
We will contact you within three working days of getting your complaint. We will then agree with you how we will look into your complaint and what you can expect.
We will also discuss timescales for the completion of the investigation. If your complaint relates to a service not directly provided by NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin our role in this instance will be to coordinate a response from the provider organisation/s. The process that we follow when it relates to external providers differs depending on the organisation that is being complained about.
Where the complaint relates to secondary care services, such as hospitals, community services and mental health services or services provided by NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. The Patient Services Team will liaise with the provider/s/internal departments directly to obtain a response. The following flow chart shows the process followed with these cases. To download the General NHS STW Complaints Flow Chart, click here.
Where the complaint relates to Primary Care services, such as pharmacies, opticians, dentists and GP Practices, formal complaints are managed via the West Midlands hub, which is provided by NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB. Therefore, once it is established that an individual wishes to take a complaint forward relating to these services, with the permission of the complainant, the complaint will be forwarded to the West Midlands hub. The West Midlands hub will then coordinate the complaint investigation. The following flow chart shows the process followed in these cases. To download the Primary Care NHS STW Complaint Flow Chart, click here.
For Primary Care complaints, NHS Birmingham and Solihull complaint policy can be found here.
After your complaint has been thoroughly investigated, you will receive a written response to the concerns that you have raised.
There are some instances where NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin needs to obtain formal consent in order to be able to take an enquiry forward. This may be because we need other organisations to share information with us or may be because the person raising the concern is not the patient the concern relates to.
Where consent is required this will be discussed with you at the time that you raise your concerns.
If you need assistance in raising a complaint, you can contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service. This service is free, independent and confidential and available to everyone. The organisations that provide this service vary depending on where you live.
Contact details are available below:
Telford and Wrekin
PohWER:
- Telephone: 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate)
- Text: send the word 'pohwer' with your name and number to 81025
- Email:pohwer@pohwer.net
- By Post: PohWER, PO Box 14043, Birmingham B6 9BL
- Website:pohwer.net
Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin:
Find out how they can support you by clicking here
Shropshire
Healthwatch Shropshire:
Healthwatch Shropshire provides an independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service across the county.
They can:
- Give you enough information and advice so you can pursue a complaint by yourself
- Offer you the support of an Independent Health Complaints Advocate who can help you to make your complaint and support you through the process
- Listen to your concerns and help you to collect together all the relevant issues and facts you need to highlight as part of your concerns
- Write letters to the right people
- Monitor the progress of your complaint with the organisation responsible and keep you updated
- Signpost you to the right organisation if we think we are not the right organisation
- Telephone: 01743 237884
- Email: enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk
- By post: Freepost Healthwatch Shropshire
- Website: https://www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk/help-making-complaint
You can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to consider your complaint further. There are timescales for raising your concerns with the PHSO and more information can be found via the website link below:
Telephone Helpline: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning health services for the local population. This means that we can manage enquiries relating to Acute (hospital) Services, Community Services, Mental Health Services, pharmacies, opticians, dentists and GP Practices (where these services are provided via the NHS).
NHS England remain responsible for Specialist Services (i.e. specialist heart & lung treatment; specialist cancer care) and prison healthcare. Should your concerns relate to these services, please contact the NHS England Customer Contact Centre www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/
Compliments
We would also love to hear from you if things went well and if you have any feedback or compliments relating to local NHS services.
You can make your compliment via the following methods:
Telephone: 01952 580407
Email: stw.patientservices@nhs.net
In writing: Patient Services Team, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Wellington Civic Offices, Larkin Way, Tan Bank, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1LX
Confidentiality
Any information you give us, whether this is via a PALS enquiry or via a formal complaint, will be treated as strictly confidential.
We may need to collect personal information from you in order to provide the best possible service. However, we will not give your personal details to anyone without your consent.