Complaints
Board Meetings | Board Members | Board Members' Interests | Board Annual ReportsPolicies & Procedures | Corporate Governance Handbook | Complaints Procedure | Annual Review
The Board is committed to delivering high quality care for all patients. This includes making sure people are treated properly and promptly. However, sometimes people are dissatisfied with the service they have received and wish to make a complaint. When we receive a complaint we aim to provide a thorough response as quickly as possible.
A leaflet is available to help you make a complaint. It can be found in many places including all hospitals, health centres, the library, the Citizens Advice Bureau and Advocacy Shetland.
The leaflet is also available in a variety of formats and languages. To access the online versions, please click on the links below.
A British Sign Language (BSL) DVD of the information leaflet is available by contacting us on 01595 696767.
Please click here to watch the BSL version of the Complaints Leaflet online.
Please click here to listen to an MP3 audio version of the Complaints Leaflet.
Please click here to view an easy read version of the Complaints Leaflet with illustrations.
To view Making a complaint about the NHS click on the link. To view in other languages click on your language below.
Making A Complaint
The NHS in Shetland tries to give you the best possible care and treatment. Staff value comments, good or bad, to help them improve the service. If you are not happy about anything, please let a member of staff know straight away. Ideally this should be the nurse in charge, the head of the department or the practice manager in the case of a health centre. Very often they will be able to sort things out for you there and then.
The information that follows explains how to complain using the NHS complaints procedure.
What can I complain about?
Things you can complain about include:
- care or treatment you have had or are having in the NHS;
- anything to do with the place where you are seen, for example, a doctor's surgery, a hospital or an ambulance;
- any member of NHS staff involved in your care;
- how NHS services in Shetland are organised, if you think this has affected your care or treatment.
If your complaint involves another part of the NHS or another organisation, such as social services, we will deal with the complaint or pass it on to someone in the other organisation. You will be told who is dealing with your complaint.
What can't I complain about?
There are some things you can't complain about through the NHS complaints procedure, and these include:
- private health care or treatment (i.e. care or treatment that is available from the NHS that you have elected to obtain privately);
- services not provided or funded by the NHS, and;
- something which you are taking legal action about.
The NHS complaints procedure doesn't usually provide financial compensation. If you want advice about financial compensation, you should contact the Citizens Advice Bureau or a solicitor.
Where to get help to complain
Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS)
The IASS aims to support patients, their carers and relatives in their dealings with the NHS and in other matters affecting their health. Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland are now funded by local NHS Boards to deliver an Independent Advice and Support Service.
They can help with:
Feedback, comments and complaints
If you have comments or complaints about the treatment you have received in hospital, from your GP, dentist, nurse or any part of the NHS, and are not sure what to do next:
- The IASS can help you raise concerns with the NHS care provider and resolve issues informally;
- The IASS can also guide you through the formal NHS complaints procedure, and support you in your dealings with the NHS.
- Health improvement information If ill-health or disability is having an impact on other areas of your life, the IASS can:
- Help with information on your rights to NHS services;
- Assist with information on dealing with the consequences of ill-health or disability, for example with accessing disability benefits;
- Provide advice on a wide range of non-health issues.
You can contact the Shetland IASS service at Citizens Advice Bureau, Market House 14 Market Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0JP
View map
Tel. no. 01595 694696
Fax. no. 01595 696776
Email sicab@zetnet.co.uk (all emails to this address are received by the Citizens Advice Bureau Manager only (or deputy in his absence) and are treated confidentially).
Leaflets about the service are available from the Citizens Advice Bureau locally and from the Board. Please click here if you would like to look at the Independent Advice and Support leaflet online.
Please click here to view the Independent Advice and Support leaflet in a range of community languages, then click on your language.
Advocacy
If you find it difficult to make a complaint yourself and want someone to speak for you, you can ask for an independent advocate. An independent advocate is someone from outside the NHS who can speak for you or help you express your views. To find out more about Advocacy, please contact:
Advocacy Shetland
Market House
14 Market Street
Lerwick
Shetland Tel: 01595 743929/743940
Who can complain?
You can complain if it is about something that happened to you.
Alternatively, a relative, carer, friend or your advocate can complain for you but only with your agreement.
Normally, you must complain within six months. If you think you have missed your chance, tell us anyway. Sometimes we can deal with a complaint even if it is late.
How to complain
Speak to someone there and then.
Whenever possible you should tell someone close to the cause of your complaint. Ideally this should be the nurse in charge, the head of the department or practice manager. Very often they will be able to sort things out straight away.
Contact the Complaints Officer
The Board's Complaints Officer is Pheona Horne . If you need help to make a complaint, she will either help you or advise you how to get independent help if you would prefer that.
The way to complain
Contact the Complaints Officer
Pheona Horne
Brevik House
South Road
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0TG
Phone: 01595 743064 (direct line)
Fax: 01595 696727
Textphone: 18001 01595 743064
Please click to Email Pheona
Family Doctors (GPs), Dentists, Chemists or Opticians
If your complaint is about any of the above services you should complain directly to the practice or the individual concerned. However if you would prefer to talk to someone not involved in your care you can contact the Complaints Officer or write to the Board's Chief Executive.
Write to the Chief Executive
If you wish you can write directly to the Board's Chief Executive. She can be contacted at:
Sandra Laurenson
Chief Executive
Shetland NHS Board
Brevik House
South Road
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0TG
Please click to Email Sandra
Your letter of complaint should include:
- Your full name and address (in most instances, without a name and address a compaint cannot be investigated);
- The name and address of the person concerned if you are complaining on someone's behalf.
If English is not your first language, please feel free to write your letter of complaint in your own language.
It will help us to look into your complaint is you tell us:
- What took place
- When it happened (date and time)
- Where it happened
- Who was involved
We will keep information about you private. We will make a record of your details and complaint, and use it to help us make services better.
How quickly will the complaint be dealt with?
We will try to acknowledge formal complaints within 3 working days. We will then thoroughly investigate your complaint and send you a detailed reply in writing within 20 working days. Complaints about GPs, dentists, chemists or opticians will normally be replied to within 10 working days.
If our investigations are taking longer than usual, we will write to you to explain the reason and tell you when we expect to be able to send you a final response.
Ask for a further meeting
If you remain dissatisfied when you have received our reply, you may ask for a further meeting with an appropriate senior member of staff. It is important that you tell us exactly why you are not satisfied with the reply we have sent you and make clear to us what aspect of your complaint you feel has not been fully addressed.
What happens next?
We will write and tell you we have got your complaint. We will send another letter to tell you what we found out and what we are going to do about it.
If you are still unhappy
If you are still not happy you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Telephone: 0800 377 7330 |
 |
LATEST DECISIONS REACHED BY THE SCOTTISH PUBLIC SERVICES OMBUDSMAN
To find out what happens to complaints that reach the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and for further information about the service the organisation provides, click Ombudsman Reports.