Information on complaints

Introduction
What is a complaint?
What the Complaints Procedure covers
What cannot be dealt with through the Complaints Procedure
Who can complain?
How do I complain?
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Expected Behaviour
Responsibilities of complainants
What happens when I have complained?
What if I’m still dissatisfied?
Getting help to make your complaint
Consent
FAQs

Introduction to our Complaints Handling Procedure

Belfast Trust is committed to providing high-quality treatment and care. We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.

If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please let us know. This document describes our Complaints Handling Procedure and how to make a complaint. It also explains how we will handle your complaint and what you can expect from us.

Please do not be worried about complaining, it will not affect how we deal with you or the services you are receiving. We want to know about your concerns so that we can, where possible, make improvements or help resolve a problem for you.

The Belfast Trust Complaints Handling Procedure follows the framework and standards for complaints management in Health and Social Care Trusts established by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) in the “Model Complaints Handling Procedure for the Health and Social Care Sector”. A copy of this document can be found at: https://www.nipso.org.uk.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is:

“Any expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.”

If you need to complain about something, we encourage you to do so. We also understand that your complaint may involve more than one Health and Social Care body or service, or relate to both Health and Social Care services, or it may be about someone working on our behalf.

Complaints about an independent sector provider contracted to deliver a service on behalf of the Trust should be raised with the provider directly. If the complaint is not resolved, you may request further advice from the Trust regarding next steps.

What the Complaints Procedure covers

You can complain about issues such as:

Failure or refusal to provide a service
Inadequate quality or standard of care and treatment, or unreasonable delay in the provision of care
Failure to properly implement or follow policy, procedures, and standards
Failure to properly apply law, procedure, or guidance when delivering services
Failure to follow the appropriate administrative process
Poor conduct, behaviour, or attitude of a member of staff
A concern about the actions or service of an organisation delivering services on our behalf
Disagreement with a decision (except where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision, or an established appeals process)

What cannot be dealt with through the Complaints Procedure

There are some matters we are unable to deal with through our Complaints Handling Procedure, including:

A routine first-time request for a service (e.g., a request for an appointment or a specific course of treatment)
A request for a second opinion in respect of care or treatment
Matters relating to private healthcare or treatment
Matters relating to services not provided or funded by the NHS
A previously concluded complaint or a request to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision
A complaint made by an employee of the Trust or health service provider or other person in relation to their employment contract
A complaint that is being or has been previously investigated by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)
A complaint arising from a suggested failure to comply with a request for information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act
Matters where there is intent to or instigation of legal action
Matters where there is an ongoing criminal investigation

If other procedures can help you resolve your concerns, we will provide information and advice to assist you.

Who can complain?

Anyone who receives, requests, or is directly affected by our services, or a service contracted or commissioned by us, can make a complaint. This includes the representative of someone who is dissatisfied with our service (for example, a relative, friend, advocate, or adviser). If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, this will normally require the person’s verbal or written consent. Please also read the sections on Getting Help to Make Your Complaint and Consent.

How do I complain?

You can complain in person at the place where you received care, treatment, or advice, or where the incident you wish to complain about occurred.

It is easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. Please speak to a member of our staff at the relevant service. They will try to resolve any problems on the spot, if possible.

You can also complain by using our online form, by email, by phone, or in writing. The Belfast Trust Complaints Department can be contacted at:

By post:
Complaints Department
Belfast HSC Trust
7th Floor, McKinney House
Musgrave Park Hospital
Stockman’s Lane
Belfast, BT9 7JB

By email: complaints@belfasttrust.hscni.net
By phone: 028 9504 8000 (10am to 12pm & 2pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)

When submitting your complaint, please provide:

Your full name and address
Your phone number (if you are happy to provide it)
Your email address (if this is your preferred method of contact)
The full name, address, and date of birth of the person affected (if you are complaining on behalf of somebody else)
As much helpful detail as possible about the complaint
What has gone wrong
What outcome you are seeking

Providing this information will help us clearly identify the problem and determine what we need to do to resolve it.

How long do I have to make a complaint?

Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:

The event you want to complain about, or
Finding out that you have a reason to complain

In exceptional circumstances (for example, bereavement, poor health, communication difficulties, limited support, or if you have only recently become aware of the issue(s) of concern), we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why. If we decide that we cannot consider your complaint due to the time that has passed since the incident occurred, we will confirm our rationale in writing.

Expected Behaviour

Belfast Trust recognises that it can be challenging for complainants and services alike to manage complaints well, and that there can be high emotional content involved. It is important that anyone involved in a complaint feels adequately and appropriately supported.

To assist everyone involved in managing the complaint effectively, there should be a clear understanding of the expected behaviours from the outset, to ensure constructive dialogue aimed at resolving the concern.

Responsibilities of complainants

As a service user of the Trust, you have the right to expect the best possible services. If we fall short, you have the right to complain. When you complain, we ask you to follow these guiding principles:

Provide adequate details of your complaint
Set out clearly the cause for dissatisfaction
Provide accurate details and supporting correspondence or other relevant supporting evidence
If there has been a delay in submitting your complaint, explain the cause of that delay
Explain what you believe to be a satisfactory outcome
Treat our staff with good manners, politeness, and respect at all times
Accept that we will act fairly and promptly in dealing with your complaint
Be reasonable and open-minded and listen to reasonable explanations
Be realistic; it may not always be possible to achieve the outcome you want

What happens when I have complained?

We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint and/or provide you with contact information if you have further enquiries. Our Complaints Handling Procedure has two stages:

Stage 1: Frontline Response

We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. Where appropriate, this could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, with immediate action to resolve the problem.

Sometimes we will have to make some enquiries before we can respond to your complaint. Our aim is to give you our decision at Stage 1 within 5 working days or less; however, there may be circumstances where we need more time to provide you with a full and complete response. If this is the case, we will provide you with a decision within ten working days.

If we cannot resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why and tell you what you can do next. We will explain that a more detailed investigation may be required under Stage 2 of the Complaints Procedure. As a complainant, you may also request that your complaint is managed under Stage 2. Should you choose to do this, you should provide the Trust with details of what you remain dissatisfied with and the outcome you are seeking.

You can request that your complaint is escalated to Stage 2 at any stage of the Stage 1 Complaints Procedure. However, if the Trust has responded to your complaint at Stage 1 and you remain dissatisfied, you should request further investigation of your complaint at Stage 2 within 30 days of receiving the outcome at Stage 1. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a Stage 2 complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

Stage 2: Investigation

Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint:

Those that have not been resolved at Stage 1
Those that are complex and require a detailed investigation that cannot be achieved within 5 working days

At Stage 2 we will:

Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days
Where appropriate, discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are seeking
Try to resolve the complaint where possible through alternative resolution approaches such as mediation or conciliation
Explain the timeframe for a Stage 2 written response, which we should provide within 20 working days

If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will inform you, agree revised time limits, and keep you updated on progress.

What if I’m still dissatisfied?

After we have given you our final decision and response, if you are still dissatisfied with either our decision or the way in which we have dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) to investigate further.

NIPSO is the final stage for complaints about HSC services in Northern Ireland. NIPSO is an independent organisation that investigates complaints. The service provided by NIPSO is free. It is not an advocacy or support service (but there are other organisations who can help you with advocacy or support).

NIPSO generally expects complaints to be brought to them within six months of you receiving correspondence from us informing you that the complaints handling procedure is complete and of your right to refer your complaint to NIPSO.

NIPSO’s contact details are:
The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN
Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Web: https://www.nipso.org.uk

If you would like to visit NIPSO in person, you must make an appointment.
Their freepost address is: FREEPOST NIPSO.

If NIPSO cannot investigate your complaint and your complaint requires an alternative route for independent review, NIPSO will tell you and provide you with the relevant contact details.

Getting help to make your complaint

We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a service user who is dissatisfied with our service, as long as the service user has given their permission for us to deal with that person. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if the service user has given consent for a complaint to be made on their behalf. Please see also the section on Consent.

The Patient Client Council (PCC) is an organisation that provides free and confidential advice and support to service users and other members of the public in relation to HSC services. The service promotes an awareness and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of service users and can advise and support people who wish to make a complaint about an HSC organisation.

Further information and contact details can be found on the PCC website: www.pcc-ni.net
Freephone: 0800 917 0222
Email: info@pcc-ni.net

We are committed to making our services easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equality duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you to access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, tell us in person, contact us through an interpreter (if required) on 028 9504 8000 (10am to 12pm & 2pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), or email us at complaints@belfasttrust.hscni.net.

We can also provide information in other languages and formats, for example:

Easy read versions of your complaints information
Sign language videos of your complaints information
Complaint information in other languages
How to request information in other formats, for example, large font or in a different language
How to request an interpreter
Who to contact if the service user would like to discuss their accessibility requirements or has questions

Consent

When we look into a complaint, we may need to review information from the service user’s health or social care records to help us understand what happened and provide a full response.

It is good practice for us to explain what information may be shared, why it might be needed, and who may have access to it. Only staff directly involved in investigating the complaint will see this information, and it will be used solely for that purpose.

If a service user prefers that their information is not shared, we will respect their wishes. However, this may limit what we can investigate or the outcome we can provide. In some cases, we may still need to continue the investigation if there is an overriding public interest, such as a concern for safety.

Complaints by a third party should be made with the verbal or written consent of the individual concerned. There will be situations where it is not possible to obtain consent, such as when the:

Individual is a child and not of sufficient age or understanding to make a complaint on their own behalf
Individual is incapable (for example, rendered unconscious due to an accident)
Individual has impaired judgement as a result of a learning disability, mental illness, brain injury, or serious communication problems
Subject of the complaint is deceased
Delay in the provision of consent may result in a delay in the resolution of the complaint

If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, we will ask about your relationship to that person and will seek the consent, wherever possible, of that person in order to investigate the concerns.

Where it is not possible to obtain consent from the individual concerned, the Trust will consider the relationship between the service user and the representative and will respond to the complaint as fully as it is able to do so. Where lack of consent necessarily limits the response that the Trust can make, this will be explained to the complainant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who investigates my complaint?

When we receive a complaint, it is investigated by the service about which the complaint has been made. Where the complaint involves more than one service, those services will agree together on a lead for the investigation and ensure you receive a comprehensive response to all of your concerns.
What does the Complaints Department do?

The role of the Complaints Department and its staff is to provide support, advice, and general assistance both to complainants and to services to ensure that complaints are answered in accordance with the established complaints procedures. Importantly, the Complaints Department and its staff do not investigate complaints.
Who signs my response?

Where a complaint has required a written response from us, this will always be signed by an appropriate senior manager responsible for the service complained about.