MP constituent complaints

If you have a constituent who raises concerns with one of our services, please forward them to our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team via their email pet@secamb.nhs.uk. You can also speak to them by calling 0300 123 9242.

We will need consent from your constituent to release details from their medical records to you. A copy of our MP consent form is attached and should be completed and sent through with the details of the concerns. Alternatively, we can investigate and respond directly to your constituent who can share the outcome of our investigation with you.

Once received, our PALS team will review and grade your constituent’s complaint according to its apparent seriousness; this ensures it is investigated proportionately. These are:

· Level 2 – a complaint that appears to be straightforward, with no serious consequences for the patient / complainant, but needs to be sent to a manager of the service area concerned to investigate. These complaints are normally investigated and responded to within 35 working days.

· Level 3 – a complaint which is serious, having had clinical implications or a physical or distressing impact on the patient / complainant, or to be of a very complex nature. These complaints are normally investigated and responded to within 45 working days.

In the last financial year, 95% of complaints received were graded as level 2, with the remaining 5% as level 3. The grades allocated when a complaint is received are constantly reviewed during the investigation process and can be changed either during or on completion.

Our PALS team will acknowledge your constituents concerns and provide you with the timescale for the investigation to be completed and the response to be sent to you. This acknowledgement will be sent from the PALS officer who will oversee the investigation and will be the point of contact for your constituent’s complaint. You can also contact our PALS manager, Graham Parrish, via graham.parrish@secamb.nhs.uk should you need to escalate any issues.

Our PALS team are here to help, if your office has any questions regarding our complaint process, please contact them and they will be pleased to help.