Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust Quality Account 2016-2017

departments, noting the problem identified and the action taken. Completed forms should be sent
to the Complaints Department and the relevant manager.
If the person feels that the issue has not been resolved by the member of staff contact should be
made with the Head Nurse/Matron and a request made for them to speak with the patient/relative.
Many problems can be quite easily resolved by talking things through with the right person at the
right time. Misunderstandings can easily happen and are often very easy to put right.
Can anyone else help?
If the patient/relative does not wish to discuss their feelings with a member of staff then they should
be advised to contact PALS who focus on the following:
• Provide on the spot advice and support to patients, their families and carers
• Provide information on NHS services
• Listen to concerns, suggestions and queries
• Help sort out problems on behalf of the patient or their representative
PALS will aim to respond to all concerns and complaints within 3 working days, or within a
timescale agreed with the individual. If the person remains unhappy with the information and
response received and they wish to make a complaint then they should be advised to contact the
Complaints Department either in writing or by telephone.
Patients/relatives should be reassured that raising a complaint or concerns about their care will not
affect their treatment or care. All complaints are treated seriously and in confidence.
Through a recent inpatient survey it was identified that members of the public were unclear how to
raise concerns or make a complaint. In view of this the 4C’s posters and leaflets have been
reviewed and revised. The new information is more identifiable and visible and contains details
advising members of the public how to raise concerns and complaints. A relaunch of the 4C’s
process will take place during 2017.
Listening to our patients
Listening Event
In August 2016 we held a Patient listening event. The main theme was ‘Always Events’, and
therefore it was titled ‘What patients always want’. This is something which many organisations
have rolled out successfully in the past and we believe that, given the areas in which we need to
improve on for our Inpatient Survey, having events like this will help us improve further
Quality Conversation - Patient Engagement
In January 2017 a patient engagement event was held entitled ‘Quality Conversation- ‘A Winter
Warmer’. An invitation was sent out to over 1700 members of the hospital inviting them to attend
the evening.
Presentations were followed by the opportunity to talk with the presenters and a number of other
members of the senior team, and visit stands which were created especially for the event, which
was also attended by BBC Radio Northampton. Patients, carers and families were all given the
opportunity to write down any improvements which the Trust should focus on and also any areas in
which the Trust does particularly well.
50