We are always keen to hear about your experience — as a patient, a carer or resident of Lancashire and South Cumbria. We appreciate all feedback, and will use it to improve our services.
We want to make sure we are open, honest and transparent commissioners of care. It's our intention to be truthful in all our dealings with patients and the public.
You don’t ever need to worry about the service you receive in future being adversely affected because you have made a complaint. We take all comments seriously and will use the information to review our services and make improvements, where needed.
You can get in touch with us directly if you have a complaint, an enquiry, a comment or a compliment. You could choose to contact your local MP who can contact us on your behalf. We will also encourage our staff to share information with us when they are concerned.
Contact the patient experience team: mlcsu.lscpatientexperience@nhs.net
If you are unhappy about any part of your care, treatment, or the way services are provided to you let us know as soon as you can. This makes it easier to put things right.
You should make a complaint within 12 months of the event(s) concerned or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about.
The first stage of the complaints procedure is called local resolution. You can make a complaint either about the actions of Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) or about the services we commission by contacting our patient experience team by freephone, email or letter.
Our opening hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
If your complaint is about the health or care provided to you by a local NHS service, you should first try to resolve it with them directly. If you are not able to do that you can contact us, and we can manage complaints about the services we commission.
It may be that your concerns can be resolved without making a formal complaint. However, if you do wish to pursue a complaint you can do this in writing, verbally, face to face or by email to the NHS organisation concerned. Alternatively, you can complain directly to us as the service commissioner.
We, with the provider of the service, will make sure your complaint is investigated, and a response is sent to you in a timely way.
If you need to make your complaint verbally, a member of our patient experience team will put this in writing for you. You will be given the opportunity to discuss your concerns with a member of the team and say what outcome you would like.
The timescale for the response will be agreed with you and you will receive a written acknowledgement confirming the points of your complaint that will be investigated.
Following an investigation into your complaint you will be sent a formal response from our chief executive or their delegate, including our explanation, conclusions and any action taken or learning.
Consent
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we will need their consent to proceed with the complaint.
Please see all contact details below.
The patient experience team welcome any views and enquiries about our local NHS and we offer free and confidential help and advice. We call this the patient advice and liaison service (PALS).
It is your opportunity to let us know what it is like to receive NHS services as a patient, relative, friend or carer.
It offers you the chance to provide comments, compliments or raise concerns about services you have received and helps the ICB ensure that high quality, responsive services are always available to you.
If we cannot resolve any concerns informally, we can advise you how to make a complaint.
Patient experience team
Jubilee House
Lancashire Business Park
Leyland
PR26 6TR
Freephone: 0800 032 2424
Email: mlcsu.lscpatientexperience@nhs.net
If you have a complaint or concern about your GP practice, dentist, pharmacy or optician, whether clinical or administrative, you should initially raise this directly with your practice.
If you are unable to resolve your concern with the practice informally you can make a formal complaint.
All practices have a complaints policy which is available on the practice website. Alternatively, you can make your complaint to NHS England using one of the methods described below.
Please note that the ICB is unable to become involved in complaints which are solely about primary care as these are currently managed either by the practice directly or NHS England.
You can complain or give feedback to NHS England
By post to:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net stating ‘For the attention of the complaints team’ in the subject line.
By telephone: (freephone) 0300 311 22 33
If you require independent advice about the complaints process, there are organisations which can help. They can support people by helping to write letters, prepare people for meetings and accompany them as well, and help people to know their options at every stage of a complaint.
Please see the relevant details below depending on where you live.
Fylde and Wyre
Advocacy Access
Telephone: 0345 456 3210
Textphone: 07886 744 634
Fax: 0300 323 0966
Email: contact@advocacyaccess.org.uk
East Lancashire
N-Compass
Telephone: 01253 362140
Email: admin@ncompassnorthwest.co.uk
West Lancashire
Advocacy Access
Telephone: 0345 456 3210
Textphone: 07886 744 634
Fax: 0300 323 0966
Email: contact@advocacyaccess.org.uk
Morecambe Bay
Advocacy Access
Telephone: 0345 456 3210
Textphone: 07886 744 634
Fax: 0300 323 0966
Email: contact@advocacyaccess.org.uk
Blackpool
Empowerment
Tel: 0300 32 32 100
Email: admin@empowermentcharity.org.uk
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your complaint, we will undertake further investigation to resolve it to your satisfaction. However, if you are still not happy, you can report it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman may investigate complaints on your behalf, but only if your complaint has already been investigated locally. There is no charge for this service and the ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Telephone: 0345 015 4033 (open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
