COMPLAINTS AND PALS AT UCLH

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COMPLAINTS AND PALS AT UCLH

• Alison Glover - complaints
• Sarah King - PALS

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RESOLVING PATIENTS CONCERNS

• Two teams working closely together and with
  trust departments to resolve patient concerns and
  improve services where necessary
• PALS
• Role is to provide general advice on UCLH
  services, sometimes NHS services/structure
  (referrals etc), and to resolve issues patients
  by liaising with the relevant clinical teams.
• Focus is on speedy resolution of patients
  concerns
• COMPLAINTS
• A formal process following complaints procedures
  laid down by the Department of Health
• Explicit processes and targets including external
  independent review by the Parliamentary Health
  Service Ombudsman

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COMPLAINT PROCESS

• Complaint received (via e.g. CEO's Office,
  Trust website)
• Sent to central complaints team assessed for
  risk / severity
• Registered on 'Datix'
• Sent to lead division for investigation
  (copied to others, eg CN)
• Telephone call to complainant to discuss
  complaint, approach to
• investigation timescales
• Investigation conducted
• Response prepared
• Sent to central complaints team, quality
  checked
• CEO covering letter drafted complaint sent
  to CEO for sign off

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NUMBER AND TYPES OF COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS

• Pals handled 3,378 cases in 2013 and
  approximately 4,200 quick enquiries
• 665 formal complaints received
• in 2013
• Types of concerns
• Access issues
• Administration / letters
• Environment / food
• Attitudes
• Nursing / medical care
• Clinical outcome

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HOW COMPLAINTS CONCERNS ARE USED TO IMPROVE
SERVICES

• Focus is on improving services to ensure future
  patients do not have similar problems
• Learning for individuals eg attitude /
  competency
• Subspecialty or departmental changes
• Capturing themes / triangulation of data
• Sharing learning across a division / the Trust

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EXAMPLES OF SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS

• The introduction of divisional Quality and
  Complaints Officers to act as first point of
  contact for PALS and Complaints
• The option of 'no treatment' must be explicitly
  discussed and documented during the consent
  process revised UCLH consent policy
• Development of clinical guidelines e.g. use of
  analgesia in the Emergency Department

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SERVICE IMPROVEMENT AT LOCAL LEVEL

• Complaints about the latent phase of labour
  progressing more rapidly than expected after
  initial assessment
• (It happens everywhere, and can result in BBA
  birth before arrival!)
• The action
• A tighter management protocol
• The creation of the Nest a place to sit it
  out in the Maternity Care Unit

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• UCLH Charity and Friends of UCLH
• Rachel Wilcox,Manager, PR and Discretionary
  Funds

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• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in service
  improvement
• Sameen Malik, Patient and Public Involvement
  Lead

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What is PPI and why should we do it?

• Gives people a say in how we do things at UCLH
• It helps us to
• Ensure services meet patient needs
• Identify areas for improvement
• Connect better to patients
• Monitor our progress
• Fulfil our legal requirement!

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What improvements have we made from PPI?
It might not always be easy to make changes but
you may help us to identify things we hadnt
thought about that can really make a difference
Positive experience, but couldnt find their way
to imaging
Patient with visual impairment
Route card to help patients find their way
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What improvements have we made from PPI?
It might not always be easy to make changes but
you may help us to identify things we hadnt
thought about that can really make a difference
Interviews revealed this was due to overhearing
conversations in the next bay
Patients felt staff sometimes talked as if they
werent there
Confidential warning sign on curtains was
introduced
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How can you get involved?

• Let us know of your areas of interest
• Tell us if you are happy to commit to something
  on-going or just as a one-off
• We will contact you when projects in your
  interest area come up

Sameen Malik
Ros Waring
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• Volunteers
• Andrea Kennedy, volunteer and patient governor