This website is no longer being updated. NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group was abolished on 1 July 2022 and its functions were transferred to a new organisation, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board.

 

Please visit shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk to continue your search, and find out more about the new organisation.

Complaints, Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS is a free, informal, confidential help and advice service for everyone.

It is here to offer guidance and support and may be able to resolve any issues without the need for a formal complaint.

PALS will:

  • Help you get the information you need about the NHS;
  • Listen and respond to your concerns, suggestions or queries;
  • Sort out problems quickly on your behalf in an informal and friendly manner;
  • Use your feedback to help improve the services that we deliver.

There are several organisations who provide health and social care within the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin area and service users are encouraged to contact these organisations directly if they require any advice or have any concerns about the service that they have received.

Most organisations have a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). In addition to this, service users can also seek advice or raise concerns with the organisation who buys local services.

This may be the local Clinical Commissioning Group, the local authority or NHS England, depending on the service the query relates to.

Contact details for local PALS and Complaint Teams can be found here.

Complaints

All of our staff work hard to get things right but sometimes things don’t go as well as we would like them to.

Below you can find some brief information about the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCG complaint process. Or alternatively you can download a copy of our Complaints and Compliments Policy and Procedure.

How to make a complaint or raise a PALS enquiry:

You can make your complaint via the following methods:

Telephone: 01952 580407

Email: stwccg.patientservices@nhs.net

In writing: Patient Services Team, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCG, Halesfield 6, Telford, TF7 4BF

Will I be treated fairly?

We understand that some people worry about their treatment being adversely affected if they have raised a complaint. Please do not worry about this. Every complaint received is treated seriously and confidentially and will not affect future care or treatment.

Where possible we use comments, complaints and concerns, raised by patients and their representatives, to improve our services and the quality of care commissioned by us.

We also appreciate that those using the services we commission have different needs and we want to make sure that you do not face any unnecessary barriers to raising a complaint. Staff will be happy to discuss this with you to ensure that you are not disadvantaged in any way.

When should I make a complaint?

You should raise your complaint as soon as possible and within twelve months of you becoming aware of an issue.

We appreciate that this is not always possible, therefore if this time period has passed, please contact us to discuss whether it is still possible for an investigation to the undertaken.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will contact you within three working days of getting your complaint. We will then agree with you how we will look into your complaint and what you can expect.

We will also discuss timescales for the completion of the investigation. If your complaint relates to a service not directly provided by the CCG, the role of the CCG in this instance will be to coordinate a response from the provider organisation/s.

After your complaint has been thoroughly investigated, you will receive a written response to the concerns that you have raised.

Consent

There are some instances where the CCG needs to obtain formal consent in order to be able to take an enquiry forward. This may be because we need other organisations to share information with the CCG or may be because the person raising the concern is not the patient the concern relates to.

Where consent is required this will be discussed with you at the time that you raise your concerns.

I need help to make my complaint, who do I contact?

If you need assistance in raising a complaint, you can contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service. This service is free, independent and confidential and available to everyone. The organisations that provide this service vary depending on where you live.

Contact details are available below: 

Telford and Wrekin

PohWER:

  • Telephone: 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate)
  • Text: send the word 'pohwer' with your name and number to 81025
  • Email:pohwer@pohwer.net
  • By Post: PohWER, PO Box 14043, Birmingham B6 9BL
  • Website:pohwer.net

PohWER NHS Complaints Advocacy Leaflet


Shropshire

Healthwatch Shropshire:

What if I am unhappy with the way in which the NHS has handled my complaint?

You can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to consider your complaint further. There are timescales for raising your concerns with the PHSO and more information can be found via the website link below:

Telephone Helpline: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Compliments

We would also love to hear from you if things went well and if you have any feedback or compliments relating to local NHS services.

Confidentiality

Any information you give us, whether this is via a PALS enquiry or via a formal complaint, will be treated as strictly confidential.

We may need to collect personal information from you in order to provide the best possible service. However, we will not give your personal details to anyone without your consent.

Back to 'Contact Us'

Page last updated 1 September 2021