Complaints
At Garden House Hospice Care we aim to give the best possible care to our patients, their families and carers. However, we recognise that there might be times when you are not satisfied with the service you have received. Ideally, if you have a particular concern please ask to speak to a senior member of staff. They may be able to resolve the problem straight away.
How do I make a formal complaint?
If you want to proceed with your complaint you can do this by talking to a senior member of staff. You may also put your complaint in writing to the Chief Executive or send it via email to complaints@ghhospicecare.org.uk. You may prefer to ask a person whom you trust to make a complaint on your behalf.
What will happen to my complaint?
Whether you make your complaint verbally, or in writing, your complaint will be handled sensitively and investigated appropriately.
When we receive notification of your complaint we will:
- Register the complaint in the Garden House Hospice Care digital reporting system
- Contact you within three working days (Monday - Friday)
- Send you a written acknowledgement within five working days
- Ensure that your concerns are thoroughly investigated
We aim to provide a full written response, from the person who investigates the complaint, within 30 working days. If it is not possible to send you a full response within this time scale, a letter explaining the delay will be sent to you.
How is the learning from complaints investigations used?
The recommendations from any investigation are used to improve hospice care and to ensure we deliver a high quality service.
What if I am not satisfied with the response to my complaint?
If you are not satisfied with how your complaint was handled or the response to your complaint, you can appeal to the Chief Executive or Board of Trustees to further investigate the complaint.
Requests should be made in writing to the Chief Executive within a period of 20 working days from the date of the Hospice's written response to your complaint.
If you wish take your complaint to the NHS Ombudsman, visit the NHS Ombudsman website 'Making a complaint' page and click on 'Can we look into your complaint?'. Alternatively you can call the Customer Helpline on 0345 015 4033 from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays.
What is the role of the Care Quality Commission?
Garden House Hospice Care is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is unable to investigate individual complaints. However, you can inform them of any concerns or complaints you have relating to the care given by Garden House Hospice Care; they will use this information when they are reviewing the service.
The CQC can be contacted by writing to Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4PA.
