Confidentiality & complaints
Confidentiality
The Hospice keeps written and computerised records about the care and treatment you receive. Hospice team members need this information to assess your condition and to provide you with the best possible care and treatment.
Information about you is shared between Hospice team members on a 'need to know' basis. All who work at the Hospice, including volunteers, must follow a strict code of conduct regarding confidentiality.
We only share information about you with your family or friends with your consent.
Often it is necessary to share your information with professionals in other services who may be directly involved with your care or if you need treatment elsewhere. Your information will only be made available if there is a genuine need to do so. Such professionals might, for example, include GPs, ambulance services or social care services.
Should you have any concerns regarding how information about you is shared, please talk to one of the Hospice team.
Making a complaint
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, Lisa Hunt by emailing lisa.hunt@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 the Chief Executive will:
- Register the complaint in the Garden House Hospice Care Complaints Register
- Contact you within two 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 20 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.
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 request that the Board of Trustees of Garden House Hospice Care investigate the complaint.
A request for an investigation by the Board of Trustees of Garden House Hospice Care should be made, either verbally or 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's '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 the CQC 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 at the following address: Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4PA.
