Report on the Complaints process at University Hospitals Plymouth

Report - 10 July 2024

Following the recovery of NHS Services after the Covid-19 pandemic, Healthwatch Plymouth held conversations with the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) manager at University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) in late 2022 to see how we could collaboratively work with them around the findings from the Healthwatch England report. It was agreed for HWP to independently interview individuals via telephone contact who had recently been through the complaints process at UHP and who had consented to be contacted by HWP.

This report is the findings from those conversations, a brief summary of the findings and recommendations is below.

By Healthwatch in Devon Plymouth and Torbay

This Healthwatch Plymouth summary report draws on the experiences that we recorded during conversations with patients or relatives who had recently been through the complaints process at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. These conversations took place during April and May 2023 over the phone and consisted
of a mix of binary Yes/No questions with the chance to expand on each of these responses. Whilst this is a relatively small number of interviews, the following key
findings have been identified from this engagement activity that reflect some of the Healthwatch England 2020 report findings:

  • Complainants felt that the process was not timely;
  • They did not feel involved in the process;
  • Individuals felt that their complaint was not always fully understood and subsequently the response was incomplete;
  • They were unsure if, or were not confident that, the Trust had learnt from their experience.

Our Recommendations

  1. From the information provided by individuals to Healthwatch based on the Complaints Reference Number, that an audit against service lines is made to identify where the process may not be as robust.
  2. Carry out a review of the complaints process including timelines to ensure it remains ‘fit for purpose’ or to identify where improvement can be made to the process.
  3. From the review, identify any additional or refresher training for staff involved in the process to improve patient experience, particularly around involvement, communication, and assurance around Trust learning.
  4. Consider adding a ‘quick link’ to the UHPNT Website Homepage for concerns/complaints. Healthwatch accepts that there is a link to PALS in the ‘About Us’ section but adding a quick link makes it more prominent and subconsciously says that the hospital takes concerns/complaints seriously.

Downloads

File download
HWP UHP Complaints - Patient Experience Summary Report 2023
Download (PDF 436 KB)

“We would like to thank Healthwatch Devon, Plymouth & Torbay for their comprehensive report highlighting the importance of an effective complaint system in health and social care. The report, based on interviews with previous complainants provides valuable insights that will help us to improve our complaint services with both immediate and long-term impacts." Part of University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust's Response.

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