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Help making a complaint
Take a look at our practical resources to help you make a complaint about NHS health and social care services.
We know that making a complaint about NHS or social care services can be confusing so Healthwatch England has worked with Citizens Advice to produce a series of guides to help you make a complaint or raise a concern.
You can find out more about what's involved in making a complaint about a particular service and see what your next steps might be. There are tips and tools such as letter templates and other practical resources to support you to make an effective complaint. You can also contact us for further advice about making your complaint.
Complaints about GPs
The care you receive from a GP is usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. This page tells you where to start when you want to sort out a problem with a GP.
What might you want to complain about?
You can make a complaint about any aspect of a GP's care. Here are just some examples of when you might want to complain, but remember that you could complain about something a GP did or didn't do, even if it isn't on this list:
not being able to get an appointment to see your GP. The government target is that you should be able to get an appointment for an urgent medical problem within 48 hours
an incorrect diagnosis
incorrect treatment
problems with your GP out-of-hours service
there's been an unreasonable delay in diagnosis or treatment
there's been an unreasonable delay in telling you the results of tests
your GP ignores important symptoms
bad communication
your GP doesn't provide appropriate pain relief
clinical negligence resulting in personal injury
the behaviour of staff at your GP surgery
consent issues. For example, you weren't given information about the severe side effects of a certain medication so you weren't able to make an informed choice about consenting to the treatment
discrimination, for example, you're not given proper treatment because of your disability. This is against the law
lack of patient confidentiality. For example, the GP receptionist refuses to make you an appointment unless you tell her what is wrong with you. You're concerned by this, because everyone else in the waiting room can hear
errors in medical records, or loss of medical records
a refusal (or an unreasonable delay) to provide information about your medical condition for things like a benefits or insurance claim, or when information is requested by the DVLA so you can drive again
refusal to make an appropriate referral to a hospital
delays in passing on information to other professionals
refusing to prescribe you a drug that you need. But you can't complain if it's a drug that the GP isn't allowed to prescribe on the NHS, or if it's a drug which a GP may only prescribe in certain circumstances or for specific patient groups
If you have an issue with a GP practice, it is often best to contact the Practice Manager first to see if they can resolve the issue. They may be able to resolve the issue or to explain why they can't. You can also ask them for the practice's complaints policy to make a formal complaint.
Alternatively, you can choose to complain to NHS England (who commission GP services). You might choose to do this if, for example, you do not feel comfortable about complaining directly to your GP, so you could complain to NHS England instead. NHS England will use the same NHS complaints procedure that your GP would use.
NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
england.contactus@nhs.net. Put 'For the attention of the complaints manager' in the subject line.
Further details about complaining to NHS England
You might want to consider registering with a new GP practice. You can find out about other practices from the NHS Choices website or contact NHS England at the contact details above if you need more help with that.
Other advice from NHS Choices:
What should I do if my GP removes me from their list?
About GP practices - Choosing a GP/Registering with a GP
Patient choice of GP practices
Who is responsible for GP services?
It can be confusing to work out who is responsible and who you can raise your concerns with. Most GPs are not employed directly by the NHS. They have a contract to provide NHS services. They employ their own staff and therefore if you have concerns about a member of staff at the GP surgery, you can complain to the GP who employs them. GPs aren't usually responsible for out-of-hours services - see below. At every GP surgery, there has to be a procedure to deal with complaints, and someone who is responsible for dealing with complaints.
NHS England is responsible for a GP's contract and making sure that GPs carry out the terms of their contracts.
More about NHS England
Out-of-hours services
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) buy or commission out-of-hour services on behalf of individual GP surgeries. These services are usually provided by another organisation, but sometimes they could be provided by your GP. If you have a concern about out-of-hours services, you could make your complaint either directly to the out-of-hours provider or to the CCG.
More about CCGs
Individual healthcare professionals
Each individual healthcare professional that looks after you must provide a good standard of care. This is a legal duty and it's also required by the regulatory body of the professional. In the case of a doctor, this is the General Medical Council and in the case of a nurse at your GP's surgery this is the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This means you can take action against an individual GP or other healthcare professionals if they don't provide this standard of care.
The General Medical Council (GMC) website provides advice on the process if you have concerns about a doctor.
GMC website or call 0161 923 6602
More about the General Medical Council
More about the Nursing and Midwifery Council
What are your options?
Depending on what you want to achieve, you may have different options to make a complaint:
Use the NHS complaints procedure
Take legal action, for example, for clinical negligence, discrimination or for breach of your human rights. This can be expensive - take legal advice before considering this option
Reporting concerns to your GP's regulatory body
Reporting concerns to someone else such as Healthwatch, NHS England, or the press
If you're thinking of making a complaint about the medical treatment which you did or didn't receive, you may find it helpful to obtain a copy of your medical records first.
You may be someone who works in a GP surgery and is concerned about unsafe work practices or lack of care by other professionals. There are special procedures to follow to raise your concerns.
Depending on the circumstances, it can be difficult or distressing to make a complaint about a GP. It's usually best to get help to do this. For example, you can contact us for advice or VoiceAbility for complaints advocacy support.
NHS and adult social care services complaints - deciding what outcomes you want to achieve
Deciding whether you should make a complaint about the NHS
Checklist to help you decide whether to make a complaint about health or adult social care services
NHS complaints process flowchart
How to make a complaint about NHS services
Complaining to a clinical commissioning group about services they commissioned
Complaining to NHS England about procedures, or services they commissioned
Problems with NHS and adult social care - complaining to the Care Quality Commission
Health and adult social care regulatory bodies - reporting professional misconduct or concerns about fitness to practice
NHS problems - taking legal action
Clinical negligence in the NHS - taking legal action
Organisations that can help you make a complaint about health services
Whistleblowing - how a staff member can report a problem in the NHS or an adult social care service
Human Rights Act
NHS patients' rights (includes information about access to medical records)
Discrimination in health and care services
NHS hospital complaints
The care you receive in an NHS hospital is usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. This page tells you where to start when you want to sort out a problem with an NHS hospital.
Who does this information apply to?
This information applies to all patients in NHS hospitals. It also applies if you're being treated in a private hospital when the treatment is funded by the NHS, for example, under the Choose and Book Scheme. It doesn't apply if you:
are a patient in a private hospital paying for your own treatment
are a private patient in an NHS hospital. However, you could make a complaint about someone who is supporting your treatment if they are on an NHS contract
want to challenge your detention in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. There is a special appeal procedure for this. But you can still complain about hospital care and treatment even if you're a detained patient
What you might want to complain about
Here are just some examples of things you may have concerns about. But remember you can complain about other things even if they are not on this list:
important symptoms have been ignored
a medical product has failed
failure to provide appropriate pain relief
failure to provide proper nutrition and hydration
waiting a long time for treatment - for example, you shouldn't normally have to wait longer than 18 weeks for consultant-led treatment from the date when your GP referred you. Patients with urgent conditions such as cancer should be able to see a specialist more quickly - you should be seen by a specialist within a maximum of two weeks from GP referral
your operation is cancelled - for example, if your operation is cancelled by the hospital at the last minute (on or after the day of admission, including the day of surgery) for non-medical reasons, the hospital should offer you another date within the next 28 days, or fund your treatment at a time and hospital of your choice
the standard of cleanliness in the hospital
the behaviour of NHS staff
the quality or appropriateness of treatment
consent issues - for example, if you weren't given information about the severe side effects of a certain medication, you wouldn't be able to make an informed choice about consenting to the treatment
how and when you were discharged from hospital. For example, you shouldn't be discharged from hospital until you've had an assessment of your continuing healthcare needs and, where necessary, of your community care needs. If necessary, arrangements should be made to make sure you'll receive any services you need when you're discharged. You may complain if you feel that you're being discharged too early or if you're awoken in the night to be discharged or if you think you should qualify for NHS continuing healthcare. Before you're discharged, you have the right to ask for a review of the decision which has been made about whether you qualify for NHS continuing healthcare
discrimination, for example, you're not given proper treatment because of your disability or age - this is against the law
hospital visits - for example, your child is in hospital and you feel that the visiting hours are too restricted
you've been placed in a mixed-sex ward without a good reason
you're given medication that is unsuitable even though your family have explained why this medication shouldn't be given to you
Do Not Resuscitate notices are placed in a patient's records without their knowledge or consent and without discussing this with their family.
Who is responsible for hospital care?
It can be confusing to work out who is responsible for your care in a hospital and who you can raise your concerns with.
NHS hospital trusts
NHS hospital services are run and managed by NHS trusts, who are responsible for making sure that hospitals provide high-quality healthcare. The Chief Executive of the hospital has overall responsible for those services.
NHS care in private hospitals
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) buy or commission hospital services and this could include commissioning treatment in a private hospital. If there's a problem and you don't want to complain directly to the private hospital, you can contact the CCG to raise concerns and they have a duty to follow up your complaint.
Your GP
Apart from emergency care, hospital treatment is arranged through your GP and so if there are problems with your care at the hospital, you could also inform your GP.
This is particularly the case if your GP has referred you to a private hospital for NHS treatment and you have concerns there – go back to your GP if, for example, the hospital is asking you to pay towards the treatment or is suggesting you take further diagnostic tests that the GP hasn't referred you for.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for buying or commissioning hospital care. You can make a complaint to them if:
you're unhappy with the care you get in a NHS hospital or in a private hospital with a contract to provide NHS services, and
you don't want to raise your concern directly with the hospital
If you're unhappy with the way that a CCG deals with your complaint, you can report them to NHS England.
Your consultant has overall responsibility for your clinical care in the hospital. The NHS Choices website includes details of your consultant's outcomes in certain medical areas - you might want to have a look at this before you make a complaint about a consultant.
Also, each individual healthcare professional that looks after you must provide a good quality of care. This is a legal duty and it is also required by their regulatory body. This means you can take action against a healthcare professional if they don't provide this quality of care.
Depending on what happened and what you want to achieve, you may have different options to make a complaint:
use the NHS complaints procedure. This can also be used for concerns about treatment by a private hospital if the care is paid for by the NHS
take legal action, for example, for clinical negligence, discrimination or for breach of your human rights
report concerns to the regulatory body, the General Medical Council
report concerns to other bodies such as the Care Quality Commission, the CCG, your local Healthwatch, the press, or the NHS Choices website
What should you do if a relative has died because of a medical accident
Usually, the hospital will report unexpected deaths to the coroner. Coroners are responsible for investigating any death where someone hasn't died from natural causes, though they don't investigate stillbirths. However, sometimes the hospital doesn't inform the coroner, for example, if a doctor feels that someone died of natural causes or that there was nothing unusual.
If you think that there was something unusual about the death and there should be an inquest, you should ask the hospital if they are referring it to the coroner. Or you could contact the coroner directly. You should tell the coroner about your concerns as soon as you can. The coroner will decide whether an inquest or a public hearing should be held.
If you're in this situation, get advice from a specialist.
You can find out the contact details of the coroner by emailing: coroners@justice.gsi.gov.uk or phoning 020 3334 3555 (ask to speak to the Coroners, Burials, Cremation and Inquiries team).
You may be someone who works in an NHS hospital and is concerned about unsafe work practices or lack of care by other professionals. There are special procedures to follow to raise your concerns.
Depending on the circumstances, it can be difficult or distressing to make a complaint. It's usually best to get help to do this. For example, you can contact us for advice or VoiceAbility for complaints advocacy support.
Local complaints contacts
Complaining about NHS mental health services - detained (sectioned) patients
Deciding what outcomes you want to achieve
NHS complaints - taking legal action
Complaints about private healthcare
The Human Rights Act 1998
NHS dentist complaints
NHS dental care is usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. This page tells you where to start if you have a problem with an NHS dentist.
NHS dentists have to follow certain standards and rules and if they don't, you can make a complaint. Here is a list of some things that could go wrong but remember if a problem comes up that isn't on this list, you still may be able to complain. Examples include:
poor care
cross-infection issues, for example, using dirty equipment
the dentist is under the influence of drink or drugs
mistakes in prescribing drugs, for example, prescribing antibiotics without checking whether you're allergic to them
you're charged more for the treatment than you expected
the dentist fails to give you a treatment plan
the dentist doesn't get valid consent from you before treatment
bad communication, for example, your dentist doesn't explain why a certain course of treatment is necessary or how much the treatment will cost
poor record-keeping
discrimination, for example, a dentist refuses to treat you just because of your race
You can't find an NHS dentist who is accepting new patients
NHS England buys or commissions dental services to meet the needs of the local population, for both urgent and routine dental care. There may be a high demand for NHS dentists in some areas, and you may have to join a waiting list. You can do this by getting in touch with NHS England. You'll be contacted as soon as an appointment is available but if this isn't within a reasonable time, you should complain to NHS England, rather than to an individual dentist who refuses to take you on.
Private dental services offered by NHS dentists
When you see a dentist as an NHS patient, the dentist agrees to provide, on the NHS, any treatment that you need to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free from pain.
Some treatment isn't available on the NHS, such as white fillings in back teeth or dental implants (unless you have an exceptional clinical need for these). You have to pay privately for these treatments. The dentist is allowed to offer to do part of your treatment on the NHS and part of your treatment privately, which you must pay more for. However, the dentist must make it clear to you which treatment can be provided on the NHS and which treatment can only be provided privately.
Your dentist must not press you into having treatment privately if it's available on the NHS, and they should explain all of your options and the costs to you before they start your treatment. If you've been getting NHS treatment, you should be given a form (FP17DC) to sign to agree to begin private treatment.
You can make a complaint if your dentist doesn't keep to these rules - see below.
Concerns about advertising
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can look into complaints about misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements by dentists. The ASA can change or remove a problematic advertisement.
The contact details of the ASA are:
Advertising Standards Authority Limited
Mid City Place
71 High Holborn
WC1V 6QT
Website: www.asa.org.uk
If the clinic is unclean or unsafe
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides information about risks in health care that can affect employees and anyone using these services. The HSE can visit any workplace at any time to carry out a health and safety inspection.
They can investigate following a report of an injury or suspected unsafe working practice which may breach health and safety legislation.
You can find the contact details of your local HSE office on their website at www.hse.gov.uk.
If the clinic is unclean or unsafe, you could also make a complaint to NHS England who buys or commissions the service - see below.
Who is responsible for NHS dental services?
NHS dentists are commissioned by NHS England and have a contract with NHS England to provide services. Other staff at a dental surgery are usually employed by the dentist who has the responsibility for making sure they carry out their duties properly.
Making a complaint about dental services
Depending on what you want to achieve, you may have different options to make a complaint about dental services, for example:
report concerns to NHS England, or your local Healthwatch
report concerns to the Care Quality Commission - see below
take legal action
report a dentist to their regulatory body - see below
Using the NHS complaints procedure
If your dentist isn't providing appropriate treatment on the NHS, you can use the NHS complaints procedure because the dentist is in breach of their NHS contract. The solution to the problem could be that the dentist is told to provide appropriate NHS treatment.
You can't use the NHS complaints procedure to complain about private treatment carried out by an NHS dentist. You should send these complaints to the Dental Complaints Service run by the General Dental Council -see below.
If an NHS dentist is pressing a patient into having private care which is available on the NHS, this could be a breach of the ethical standards that dentists must follow. If this happens, you can contact the General Dental Council - see below.
You might want to consider registering with a new dentist. You can find out about other practices from the NHS Choices website or contact NHS England at the contact details above if you need more help with that.
NHS dental services explained
Reporting concerns to the Care Quality Commission
Dentists have to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the CQC carry out regular inspections of dental services. You can read their inspection reports on their website at www.cqc.org.uk. You can report concerns about a dental service to the CQC, for example, if you think a dental surgery isn't keeping to the standards about cleanliness and cross-infection. But the CQC can't usually investigate individual complaints.
Reporting concerns to the regulatory body
All dentists have to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) which is their regulatory body. The standards of the GDC apply to:
dental nurses
dental technicians
If a dental professional doesn't meet these standards, they may be removed from the register and won't be able to work as a dental professional. You can contact the GDC if you have a concern about the fitness to practice of an NHS dentist. An example is if an NHS dentist is pressuring you to have private treatment that is available on the NHS. The GDC website is www.gdc-uk.org/patients/raising-a-concern
If you had private dental treatment
If you have already made a formal approach to the practice, and the problem has not been resolved, you can contact the Dental Complaints Service (DCS). The DCS provides a free and impartial service to help private dental patients and dental professionals to settle complaints about private dental care fairly and efficiently.
The DCS can deal with your complaint if you would like an apology, a refund or a contribution to the cost of further treatment. They cannot deal with claims for compensation, or with complaints about dental plans.
If your private treatment was through a dental plan, you should contact your plan provider as they will have a complaints process.
Dental records
If you're thinking of making a complaint about your dental treatment, you may find it helpful to get a copy of your dental records first.
Checklist to help you decide whether you should make a complaint about adult social care services
Mental health services complaints
If you're unhappy about your treatment for a mental health problem, you may be able to make a complaint. This applies whether you've given consent to be treated or whether you've been admitted to hospital for treatment without your consent under the Mental Health Act (that is, you're a detained, or sectioned patient). In these pages, we tell you more about complaints about mental health services and we also explain how you can challenge a decision to detain you.
This content applies to England
Detained (sectioned) patients
Explains what happens when a mental health patient is detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the right to complain if you are not happy with the services received.
Appealing against detention in hospital
Explains how to appeal if you think you should not have been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. Covers asking for a manager's review and applying to the First-tier Tribunal.
Patients accessing services voluntarily
Explains what is meant by an informal mental health patient, why you might want to complain about the mental health services you have received, who is accountable for services and the options available for making a complaint.
Complaints about other NHS services
NHS care is usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. This page tells you more about how to raise concerns about health services that aren't GPs, hospitals and dentists.
Who might you need to complain about?
The following list contains just some examples of professionals who provide NHS services:
nurses, including community and family nurses
ambulance staff and paramedics
sexual health professionals
professionals working in preventative care, for example, stop smoking clinics
healthcare professionals working in prison
Remember that you can make a complaint about anyone working in the NHS, even if they aren't in the list above.
The rules about making a complaint apply to NHS bodies or other organisations who have a contact to provide NHS services. If you have a concern, you can raise it directly with whoever is providing the service. Or you could raise it with whoever buys or commissions the service. It isn't always easy to know exactly who commissions these services, and therefore who is responsible for them.
Who commissions NHS services?
A clinical commissioning group (CCG) is responsible for commissioning:
community health services such as speech and language therapy, wheelchair services and home oxygen services (but not public health services such as health visiting and family nursing)
maternity and new-born services
children's healthcare services
services for people with learning disabilities
NHS continuing healthcare for most people (but not for prisoners or people serving in the armed forces)
infertility services for most people (but not for prisoners or people serving in the armed forces)
Here are some of the things that NHS England is responsible for commissioning:
public health services for women who are pregnant and for children aged 0 to 5. This includes health visiting
ante-natal and newborn screening services
immunisation programmes
health services for people in prison and people serving in the armed forces and their families
pharmaceutical services provided by community pharmacy services
primary ophthalmic services, NHS sight tests and optical vouchers
sexual assault referral services
The local authority
The local authority is responsible for commissioning certain health services, for example:
the healthy child programme for school-age children, including school nursing
sexual health services, for example, sexual health advice and the testing and treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases
drug and alcohol misuse services, including prevention and treatment
stop smoking services
If you want to raise concerns or provide feedback about your local public health services, you can complain directly to whoever is providing the service or you can contact the Director of Public Health at your local authority. If you aren't satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman if you think you've suffered injustice because of maladministration by the local authority. Maladministration means the way that the local authority has dealt with a situation or reached a decision.
Healthcare in prisons
Prisoners should have access to the same range and quality of health services, including mental health services, as the general public receives from the NHS. NHS England is responsible for commissioning health services for prisoners.
If a prisoner has problems with their healthcare in prison and wants to make a complaint, they should use the NHS complaints procedure rather than the prison complaints procedure. However, the NHS complaints procedure doesn't apply in privately-run prisons if the NHS doesn't have a contract to provide services there. In these cases, the prison should have its own procedure to make complaints about health services.
The prison may have a Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) which provides information about the NHS and can help to sort out concerns or problems.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care services. They are responsible for monitoring and inspecting all hospitals, GP practices, dentists and community health services. They don't investigate individual complaints but they do want to hear about people's experiences of health care - both good and bad experiences.
If the nurse or midwife is working in an NHS hospital, go to NHS hospital complaints
If the nurse is working in a GP's surgery, go to Complaints about GPs
Other nurses may work in schools or in the community, for example, as a health visitor or community mental health. You can use the NHS complaints procedure to raise concerns about the care provided by all nurses, health visitors and midwives. They are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) so you could contact the NMC to raise concerns about their fitness to practice.
If you want to complain about a pharmacist working in a hospital, go to NHS hospital complaints.
If your complaint is about high street or community pharmacies, you can use the NHS complaints procedure if they are dispensing NHS prescriptions or providing NHS services. Or you could contact their regulatory body, which is the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC). The GPC can deal with concerns about the professional conduct of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians or the owners of a pharmacy, and with serious customer service issues such as:
dosage or labelling mistakes
criminal behaviour
being on duty under the influence of drugs or alcohol
The GPC don't deal with problems to do with non-medical products, such as faulty hairsprays or with issues like the opening hours of a pharmacy or charges made for private prescriptions. Depending on the issue, you might have to use normal consumer complaints procedures if you have a problem with a pharmacy.
Some large supermarkets have pharmacy outlets in their stores. The supermarket isn't responsible for the professional conduct or customer services of pharmacy outlets.
Optometrists and dispensing opticians
Optometrists carry out eye tests to check the quality of your sight. They prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses. Like eye surgeons (ophthalmologists), they examine the internal and external structure of your eyes to detect diseases like glaucoma, and cataracts. Optometrists don't perform surgery. If necessary, the optometrist will refer you on to a specialised doctor or eye surgeon for treatment.
Dispensing opticians fit and sell glasses but they don't test eyes. They can give you advice on types of lens, such as single vision or bifocal and help you to choose frames. If you go to a high-street opticians, you'll have your eyes tested by an optometrist but you don't have to buy your glasses there. You could take an optometrist's prescription to a dispensing optician who will sell you the glasses you need.
If you aren't happy with the service or treatment provided by your optometrist or dispensing optician, you can use the NHS complaints procedure but only if the problem is with services provided under an NHS contract. For example, you could use the NHS complaints procedure to sort out a problem about NHS optical vouchers to pay for glasses if you've got the right to help towards these costs.
If the complaint is about the professional conduct of an optometrist or dispensing optician, you can report them to their regulatory body, The General Optical Council (GOC). If the complaint is about an ophthalmic medical practitioner, you should make it to the General Medical Council (GMC).
However, neither the GOC or the GMC has the legal power to deal with complaints about the standard of service carried out by an optician, or the quality of glasses or contact lenses. For these sorts of problems, you should use the general procedures to deal with any consumer problem.
The Optical Consumer Complaints Service is an independent service which can help with consumer problems about opticians.Their website is www.opticalcomplaints.co.uk and to get in touch with them, go to: www.opticalcomplaints.co.uk/get-in-touch.
You may be someone who works for the NHS and is concerned about unsafe work practices or lack of care by other professionals. There are special procedures to follow to raise your concerns.
Adviceguide factsheet: Health in prison [ 170 KB]
Help with NHS costs
How to make a complaint about adult social care services
Adult social care is usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But sometimes you need to raise concerns. This page tells you how to make a complaint.
You can complain about any aspect of adult social care. This may be:
provided by or bought (commissioned) by the local authority, or
provided by private companies or voluntary organisations.
All these organisations will have their own complaints procedure.
You can make a complaint as long as you:
receive or have received services from the organisation concerned, or
are someone who is affected, or likely to be affected, by the action or decision of the organisation you want to complain about.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
You can complain on behalf of someone else if they have grounds to complain and they:
have died, or
can't make the complaint themselves because they aren't physically or mentally capable, or
have asked you to act on their behalf.
If you make a complaint on behalf of someone who doesn't have mental capacity, you must act in that person's best interests. Otherwise, the complaint won't be considered.
When you can't make a complaint
You can't use the complaints procedure if:
you made a complaint orally and it was sorted out by the end of the next working day
you're employed by the organisation and you want to complain about an employment issue
your complaint has already been considered under the complaints procedure
your complaint has been or is being investigated by the Local Government Ombudsman.
You should make your complaint as soon as possible. You should normally make a complaint within 12 months of the date of the event that you're complaining about, or as soon as you first knew about the problem.
Start off by discussing the problem
If you can, start off by trying to discuss your concerns with the member of staff concerned. This can be a quick way of sorting out a problem. It can be helpful to prepare for this discussion by writing notes about the main points you want to raise and what outcome you want. Date your notes and follow up the conversation with a letter covering the main points of what was agreed and send a copy of this letter to the manager of the member of staff concerned.
If this doesn't sort out the problem, ask for a meeting with their manager. Or if the care is being provided by a voluntary organisation or private company, ask for a meeting with the local authority that buys or commissions the care. You can also raise your complaint with your local councillor who can forward the complaint on your behalf or tell you about your next steps.
Make your complaint
If talking about the problem in this way doesn't sort it out, you can make a complaint face-to-face, in writing or by email. Make sure you're clear that you're making a complaint. Look on the organisation's website for contact details of the complaints manager who will deal with your complaint. If you live in an area with a county and district council, the county council will be responsible for adult social care.
If you make the complaint face-to-face, the organisation should make a written record of the complaint and give you a copy unless:
you made the complaint orally, and
it was sorted out by the end of the next working day after the complaint was made.
If you complain in writing or by email, you should include full details of the problem, giving the names of any staff members involved. You should say what outcome you would like, for example, an explanation or apology. It may be useful to explain the impact a decision is having on you. For example, if social services are reviewing your case and reducing your services, explain the difficulties this is causing you, including the emotional and financial impact and whether this is having an effect on your health. In complicated cases, it can be helpful for you to draw up a timeline of the events that have taken place. You can attach or enclose relevant documents. For example, if you've been paying for services that the local authority should be providing, enclose the receipts of what you've had to spend.
Address the complaint to the complaints manager, or another member of staff, of the organisation concerned. If you're complaining about a member of staff from a private company or voluntary organisation which is providing care services on behalf of the local authority, also send a copy of your complaint to the local authority. You might also want to send a copy of your letter to your local councillor and MP.
Complaints about more than one organisation
Your complaint may be about more than one organisation.
For example, you are unhappy both about the number of hours of community care you've been assessed as needing and the quality of care provided by the agency worker who comes to support you. You can send just one letter to the local authority complaints manager and they should co-ordinate the responses.
If the complaint concerns more than one local authority, you can send it to the complaints manager of any one of the local authorities involved.
The same procedure is also used for complaints about the NHS, and so if your complaint is about both a local authority and an NHS body, you could just write one letter.
Example: Your concern is about your discharge from hospital which you think was too early and was not followed up by proper community care organised by the local authority. It doesn't matter whether you send your letter to the local authority or the NHS hospital. Whoever gets the letter should liaise with the other organisation to produce a co-ordinated response.
How and when should a complaint be acknowledged?
It's good practice for the complaint to be acknowledged within three working days from when it's received. This can be done face-to-face or in writing. When acknowledging the complaint, the organisation should offer to discuss with you, at an agreed time:
how the complaint will be handled, and
how long they think it will take to look into the problem and when you should get a response.
If you don't accept the offer of a discussion, the organisation should still let you know in writing how long the investigation is likely to take and when you should get your response.
Tips for writing a letter of complaint about health or adult social care services
What should happen if you make a complaint about adult social care
How the Local Government Ombudsman can help if you have a complaint about adult social care services
Organisations that can help you make a complaint about adult social care services
Local health and social care complaints contacts
Nene and Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups
The Complaints Handling Policy sets out the NHS Nene and Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups' (CCGs) approach to receiving, handling and responding to complaints made under the provisions of the Local Authority Social Services and NHS Complaints Regulations 2009.
The time limit for making a complaint is 12 months from the date on which the matter being complained about occurred, or 12 months from the date on which the complainant became aware of the grounds for complaint. A complaint made outside the time limit will be considered by the CCGs who will decide if the case can still be properly investigated.
A complaint can be made on behalf of a child or a person assessed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 as not having capacity, where consent has been provided for another person to handle a complaint on behalf of someone else, or if a person has died by the next of kin or power of attorney.
A copy of the Complaints Handling Policy can be downloaded here.
To make a complaint please email northants.complaints@nhs.net or telephone 01604 651102.
Northampton General Hospital
For advice or assistance in resolving any problems or concerns that you may have about the hospital's service:
E-mail: PALS@ngh.nhs.uk
When you need advice, have concerns, or don't know where to turn. As a patient, relative or carer sometimes you may need on-the-spot help, advice and support. This is where the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) may be able to help.
How PALS can help:
Advise and support patients, their families and carers
Provide information on NHS services
Listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries
Help sort out problems quickly on your behalf
Improve the service to NHS patients
The service is completely confidential, and PALS acts independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers, and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate immediate or prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and their families to specific local or national support agencies.
Compliments, comments and complaints
If you would like to offer a comment or compliment about our service, please email PALS@ngh.nhs.uk
If you wish to make a formal complaint, please contact:
E-mail: complaints@ngh.nhs.uk
The PALS service is here to help NHS Patients. It provides the means to:
Advise and support patients, their families, and carers
Listen to your concerns, suggestions, or queries
Tel: 01536 493305 Email: pals@kgh.nhs.uk
Formal complaints procedure
If you wish to make a complaint you have several options:
You can speak or write to any member of staff.
You can call our Patient Experience team on 01536 492173
You can e-mail us at complaints@kgh.nhs.uk
You can write to either the Complaints Manager or the Chief Executive at: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Rothwell Road, Kettering, Northants, NN16 8UZ
Northampton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Anyone using our services, their families and/or carers can contact us via the PALS Office. Our PALS team, are committed to helping you.
Front Block,
St Mary's Hospital,
Kettering,
NN15 7PW
Freephone telephone: 0800 917 8504
e-mail: pals@nhft.nhs.uk
You can call our Complaints Team free on 0800 917 7206. Their line is open on weekdays between 9am and 4pm. Unfortunately, there will be occasions when the phone will not be answered immediately. We would like to thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please leave a message and we will get back to you within one working day.
You can e-mail us at complaints@nhft.nhs.uk.
You can write to either the Complaints Manager or the Chief Executive at:
Main Block
St Mary's Hospital
Northamptonshire County Council Social Care and Health
Please tell us if you are happy with the service you have received; or if not, why not? We want to know what you think. We want to use your views and suggestions and learn from your experiences as our customer, so we can improve and develop our services.
If you would like to make a compliment, comment or complaint about one of our service areas or to the council, please complete our online form:
Form to make a compliment, comment or complaint
If you're a child or young person make a compliment, comment or complaint about children's social services.
Telephone us: 0300 126 1000
Write to us: The Complaints and Compliments Team, One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED
complaints@northamptonshire.gov.uk
compliments@northamptonshire.gov.uk
If you are unhappy with our response to your complaint, you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman. Visit their website at www.lgo.org.uk for contact details.
Your County Councillor
If you have contacted us and we still haven't resolved your complaint, you can contact your local county councillor.
If you wish to complain about a councillor's conduct, please see part five of our constitution before you contact us: Councillors code of conduct (PDF format 347KB)
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS)
Compliment or complaint: 0333 012 4216 (local rate) or emas.pals@nhs.net. Please make sure you provide the date, time and location for the call to allow us to identify the incident efficiently.
Organisations that can help with general NHS complaints
NHS complaints advocacy services
Every area of England has an independent NHS complaints advocacy service funded by the local authority. They can help you make a complaint about the NHS and have replaced the ICAS service. This service is open to everybody and is free of charge. Advocacy providers can help you with writing letters and preparing for meetings. They can also arrange for an advocate to attend a meeting with you. An advocate will not try to persuade you to take any particular course of action and will always respect your decisions. If you have a severe learning disability or a mental health condition, you may find it useful to have an independent advocate speak on your behalf.
The service is provided by VoiceAbility in Northamptonshire.
VoiceAbility
VoiceAbility NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
Textphone: 0786 002 2939
Email: nhscomplaints@voiceability.org
Website: www.nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org
Local contact:
Total Voice Northamptonshire
Unit F17, Moulton Park Business Centre
Redhouse Road
Moulton Park
NN3 6AQ
Tel: 01604 592702 (Mon - Fri 9am to 5pm)
Email: tvn@voiceability.org
www.totalvoicenorthamptonshire.org
Using Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) for an NHS hospital complaint
If your complaint is about treatment in an NHS hospital, you may find it helpful to seek advice from a local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Although they can't investigate individual complaints, PALS staff can give general advice about complaints procedures and may be able to help sort out some less serious complaints. The hospital's website should have details of how to contact PALS or ask a member of staff or the hospital switchboard (see 'Local health and social care complaints contacts' below). However, in practice, PALS are not always as accessible as people may expect. For example, PALS staff may cover different hospital sites or work part time.
Healthwatch Northamptonshire
Healthwatch Northamptonshire is the 'consumer champion' for health and care services in Northamptonshire. Healthwatch Northamptonshire is able to give general advice and support about complaints about the NHS but they can't investigate individual complaints.
Healthwatch Northamptonshire will ask for general feedback on the health services you have used. It can be helpful to send them your views, even if you have nothing to complain about and just want to report a good service.
Authorised representatives from local Healthwatch organisations have the power to request information from organisations providing health services, who have a legal duty to reply in writing to reports and recommendations made by local Healthwatch organisations within 20 days - in more complex cases, this time limit is 30 days. Information obtained in this way could help you make a complaint, although local Heathwatch can't investigate individual complaints.
Authorised representatives from local Healthwatch organisations also have the power to enter premises to observe how activities are carried on there. Some premises are excluded. For example, local Healthwatch organisations don't have the right to enter premises if this would get in the way of providing services or if it would affect the privacy and dignity of anyone there. If you have serious concerns about how health services are carried out in a particular place, contact your local Healthwatch who may, in some cases, carry out a visit, although they don't investigate individual complaints.
Clinical commissioning groups patient liaison teams
In some areas, the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) offers a patient liaison service. They can give general advice and support about NHS complaints. Local Healthwatch can tell you if there's a CCG patient liaison service in your area. You can get more information about this on the Local Complaints Contacts page.
More about clinical commissioning groups
The Patients Association is a national healthcare charity that highlights patients' concerns and needs. They give advice to help people get the best out of their healthcare and tell you where to get more information and advice. Their website is www.patients-association.org.uk and their helpline is 020 8423 8999.
The Patients Association helpline is the national non-disease specific helpline for anyone trying to navigate the often complex health and social care systems in the UK. The helpline service is free and confidential. The practical information and guidance the helpline gives covers:
access to treatments
concern about treatments
how to make a complaint about any health or social care service
changing (or finding) your GP or dentist
seeing your medical records
The helpline will often signpost callers to other organisations when appropriate.
A call back service is provided for those who call out of hours. The helpline number 020 8423 8999 and is open Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5.00pm or they can be emailed at helpline@patients-association.com.
For more information see https://www.patients-association.org.uk/helpline/ and for downloadable information resources.
If you would like to print and display an A4 poster, you can download it here https://www.patients-association.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Helpline-poster-A4-2017.pdf
For further information please contact Lucinda Keenan, the helpline manager at lucinda@patients-association or call on 020 423 8999.
Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA)
AvMA is a national charity that provides free specialist advice and support with complaints where harm is believed to have been caused or there are patient safety implications. The website is www.avma.org.uk and the helpline number is 0845 123 23 52 (Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm).
Organisations for users of mental health services
Mind Legal Advice Line provides legal information and general advice on the law about mental health, for example, mental capacity, community care, human rights, discrimination and equality. Their website is www.mind.org.uk
Mind Infoline provides information on a range of topics including types of mental health problems, where to get help, medication and alternative treatments and advocacy. Their website is www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
Young Minds provides information and advice for anyone with concerns about the mental health of a child or young person. The website is www.youngminds.org.uk.
Email: ymenquiries@youngminds.org.uk
Pandas Foundation
Pandas Foundation offers advice and support to individuals, their families and carers experiencing pre and post-natal depression. Their website is www.pandasfoundation.org.uk
Rethink provide practical advice and information about issues such as different types of therapy and medication, benefits, debt, money issues, the police, courts and prison and your rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other laws. Their website is www.rethink.org
Sane provides practical help, emotional support and specialist information to individuals affected by mental health problems, their family, friends and carers. They can help you consider options for support or action. Their website is www.sane.org.uk
Together is a national charity working with people with mental health issues. Their services include advocacy and support groups. Their website is www.together-uk.org
Organisations that can help with complaints about health services for older people or those who feel vulnerable
Age UK produce useful guidance about your NHS rights and what should happen when you're discharged from hospital. They can also give you advice about if you're being discriminated against because of your age, for example, if your doctor doesn't refer you to a consultant because of your date of birth. Their website is www.ageuk.org.uk. They also have a helpline on 0800 169 6565.
Action on elder abuse is an organisation that can help if an older person is being abused in hospital. This could include neglect or physical abuse. Their website is www.elderabuse.org.uk and they have a confidential freephone helpline 080 8808 8141.
Carers UK is an organisation for carers, including those caring for people with mental health issues. They provide information, advice, support and campaign for change. Their website is www.carersuk.org
The charity Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) provides free specialist medico-legal advice on the potential for making a clinical negligence claim and what this involves, and can arrange support or representation at healthcare related inquests. AvMA also maintains a list of specialist clinical negligence solicitors. The website is www.avma.org.uk and the helpline is 0845 123 23 52 (Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm).
The Public Law Project can give you more information about how to make an application for judicial review. Their website is www.publiclawproject.org.uk
The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) helpline is for people who think they may have experienced discrimination. They don't give legal advice, but they aim to support you if you're referred from local organisations. These include advisory groups, faith-based organisations and other community groups that support people experiencing discrimination. You can call the helpline directly, but it's best if you go to an advice organisation first. They can then make contact with the service on your behalf. The telephone number is 0808 800 0082.
More about the EASS
The British Institute of Human Rights is an organisation that can help with information about your human rights in relation to health care services. They produce useful guides, for example, about capacity issues in a healthcare setting. Their website is www.bihr.org.uk.
Complaints Advocacy
VoiceAbility - NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
National contact:
Other advocacy
Total Voice Northamptonshire is an advocacy service providing independent advocacy for people aged over 18 in Northamptonshire.
They provide the following advocacy services:
Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
We support people who have been detained under certain sections of the Mental Health Act, or are on a Community Treatment Order. We help them understand their rights and support them to challenge their treatment if they feel it is not appropriate for them.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)
We work with people who have been assessed as lacking capacity and who do not have family or friends who are appropriate to speak up for them. This work is always about decisions around serious medical treatment or changes in long term accommodation. An IMCA can also support where there are concerns regarding Safeguarding or care reviews.
Care and Support Advocacy
Do you need help to be involved in decisions about your care needs? A Total Voice advocate can help you be heard, understand your choices and make your own decisions. You may be able to work with an advocate if you are:
An adult who needs care and support
A carer of an adult
A carer of a young person who is about to start using adult services
A young person who is about to start using adult services.
AND You find it very hard to:
Understand what is happening and the choices that you have
Decide what care and support you need
Tell people what you want
AND You do not have any friends or family available (or who feel able) to support you
Advocacy is available if you live at home, in a care home or hospital, or if you are in prison.
Independent advocates are available to support you to plan for and be involved in your:
Care assessments
Care and support planning
Care and support reviews
Safeguarding enquiries
Safeguarding adult reviews, previously known as serious case reviews
Care and Support Advocates will work with you to help you make your own decisions, will support you to understand the care and support process you will be involved in and to tell others about your wishes and feelings to inform discussions about your future care and support needs.
Who can access our services?
We offer free, independent and confidential support to people aged over 18.
We can also support any young person under the age of 18 accessing adult mental health services.
The service is available to support carers and disabled people. This includes but is not restricted to:
people with mental health problems
people with learning disabilities
people with physical and/or sensory impairments
people who become infirm due to old age
To be eligible, individuals must ordinarily be resident in Northamptonshire and/or be registered with a GP practice in Northamptonshire.
To find out more or to request a service, in confidence, please contact:
Tips and tools to help you make a complaint about health services
Here's practical help you can use to make a complaint, including flowcharts, helpful tips and sample letters.
Dos and don'ts of making a complaint
Tactics to use, and others to avoid, when making a complaint about NHS services.
Checklist to help decide whether to complain
Checklist of things to think about, to help you decide whether it is worth making a complaint about a health service.
Letter of complaint about NHS
Template to help you write a letter, if you want to make a complaint about an NHS service.
Letter of complaint about NHS on behalf of someone else
Template to help you write a letter on behalf of someone else if they want to make a complaint about an NHS service.
Tips for writing a letter of complaint
Tips on the kind of information to include when writing a letter of complaint about an NHS or adult social care service.
Flowchart showing the process for making a complaint about an NHS service.
Tips and tools to help you make a complaint about adult social care services
Tactics to use, and others to avoid, when making a complaint about adult social care services.
Checklist to help you decide whether you should make a complaint
Checklist of things to think about, to help you decide whether it is worth making a complaint about an adult social care service.
Letter of complaint about adult social care
Template to help you write a letter if you want to make a complaint about an adult social care service.
Letter of complaint about adult social care on behalf of someone else
Template to help you write a letter on behalf of someone else if they want to make a complaint about an adult social care service.
Adult social care services complaints process flowchart
Flowchart showing the process for making a complaint about an adult social care service.
NHS and adult social care are usually very good and most people don't have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. If you're a professional working in the NHS or in adult social care and you have concerns about the care that a patient or client is getting, this page tells you where to start to raise the issue.
You may be someone who works for the NHS or in adult social care and you're concerned about unsafe work practices or lack of care by other professionals. You have a professional duty to take prompt action to raise concerns if you that believe patients' or clients' safety is at risk, or that their care or dignity is being compromised. This is sometimes called whistleblowing.
General Medical Council guidelines about ethical behaviour say that doctors must never make a sexual advance towards a patient or display sexual behaviour. Sexual behaviour like making inappropriate sexual comments doesn't necessarily involve touching the patient. The guidelines say: 'If a patient tells you, as a doctor, that sexual boundaries have been broken or if you have other reasons to believe that a colleague has displayed sexual behaviour towards a patient, you must promptly report your concerns to a person or organisation able to investigate the allegation. If you suspect a doctor has committed a sexual assault or other criminal activity, you should make sure it's reported to the police'.
You work as a care worker in a supported housing project for people with learning disabilities. You become aware that even though your colleague is wearing gloves, she uses the same pair throughout her shift and doesn't wash her hands between tasks. For example, she prepares breakfast, delivers personal care, and writes in the hand-over book without taking the gloves off. This is putting the client's safety at risk and you have a professional duty to raise your concerns about this.
What if you're instructed to cover up a wrongdoing?
If you're instructed to cover up a wrongdoing, the person who tells you to do this is committing a disciplinary offence. If you're told not to raise or follow up any concern, even by a person in authority such as a manager, you shouldn't agree to stay silent. You should report the matter following the guidance of your workplace or professional body.
Will you receive legal protection if you raise concerns?
You're protected by law from harassment and bullying when you raise a concern. You shouldn't be victimised if you report something which could harm a patient. This means that your job and opportunities for future promotion or training shouldn't be put at risk because you've raised a real concern, as long as you do this in the proper way. Your employer should treat any acts of victimisation towards you as a disciplinary offence.
If you're victimised after having disclosed a concern, you can bring a claim at an employment tribunal.
Generally, you have to raise concerns with your line manager or a more senior manager but there will be guidance in your workplace and from your professional body about what to do. Many organisations have a whistleblowing policy, which tells you how to raise concerns. If you speak with the Human Resources department or to your trade union representative, they will be able to show you this policy. The policy will usually give the name of a specific person who you can speak to.
The policy will say whether or not you are allowed to raise concerns anonymously. They probably wouldn't refuse to look into a complaint just because you wanted to stay anonymous, but in general, it will be easier for them to investigate and deal with your concerns if you identify yourself. You can ask for your identity to be kept confidential, but there may be limits on this. Any matter raised should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and confidentially, and the outcome of the investigation reported back to you, even if no action is taken.
Before you make any complaint, make sure that you follow the proper procedures in your workplace, for example, filling in critical incident forms where necessary. In any case, write down the full details of the incident and keep a copy.
If you decide to raise a concern, you must have reasonable belief that it's:
a genuine concern raised in the public interest, and
true to the best of your knowledge.
The law doesn't say you have to have hard evidence, although any information that you have would be useful. However, you mustn't start fact finding or investigations yourself.
If you deliberately make a false allegation, this would usually be a disciplinary offence.
Help and advice about whistleblowing
The NHS and Social Care Whistleblowing Helpline
If you have concerns but you aren't sure how to raise them or want advice about good practice, you can call the NHS and Social Care Whistleblowing Helpline on 08000 724 725. They can advise on the whistleblowing process but they aren't a disclosure line (unlike the Care Quality Commission - see below). They produce very clear guidance about raising concerns at work.
You can contact your professional body for advice about what to do if you have concerns. Professional bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Medical Council, the British Medical Association and the Health and Care Professional Council all have policies about raising concerns.
Reporting your concern to the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent body which is responsible for monitoring and inspecting:
GPs practices
agencies that provide care to people in their own homes
You can ring their disclosure line on 03000 616161 to report concerns in these places.
Public Concern at Work
Public Concern at Work is an independent organisation which provides free legal advice to employees who are worried about malpractice at work. Their contact details are:
3rd Floor, Bank Chambers
6-10 Borough High Street
SE1 9QQ
Tel: 020 7404 6609 (Mon-Fri 9.00am-6.00pm)
E-mail: whistle@pcaw.co.uk (enquiries); helpline@pcaw.co.uk (helpline)
Website: www.pcaw.co.uk
If the wrongdoing you're concerned about is common at your workplace, everyone, including you, may be expected to do it. If you've been involved in the wrongdoing yourself, you should seek legal advice before you go any further. Your trade union or professional body may be able to help.
More about the Care Quality Commission
Using a legal adviser
Making a complaint about social care services – what should you expect?
To make it clear what to expect when making and dealing with complaints about social care services, Healthwatch England has been working with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to develop a Single Complaints Statement for both professionals and the public. Together, they've worked with organisations from across the social care sector as part of the Quality Matters Initiative to tackle people's concerns.
Three steps to follow when making a complaint about your social care
If you need to make a complaint, it's usually best to tell the organisation that provides or pays for the service. Doing this as soon as possible gives the best chance to put things right.
If this doesn't solve the problem, ask the organisation for a copy of their complaints process and make a formal complaint.
If you are unhappy with the result, you can contact the Ombudsman for an independent investigation of your complaint.
So what should you expect?
Encouragement and reassurance
You should feel encouraged to give feedback about the care you received and be provided with the information you need to do so. Your treatment should not be unfairly affected because you shared your views. You should receive reassurance that if you needed to make a complaint, your care or the care of others will not be affected.
Respect and involvement
You should feel listened to, respected, and involved throughout the process of making a complaint. You should also be provided with the right support to make your complaint, including independent advocacy where appropriate.
A simple process with well trained staff
The complaints process should be clear and easy to find. Organisations and the staff working for them should have the skills to listen and understand your feedback and deal with it in an open and transparent way.
To be taken seriously and to know what will change as a result
Feedback should be taken seriously and you should receive an explanation of the steps they will take to address the problem. It should also be made clear how the organisation uses people's feedback to improve their services.
A simple process to follow for when there's more than one organisation involved
There can often be more than one organisation involved with your care. If your complaint covers more than one organisation, you should be signposted to the right organisation, be able to make one complaint and receive a joint response from those involved.
Clear information on what to do if you're not happy with the result
If you are unhappy with the result of your complaint, you should be given clear information about how to contact the Ombudsman for an independent review.
However big or small the issue, if it's important to one person, it's very likely that it affects other people, too.
By sharing your story you can help doctors, dentists, hospitals and care homes understand what's working and what could be better, for you and your community.
Compliments, feedback and complaints about adult social care - for public (PDF)
Compliments, feedback and complaints about adult social care - EasyRead (PDF)
Compliments, feedback and complaints about adult social care - for professionals (PDF)
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Find our latest Quick Poll here
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© Healthwatch Northamptonshire 2020


text:
Yeah, we can do that.
In 1908, State Bank of Cross Plains opened its doors with a singular goal in mind: to help people in the community turn their financial dreams into reality. That goal remains the foundational cornerstone upon which we've grown in the decades since. With a firm belief that anything is possible with the right people by your side, we strive to be a knowledgeable financial partner to Dane, Green, and Rock counties and surrounding areas, guiding customers toward their goals and helping them set new ones.
Community Banks Build Better Communities
We're proud of our record of involvement with the communities we serve, and recognize both the importance of giving back and our civic responsibility to uplift the places that we call home. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to our core values:
Economic support
We approach every day with these values in mind, and rely on them in charting a course forward. Let's work together to give you the financial confidence to live freely.
We are always looking for people passionate about their communities. By joining our team, you'll be part of a culture whose focus is about better.
We love being actively involved in what's happening where we live, and here, we're pleased to share some of goings-on in the places we call home.
Our corporate giving policy is directed toward local entities and non-profit organizations that provide the services needed to enrich the lives of people from all backgrounds and experiences.
It's been said that an organization's greatest asset is its employees. We're inclined to agree.
Find more information about S.B.C.P. Bancorp, Inc. on our Investor Relations Website.
Search and explore our office, ATM, and ITM locations in the Dane, Green, and Rock counties.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Chancellor's Holiday Card Features Artistic Work by Melanie Annas '15 and Ryan Qualliotine '14
The cover art that graces the official holiday card from Chancellor and Mrs. Jose V. Sartarelli was created by Melanie Annas '15 and Ryan Qualliotine '14.
"Melanie and Ryan created a memorable image that uplifts and inspires others," Chancellor Sartarelli said. "It is an honor to showcase their talents, which were enhanced and supported by the faculty in the Department of Art and Art History."
The artists originally developed "Souls of Remembrance" for a color theory class taught by Anne Lindberg, an assistant professor in the art department. To symbolize peace and serenity, they used images of dove wings to create the water, Annas said.
"Their particular coloring stands for the obstacles that we all may face, turbulent in the beginning, yet calming throughout the piece," Qualliotine added. "We hoped to present a fluid, meaningful piece, and we are honored to have been chosen to represent the university that we love so much."
Both artists described the project as rewarding, and they thanked the art department, led by Chair Amy Kirschke, for the opportunity to participate in such an applied learning experience.
Melanie Annas '15 and Ryan Qualliotine '14
-- Andrea Monroe Weaver
#CAS
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Chanc-Holiday-672X447.jpg


Fushimi Lake seems remote, even though the big lake is road-accessible. The lake lies between the Great Claybelt and the Hudson Bay Lowlands, but contains rocky Canadian Shield which pops up on some of the islands and shoreline.
The lake itself is wide and sprinkled with islands. Rivers flow in and out of the lake, which is edged by numerous sand beaches, accessible only by water.
Fushimi Lake is also the focal point of any visit to the park. Whether you're after boating or paddling, fishing or swimming, the lake offers the ultimate camping experience.
The backcountry sites are close enough to the access point that you may even consider paddling back for a coffee at the gatehouse during your stay. All 12 sites are water-access-only (by canoe, kayak or motorboat).
On some sites, you're on your own private island, with sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets you need only share with your group.
Each backcountry campsite has a firepit, picnic table and pit privy. All sites are clearly marked and have obvious places to set up your tent, as well as trees to tie up your hammock and relax.
The park's day use and picnic area sits on the main sand beach. The park rents kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and motor boats.
Each campsite makes a perfect remote basecamp from which you can enjoy any number of activities at Fushimi Lake.
Exploring. The lake has many coves, bays, and little rivers that lead into the boreal forest surrounding the lake — watch for wildlife!
Each site is available for reservation online and is site specific; choose one of 12 sites you want to camp on and book it!
You can reserve your backcountry site five months in advance. Fushimi Lake is open from the May long weekend to the September long weekend.


She wanted him to understand that life can be unpredictable, unreliable and fickle. Indeed, it is often said there is nothing sure in life except death and taxes. Yet, to feel powerful, we like to believe we can control everything in our world and that we are in charge of our destiny. Is that true? Well, yes and no.
As it's impossible to know for certain that the outcome of what we want will turn out right, we avoid making decisions. We often need to act without knowing the outcome, but find it impossible as we prefer to live in a safe bubble of boring and repetitive indecision.
We care too much what others think of us and our choices and before we know it we're putting their views before our own personal needs and desires.
In coaching, we help our clients work towards goals and visions, definable and measureable outcomes; towards specific results that they desire to achieve. But, sometimes in life, we are faced with too many choices, or maybe two choices at polar opposites to each other. That's when we fall apart, our resolve weakens and we eventually lose our sense of power.
Often, a client will say they want the 'right' outcome to a dilemma, or the 'correct' result to a problem. But the sooner they understand there is no right or correct answer, only a result that may or may not turn out well, the sooner they'll be on the road to empowerment.
It's true that Coaching is all about finding, stepping onto and following a path that leads towards something that makes us happy. But life experience shows us that we create this path ourselves each time we put one foot down and walk forward, rather than following someone else's well-trodden way.
As any entrepreneur will tell you, it's usually necessary to fail many times before success is achieved. Mistakes have to be made, wrong turns taken, and uncertain decisions acted on before a 'hallelujah' moment presents itself.
It's also true that the key to success is not only to take chances and informed risks, but to do so with a sense of passion; a sense of joy at actually being on a path of choice, excitement at being in an emotional position to give it one's best shot.
Growing up in 50s/60s England gave me the courage and confidence to take chances and do things my way, with little fear of what was round the next corner. I was fortunate to be born at a time when children could take themselves off to school and back without fear of abduction, or worse.
I remember the thrill of purposefully jumping on and off buses and getting lost in unfamiliar places, knowing that all I had to do was trust my internal compass and ask people the way. Occasionally, and always under protest, I was accompanied home by a concerned adult who had come across me hovering alone by a bus stop or in a train station.
I felt I had little to fear, so taking chances and daily risks became a way of life. Saying 'yes' to most things on offer became my default. Sure, I had some narrow squeaks, and sure, I sometimes found myself in situations that my mother never got to hear about. But I survived, as most of us did back then. Our parents allowed us our freedom, so we lived our lives without fear.
Nowadays, people have lost the capacity to simply make a choice, bite the bullet and accept whatever the result may bring. We need assurances that we've made the right decision, taken the right job or married the right partner.
Through technology, we've become so accustomed to depending on reliable outcomes that we live in fear of even connecting to our own intuition, let alone listening to it.
Counsellors, coaches and therapists often say that the way to achieve anything worthwhile is to stop passing the buck and playing life's victim. That the best way to empower ourselves is by taking responsibility for our actions, taking a stand, making a decision – sometimes any decision – and stop aiming for 'right' all the time.
As soon as we stop thinking of mistakes as mistakes, but simply as lessons on the way, they lose their power. Even if an action turns out 'wrong', we'll have learned something, hopefully about ourselves as well as about the decision we took.
There are no guarantees in life, only possibilities dressed up as outcomes. I still get hopelessly lost in a strange city or country, so then I take a different route and find myself on a different 'path', but always eventually get to where I want to go.
If you feel the time is right to follow your dream, I am here to help you. Contact me for a Free Exploratory Session. I look forward to hearing from you!
← Time or Money – Which is More Important?


text:
Repente ultralight saddles fly to the Himalaya
The Italian company is official partner of the highest cycling race in the world.
Repente is official partner of HHMR, the highest cycling race in the world
Himalayan Highest Ladakh MTB Race is the name of this international competition for MTB, unique in its kind, which in the past editions has included among the participants Gilberto Simoni, Marzio Deho and Thomas Dietsch.
The race will take place from 20 to 25 August in Ladakh (the "Little Tibet", India), on a total distance of 510 kilometers. Six stages, for a total height difference of 9,000 meters.
The route never drops below 3,200 metersof altitude, with three passes to cross over 5,300 meters. It can be considered in all respects the highest cycling race in the world.
The three best riders of the various male and female categories will be awarded, among other prizes, with the ultralight carbon saddles Aleena, Comptus and Kuma of Repente, with the patented RLS Technology for the interchangeability of the covers.
The characteristics of the route are truly unique. The sixth and final stage consists of the Kardung time trial: with its 5602 meters of altitude it is considered the highest road pass in the world.
Not a competition for everyone, with a startlist of specialists from all over the world.
https://www.facebook.com/himalayanhighestmtbrace/
Michele Pittacolo is World Champion!
road.cc: Repente Aleena 4.0 saddle review


text:
Is it time to listen to Rep. Paul Ryan's economic prescription?
September 03, 2010 11:34 AM ET
Paul Ryan, a professional policy wonk from Wisconsin, sees trouble ahead if the country stays on its present course. The cost of entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security is racing ahead, at the same time that the federal government is ladling out dollars to fight the recession and collecting less in tax revenue because of the recession. Meanwhile, he argues, we are contending with chronically high unemployment, insurmountable debt payments and a crushing tax burden that could kill U.S. competitiveness. Maybe, just maybe, those entitlements have to be redesigned. He's not quite saying, "Stop Social Security!," but he is getting dangerously close to the thought.
Who is this guy? It would be no surprise if he turned out to be a wealthy financier who had taken up budget policy as a retirement hobby (like Peter G. Peterson) or a professional forecaster whose views on consumer spending are bearish (like Gary Shilling). The surprise is that Ryan is an elected official. He's running for election to a seventh term in Congress, representing a district with a razor-thin Republican edge south of Milwaukee.
Mess with Social Security? Are voters ready for this? Maybe they are. Those trillion-dollar deficits can't go on much longer.
"We have to give the country a very clear choice," Ryan, 40, says as he's campaigning in his home state on a mid-August afternoon. "Do you want the American idea, which is an opportunity society with a sturdy safety net, or do you want to have the cradle-to-grave, Western European-style social welfare state?"
Ryan's choice is clear, and it's not something many Americans of either party will easily swallow. His "Roadmap for America's Future," both a policy paper and a proposed bill, calls for reducing the federal deficit and debt in decades to come by partly privatizing and trimming Social Security and Medicare, freezing most government programs and instituting a simplified, optional two-tier tax system that would cut taxes for the rich.
Skeptics say his roadmap will run the country into a ditch. They say that, despite eviscerating Medicare, the plan won't control spiraling health care costs. They say that it won't cut the deficit drastically and could raise taxes on some people.
Yet Americans will need to take some version of this medicine, and Ryan has, as some detractors concede, at least started the conversation. President Obama called the roadmap (97 pages in the short version) "a serious proposal." Ryan is seen as the GOP's answer to its reputation as the "party of no" and as such has embarrassed Democrats for their lack of a comparable deficit-cutting plan. This backbencher from Janesville (pop. 63,000) and Ayn Rand admirer could be the future economic idea man for the Republican Party.
Full story: Is it time to listen to Rep. Paul Ryan's economic prescription? -Forbes.com
WATCH: ECONOMY, JOBS THE MAIN ISSUES IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Tags : deficit economics government medicare paul ryan republican party social security


Everything starts from the ground up. Maybe you don't know that your feet can be important suppliers to your health. But when it comes to the exterior parts of your body, your feet are the harder one. If you take proper care of them, besides keeping you to move, your feet will prevent knee, hip and back pain.
Below are 5 exercises for strengthen your feet, improving your balance and preventing pain.
Same as the other parts of your body, your feet needs to be warmed up properly before workout. Toe presses are great warm up for your feet, and also it can be quite relaxing. Stand tall and bend a little bit in your knees. Then grip the floor with toes and hold for three seconds. Release and do this set 10 times in a row, three times a day.
For this exercise you don't have to be a ballerina. Toe walking will strengthen the ligaments and muscles around the balls of your feet as well as the muscles in your toes. To do this exercise you have to stand on your tiptoes and walk for about 20 seconds. When you done, rest for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this 5 times.
Ankle flexibility and mobility are very important. Tight and restricted ankles cause the rest of the body to pay for their flaws, which is a result of join and muscle pain through the body. If you have tight ankles then you might have back, knee or hip pain.
To do this exercise put your back on the floor. Then extend one leg over your head. Rotate the ankle on the extend leg clockwise for 10 times. Then rotate 10 times on the other side (counterclockwise). Do this again with your other leg.
This exercise is great for reaching the small muscles in the foot. These muscles play an important role in keeping balance. With strengthening these muscles you will prevent injury.
You will need exercise band. Sit on the floor, and straight your feet in front of you. Wrap the exercise band around a bedpost or strong chair and place it on the top of your feet. Then, while seating, slide back until you feel tightness in the band.
Move your foot backwards and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat this 10 times.
The pencil pickups can be done almost everywhere and it is easy to complete. All you need for this exercise is a pen (or pencil). Stand in front of the pen you want to pick up. Grab the pen with your toes and lift it off the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and drop it. Repeat this 5 times for each foot.
These exercise should only take 20 minutes of your time. Do them in series on every 2-3 days for best results.


First you need to decided which heating appliance you have, wherever it is, and what you use it for mostly. Taking the precaution of using wood in the fire pit, table, place at all times leaves parents worried since it is highly flammable and the fact that children can be present. Fireplace glass solves that difficulty. It is made to burn by a high temperatures and can with stand wind too. It truly is never advisable to use fireplace areas when high gusts of wind are present but if a strong gust came up these types of flute are made to stay put! Coal, Timber, and other flammable materials happen to be what most fire home appliances are made to burn. However , environment activists are concerned that burning these could produce greenhouse smells, so a shift have been made to natural gas, propane, and electricity. When you're burning by way of any of these media, your fire pit does not need to be as profound as it would be if you were eliminating wood, coal, or charcoal. If you like the look of wood wood logs, you can always use artificial wooden in your fire pit to achieve the look.
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This paper presents a framework for controlling intelligent robots connected by the Internet. This framework provides novel methods to control coordinated systems using higher-order mobile agents. Higher-order mobile agents are hierarchically structured agents that can contain other mobile agents. By using higher-order mobile agents, intelligent robots in action can acquire new functionalities dynamically as well as exchange their roles with other colleague robots. The higher-order property of the mobile agents enables them to be organized hierarchically and dynamically. In addition to these advantages, higher-order mobile agents require minimum communication. They only need connection to be established when they perform migration.


The man, who is coming to Warwick Arts Centre as part of country wide tour with his latest show, has also agreed to do only one print interview, and it's with yours truly. So no pressure!
Michael Palin will be appearing at Warwick Arts Centre on Tuesday October 13 starting at 7.30pm.


At least 35 Taliban militants from Pakistan have been killed and several wounded by Nato-led forces inside Afghanistan, officials say.
The militants are said to have crossed over into the Afghan province of Paktia to target coalition forces when they came under attack last week.
Sources in Pakistan's Waziristan tribal region told the BBC that many of those wounded had now been brought back.
Some are said to be receiving medical treatment in the town of Miranshah.
Pakistan has been under severe pressure from the US in recent months to prevent militants based in its tribal regions from crossing into Afghanistan to fight Nato troops based there.
Earlier this month Washington said that it was cutting $800m (£500m) in military aid to Islamabad because of "difficulties" in its relationship with Pakistan.
Efforts are said to be under way to bring back the bodies of those killed in the latest fighting for burials.
Reports suggest many of the dead and wounded belonged to two leading militant leaders in Waziristan - Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir.
The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani says that both are known for actively targeting Nato-led forces. He says the deaths appear to be a significant blow to cross-border militants feeding the insurgency inside Afghanistan.
The coalition itself has confirmed the raid, saying it believes the fighters were moved into Afghanistan by the Haqqani group, long regarded by the US as an especially dangerous militant faction based in Waziristan.
There have been previous cases of Pakistani Taliban being killed by Nato, but few incidents are reported.
Correspondents say that the Pakistani army faces a dilemma when pursuing militants in the border areas.
On the one hand it is under pressure from the US and Afghanistan to stop the incursions, but on the other hand it has to be careful to respect Afghan territorial integrity.
Last month Islamabad rejected claims made by Kabul that it had fired more than 450 rockets into Afghan territory over a period of three weeks.
A spokesman told the BBC that a "few accidental rounds" may have landed in Afghanistan as the army battled Taliban militants entrenched in the area.
In recent weeks, Islamabad has also complained of a number of cross-border militant attacks in Pakistan's north-west and has lodged official protests with Kabul over the incursions.
In one incident on 16 June more than 200 militants were said to have stormed a Pakistani village near the Afghan border.


text:
/**
 * Created by Sergey on 24-Oct-15.
 */
import chai from 'chai';
import mori from 'mori';

const expect = chai.expect;

import adapterTest from './msg-bus.adapter.spec'
import InMemoryAdapter from '../src/adapters/in-memory.msg-bus.adapter';

describe('in memory adapter - MsgBus', function() {
  let adapter;
  let cmd = {
    a: 'aaa',
    b: 123,
    c: ['aaa', 'bbb'],
    d: {
      a: 'a',
      b: 'b'
    }
  };
  let options = {optA: 'aaa', optB: 'bbb'};
  beforeEach(function (done) {
    adapter = new InMemoryAdapter(options);
    done();
  });

  adapterTest('InMemory', InMemoryAdapter, options);

  describe('internal details tests', function () {
    it('should publish msg to queues by topic', function(done) {
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg1' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg2' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg3' });
      adapter.publish('topicB', { msg: 'msg' });
      expect(mori.count(adapter.queues)).to.equal(2);
      let queue = mori.get(adapter.queues, 'topicA');
      expect(mori.count(queue)).to.equal(3);
      done();
    });
    it('should add subscribers', function(done) {
      adapter.subscribe('topicA', msg => msg);
      adapter.subscribe('topicA', msg => msg);
      adapter.subscribe('topicB', msg => msg);
      adapter.subscribe('topicC', msg => msg);
      expect(mori.count(adapter.chanels)).to.equal(3);
      let topicSubscribers = mori.get(adapter.chanels, 'topicA');
      expect(mori.count(topicSubscribers)).to.equal(2);
      done();
    });
    it('should unsubscribe subscribers', function(done) {
      let idA = adapter.subscribe('topicA', msg => msg);
      let idB = adapter.subscribe('topicB', msg => msg);
      expect(mori.count(adapter.chanels)).to.equal(2);
      let topicASubscribers = mori.get(adapter.chanels, 'topicA');
      let topicBSubscribers = mori.get(adapter.chanels, 'topicB');
      expect(mori.count(topicASubscribers)).to.equal(1);
      expect(mori.count(topicBSubscribers)).to.equal(1);
      adapter.unsubscribe(idA);
      adapter.unsubscribe(idB);
      topicASubscribers = mori.get(adapter.chanels, 'topicA');
      topicBSubscribers = mori.get(adapter.chanels, 'topicB');
      expect(mori.count(adapter.chanels)).to.equal(2);
      expect(mori.count(topicASubscribers)).to.equal(0);
      expect(mori.count(topicBSubscribers)).to.equal(0);
      done();
    });

    it('should not delete messages if no subscribers', function(done) {
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg1' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg2' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg3' });
      setTimeout(function() {
        let queue = mori.get(adapter.queues, 'topicA');
        expect(mori.count(queue)).to.equal(3);
        done();
      }, 50);
    });
    it('should delete messages after applying', function(done) {
      let calls = 0;
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg1' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg2' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg3' });
      adapter.subscribe('topicA', msg => {
        expect(msg.msg).to.have.string('msg');
        calls += 1;
      });
      setTimeout(function() {
        let queue = mori.get(adapter.queues, 'topicA');
        expect(calls).to.equal(3);
        expect(mori.count(queue)).to.equal(0);
        done();
      }, 50);
    });
    it('should not delete messages after unsubscribing', function(done) {
      let calls = 0;
      let subscriberId = adapter.subscribe('topicA', msg => {
        expect(msg.msg).to.have.string('msg');
        calls += 1;
        if(calls === 2) {
          adapter.unsubscribe(subscriberId);
        }
      });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg1' });
      adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg2' });
      setTimeout(function() {
        adapter.publish('topicA', { msg: 'msg3' });
      }, 10);
      setTimeout(function() {
        let queue = mori.get(adapter.queues, 'topicA');
        expect(calls).to.equal(2);
        expect(mori.count(queue)).to.equal(1);
        done();
      }, 50);
    });
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub