As a patient, or as a carer for someone who attends Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, you might sometimes feel you need somebody to turn to who can help with advice and support, and listen to your concerns.
This is where the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help.
We can guide you through the different services available from Moorfields Eye Hospital, help resolve any problems you might have, and act on your behalf by liaising with staff and management teams to resolve your concerns.
• Provide information about the services available at Moorfields Eye Hospital and how you can access them.
• Advise and support you if you can’t get your questions answered or put you in contact with the people who can answer them.
• Help you sort out any difficulties or concerns you may have, as quickly as possible.
• Listen to your comments about the services and care provided by Moorfields Eye Hospital, whether they are compliments, concerns or ideas for improvement and relay your thoughts back to the management teams.
• Advise you on how to make a complaint if it is something that we are unable to resolve or requires more detailed investigation.
Staff at Moorfields Eye Hospital would like to give you the best care and treatment they can. If you have a problem while you are in hospital, we encourage you not to be shy, but to speak to a member of staff (for example, your doctor, nurse or receptionist), who might be able to resolve your issues there and then or contact someone who can.
We understand however that sometimes you might want to talk to someone who is not involved in your care and this is where PALS can support you. You can drop in and see us at our City Road office or contact us by telephone, letter or by email.
Although the PALS office is based at our City Road hospital we provide service for patients atall our locations. If you can’t get a problem resolved or feel you need help or advice, you can contact us directly or ask a member of staff at the Moorfields Eye Hospital site you attend to assist you in contacting us. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, you might want to go to the PALS team at the host hospital where you are and ask them to contact us on your behalf. If necessary we can arrange to meet you at the Moorfields site you attend.
Our office is on the ground floor of the City Road hospital (follow the blue line from the front entrance). We are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.
If you are at City Road a member of the team can also visit you in clinic or on the ward, just ask a member of staff to contact us on your behalf.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD
Sometimes you may have a concern that needs a detailed investigation or you may wish to make a complaint about the care or treatment you have received. If you wish to make a formal complaint, the complaints manager will guide you through this process and support you in achieving a clear, honest and full resolution to your concerns.
Any correspondence regarding any complaint you make is kept separately within the complaints department and no mention of it will appear in your medical record.
Making a complaint will never adversely affect the care or treatment you receive at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Anyone who has received NHS care or services, or cares for someone who has, can make a formal complaint.
A relative or a friend can complain on your behalf, but we will require your consent before we pursue the complaint.
We normally investigate complaints only if they relate to an incident within the last 12 months, but we will investigate older issues if appropriate.
If you are not comfortable making a complaint or you need support at any point during the complaints process, the NHS complaints advocacy service can give you that support.
They provide a free independent advocacy service and support people who wish to make acomplaint about the care they have received from the NHS. They can explain the processand help write an effective letter of complaint.
If a meeting is held they can accompany you to that meeting.
Write to:
Complaints Manager
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD
If you have done everything you can to resolve your complaint with the local service and you are not happy with their final decision you can contact the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). This is the final stage of the NHS Complaints Process.
We would appreciate it if you could also tell us how you would like to be communicated with – telephone, email, letter etc.
If you have a learning disability, dementia or other cognitive impairment, please let us know so that we can make sure that your needs are being met.
When Moorfields Eye Hospital receives and investigates a formal complaint, the process is known as ‘local resolution’. When we receive your complaint, the complaints manager will normally contact you to clarify the issues you would like to see addressed and acknowledge receipt of your complaint, in writing, within three working days.
The complaints manager will forward your complaint to the directorate management teamconcerned who will investigate and respond to your concerns.
Moorfields’ chief executive and, where appropriate, the medical director, will review theresults of the investigation to ensure that all your points have been addressed.
The chief executive will write to you with our conclusions and any actions taken as a result.We aim to respond within 25 working days, but if there is a delay we will contact you and let you know the reason.
If you are not entirely satisfied with the response, you can contact the complaints manager who can seek further information or facilitate a meeting if it is felt that would help.
If you still feel dissatisfied, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO is independent of the NHS and can help resolve a complaint if you feel it was not fully addressed by Moorfields Eye Hospital. A leaflet about how to contact the PHSO will be included with your final response letter from Moorfields Eye Hospital or is available from the PALS team.
Phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk 0345 015 4033