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Patients & Visitors

Patient Experience Matters

About us

  

Useful contacts

  

Patient support and complaints

At The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust (RUH) you matter and we are passionate about patient experience - we want every one of our patients, together with their relatives, carers and visitors, to receive the best possible service when being treated at or visiting our hospital.

We know that sometimes things do not go to plan, and we want to assure you that whatever happens we will always do our best to support you and put things right to stop it from happening again.

What does the Patient Support and Complaints Team do?

The aim of the Patient Support and Complaints team is to provide information, resolve any concerns, queries or questions that our patients, their families or members of the public raise with us about our Trust.

We cover the whole Trust and are able to assist with problems and can liaise with staff on your behalf. We can provide:

  • non-clinical information and advice
  • a contact point for patients who wish to make suggestions about how services can be improved
  • support for patients and their relatives/carers, including signposting to other appropriate services and/or organisations
  • management of complaints

We welcome any comments, suggestions or compliments you may have and would like you to tell us what you think of our Trust's services and what we can do to improve our services.

We are committed to supporting you when you need us most – delivering high quality care, listening and acting on what matters most to you. If your experience does not match your expectations, please tell us about it.

RUH Complaints Policy

Listening Service

The Listening Service is a new service which aims to provide a safe space for patients and families to share their experiences of the care provided by the RUH. Find out more here:

Listening Service

How to contact the Patient Support and Complaints Team

We have a variety of ways in which you can contact us so you can use the method that suits you best:
  • Online – Complete an online enquiry/concerns/compliment form:

    Send us your feedback

  • Write to us – You can send your complaint in writing to Head of Complaints, Quality Improvement Centre (D1), Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust, BA1 3NG
  • Telephone – You can telephone us on 01225 825656. You can leave a message with our answering service and one of our Patient Support Officers will contact you within two working days to discuss your enquiry in more details and agree with you the best option to address your enquiry
  • Email – Send us an email at ruh-tr.psct@nhs.net
  • Visit us in the Patient Support and Complaints office in the main hospital atrium. We are open for visits Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm

For further information about our service, please click on the link for our Patient Support and Complaints Team leaflet:

Patient Support and Complaints Team

The Patient Support and Complaints leaflet is also available in other languages/formats on request.

What happens next?

If you have a concern about the care that you are currently receiving, or wish to raise a concern on behalf of a current patient (either an inpatient or outpatient), we would recommend that in the first instance, you speak to a member of staff in the hospital who is providing this care. This could be a nurse or doctor or a non-clinical member of staff and they should be able to resolve this directly with you or find someone to help you.

Our staff are trained to help patients resolve their concerns there and then wherever possible and may be able to offer you a quick and easy solution to your complaint.

If you feel that a member of staff has not adequately resolved your concerns or you wish to raise an issue directly with the Patient Support and Complaints Team, they will be happy to help you.

You can contact the team via one of the methods described above and a Patient support Officer will be assigned to advise you how best to proceed with your enquiry or complaint.

We will involve you and work with you to achieve a satisfactory resolution; whether you are requesting information, providing feedback, raising a concern or making a complaint.

If you are a relative or carer, it may be necessary for us to know that the patient is happy for you to act on their behalf, for example, if your enquiry relates to confidential information about the patient's care or treatment. If this is the case, you will be asked to complete a consent form or we can receive direct contact from the person to confirm that they're happy for you to act on their behalf.

If you are not sure whether a consent form will be needed, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

Independent Advocacy Services

If you would like some help with your complaint prior to submitting it to the Patient Support and Complaints Team, you can contact an independent complaints advocacy service.

POWhER Advocacy provides services in Bath & North East Somerset (BANES) and Gloucestershire. Their website is www.pohwer.net and you can contact them on 0300 456 2370 or by email at powher@powher.net

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

If you feel that the Trust has not answered your questions adequately, please contact the Patient Support and Complaints Team so we can arrange for someone to look again at your concerns. If, having done this, you are still unhappy with the outcome, or you feel that the Trust has not dealt with your concerns appropriately, you have the right to seek advice from the PHSO.

The PHSO carries out independent investigations into complaints made by people who are unhappy with the treatment or service that has been provided to them through the NHS. You can contact them here:

0345 015 4033


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