Complaints and compliments

Complaints

NHS Blood and Transplant are committed to providing an effective, timely and open system for managing complaints and compliments.

We are committed to providing a quality service at all times. However, if you are not happy with any aspect of the service you receive then we would welcome the opportunity to investigate your concerns and provide you with a full and prompt response. 

Complaints are reviewed thoroughly, without delay, with the aim of answering the concerns of the complainant whilst being fair and open with all those involved.

Compliments

It is equally as important to know when we get it right. Share your experience with us, so we can learn from this and share good practice.

NHS Blood and Transplant uses all feedback to learn, improve, share best practice and acknowledge staff and teams.

Who can make a complaint?

Any person may make a complaint to us if they have received or are receiving care and services from our organisation.

If the person affected has died, is a child or is otherwise unable to complain because of physical or mental incapacity, then the complaint may be made on their behalf by a representative.

There is no restriction on who may act as representative but there may be restrictions on the type of information we may be able to share with them. We will explain this when we first look at the complaint.

Timescale for making a complaint

Complaints must be made to us within 12 months of the date the incident being complained about happened or the date the person raising the complaint found out about it, whichever is the later date. 

If a complaint is made to us after that 12 month deadline, we will consider it if:

  • we believe there were good reasons for not making the complaint before the deadline, and
  • it is still possible to properly consider the complaint.

 

If we do not see a good reason for the delay or we think it is not possible to properly consider the complaint (or any part of it) we will write to the person making the complaint to explain this.

We will also explain that, if they are dissatisfied with that decision, they can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

How can I make a complaint or let you know something went well?

There are a number of ways in which you can get in touch with us:

call our National Call Centre on 0300 123 23 23

To use text chat, please SMS: 07860 034343

Hours of operation - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

To use text relay, please dial: 18001 0300 1232323

Text relay is a free independent service provided by BT and operated by Relay UK. Visit the Relay UK website to find out more about this service and its operating hours.

 

Patient Safety
Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Directorate
NHS Blood and Transplant
Unit D
Capitol Way
Dodworth
BARNSLEY
S75 3FG

How do I know if you have received my complaint or compliment?

We will send you an acknowledgement within 3 working days of our team receiving your correspondence.

What happens next?

Complaints

The most appropriate department will contact you directly and carry out a full investigation of your concerns.

We will then write to you with details of the investigation outcome and any action taken as a result of your complaint.

How long will it take to receive a response to my complaint?

Once we receive your complaint, we aim to contact you within 3 working days to discuss your concerns further.

We aim to provide a final written response within 18 working days of our receipt of your complaint.

What should I do if I'm not happy with the response?

If you are unhappy with the response you receive, we are always happy to discuss this in more detail with you.

If, however, you feel that your complaint has not been fairly addressed then you may take up your concerns with the Health Service Ombudsman.

There are time limits for complaining to the Ombudsman (12 months from the point at which the person became aware they had something to complain about) therefore if you wish to raise this further, we advise you to make contact as soon as using the details below.

England Health Service Ombudsman

Tel: 0345 015 4033

Visit the England Health Service Ombudsman website

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Tel: 0800 377 7330

Visit the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman website

Wales Public Services Ombudsman

Tel: 0300 790 0203

Visit the Wales Public Services Ombudsman website

Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman

Tel: 0800 343424

Visit the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman website

Compliments

Once we receive your compliment, we aim to contact you within 3 working days to acknowledge your feedback.

We will share your feedback with those involved and highlight positive experiences with the wider teams so we can learn from good practice.

Learning from your experiences allows us to review whether processes can be strengthened to enable the practice to be replicated easily by others.

To find out more about how we handle complaints and compliments, read our full complaints and compliments management process (PDF 540KB).