Our complaints handling procedure reflects Annat Banks commitment to welcoming all forms of feedback, including complaints, and using them to improve services, to address complaints in a person-centred way and to respect the rights of everyone involved.
It will support our staff to resolve complaints as close as possible to the point of service delivery and to respond thoroughly, impartially and fairly by providing evidence based decisions based on the facts of the case.
The procedure has been developed by NHS complaints handling experts working closely with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). We have a standard approach to handling complaints across the NHS, which complies with the SPSO’s guidance on a model complaints handling procedure, meets all of the requirements of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, and accords with the Healthcare Principles introduced by the Act.
We aim to provide the highest quality services possible to people in our communities through the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care. Whenever the care we provide can be improved, we must listen and act. We will address complaints effectively, resolve them as early as we can, and learn from them so that we can improve services for everyone.
Complaints give us valuable information we can use to continuously improve our services. They provide first-hand accounts of people’s experiences of care that help us to identify areas of concern, achieve resolution wherever possible and take action so that the same problems do not happen again.
Our complaints handling procedure helps us to build positive relationships with people who use our service and rebuild trust when things go wrong. It has the person making the complaint, their families and carers, at the heart of the process.
Our complaints process provides two opportunities to resolve complaints internally:
- early resolution: we aim to respond to your concerns within 5 days
- investigation: we aim to respond to your concerns within 20 days
- Independent external review. Once the investigation stage has been completed, the person making the complaint has the right to approach the SPSO if they remain dissatisfied. We will provide further details of this in our response to you.
A person may complain in person, by phone, by email or in writing or by completing the patient feedback and complaints form.
Please click here to view our complaints form.