How to make a comment, pass on a compliment, raise a concern or make a complaint

We aim to provide a high quality service to our patients and we are committed to continual improvement. It is important you tell us when you are not satisfied with our Service or inform us of things you think we could do to make improvements. Your feedback helps us to identify problems and gives us the opportunity to put things right.

Contact our Patient Services Department:

Patient Services Helpdesk
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Springhill 2
Brindley Way
Wakefield 41 Business Park
Wakefield
WF2 0XQ

Telephone: 0345 122 0535
Email: patientservices@yas.nhs.uk

Our Patient Services Team can help you in a number of ways:

• Providing information and putting you in touch with other healthcare providers and organisations
• Receiving comments and suggestions about Yorkshire Ambulance Service and feeding them back so that services can be improved
• Providing information on patients’ rights
• Provide information on how to access the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) which will assist you if you wish to make a formal complaint.

You may also approach any member of staff for advice.

Click on the following to find out more:

Comments and Suggestions
Compliments
Concerns
Complaints

Comments and Suggestions

Comments and suggestions on how we can improve our services are just as important as complaints to our organisation.  A comment can be a remark, observation or criticism and may be about an individual, team or the service as a whole.

Compliments

If you would like us to pass on your thanks to a member of staff for the care, compassion  or support you, a relative or friend have received, please let us know. 

Concerns

Our experience suggests that many problems are based on a simple misunderstanding or a lack of information.

The Trust recognises that as patients, relatives and carers you have a right to a first class service.  We also understand that you have the right to raise a concern when you do not receive one.

Our Patient Services team will look into your concerns and respond to you directly, making every effort to resolve your issues quickly.

We will:

• Contact you to confirm the issues you would like us to look into
• Confirm your desired outcome, for example explanation, apology or change in practice
• Agree timescales with you
• Look into all the issues raised with respect, fairness and confidentiality
• Keep you informed of developments.

Complaints

It can be helpful when dealing with complaints if they are received in writing.  However, if you find this difficult we are happy to arrange for you to discuss your complaint with an appropriate member of staff.  This can be arranged through the Patient Services team.

Your complaint will be responded to in writing by our Chief Executive or his delegated manager, but if you still feel your issues are not fully resolved we ask that you please contact us again.

The Trust will do everything possible to ensure that your issues are addressed in full to your complete satisfaction.  This may involve a meeting or further investigation and another written response

If you are not satisfied

If, after our best efforts, you are still not completely satisfied with our response, you may contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to request a review of your case.  The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is an independent body established to promote improvements in healthcare through the assessment of the performance of health service providers.

Contacting the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Telephone: 0345 015 4033

What if I want to complain on behalf of someone else?

Whilst the Trust will always protect the patient’s right to confidentiality, many complaints are received from relatives, carers or friends of patients. Where a response may breach patient confidentiality, consent will always be sought from the patient before a response is issued.

If you make a complaint, you will be asked to complete a ‘Monitoring the Ethnicity of Patients’ form. Collecting this data provides us with important information, which can help us to plan our services. It is not compulsory to fill in this form.

Discrimination

The Trust encourages the public and patients to speak openly and honestly about any concerns they may have. We can assure you that any feedback you provide will be treated confidentially and sensitively. Anyone not satisfied with the service they receive will not be discriminated against or made to feel overwhelmed by the PALS or complaints procedure.