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Complaints

At Airedale Foundation NHS Trust we work hard to provide an efficient and effective service in a helpful and courteous manner.

Each year we provide services to over 200,000 people and in the large majority of cases these are problem free. However we want to know when things do go wrong, so that we can quickly put them right.

We welcome and value your comments and suggestions on the service you receive, as this will help us plan for the future and improve care for other patients and their families.

We also want to know when you are pleased by the efforts of our staff. We will give close attention to all comments and suggestions received. The Trust uses complaints received as a way of gaining insights into the patient care (services) which we provide in order to learn and to help identify areas where we can make improvements.

If you wish to seek independent advice or support regarding your concerns, you may wish to contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service.  If this is the case, please contact their helpline telephone number 0808 8023000 and you will then be connected to the relevant Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) for your area.

Information in Easy Read

Who can complain

Anyone who is receiving or has received NHS treatment or services can complain. If you are unable to do so yourself then someone else (usually a close relative or friend) can complain for you. You may be asked to confirm that your relative or friend has your permission to pursue a problem on your behalf, especially if it involves confidential information about yourself or your treatment.


When should I complain?

It is best to raise your concerns as soon as possible after the problem occurs. The NHS complaints procedure specifies time limits for making a formal complaint. The complaint should be made:

  • Within six months of the event: or
  • Within six months of you realising that you have something to complain about, provided this is not more than twelve months after the event itself.

There are some circumstances beyond these time limits where we may agree to investigate your concerns.

To whom do I complain?

Wherever possible, if you have a complaint regarding treatment or the service you have received, please speak to the nurse, doctor or therapist responsible for your care.

Voicing your concerns during a hospital stay or visit will be much more beneficial as issues can be resolved at the time and appropriate action taken where possible to prevent repetition.

You may ask to speak to a senior member of staff or the Ward or Department Manager who will make every effort to help you. If you do not reach a satisfactory conclusion, Matrons are available to speak to between 0730 -2000 hours Mon- Fri . If your concern is outside of these hours a senior nurse/hospital site/bed manager is available. You can ask the staff to contact switch board for you to contact the senior person for you.

If you prefer to talk to someone who is not directly involved in your care, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) in person by asking at Reception, or contact by telephone on

ext.01535 294019.

If you prefer to make a formal complaint you may contact:

Bridget Fletcher
Chief Executive
Airedale NHS Trust
Airedale General Hospital
Skipton Road
Steeton
KEIGHLEY
West Yorkshire
BD20 6TD

or Telephone 01535 294019 for advice Alternatively the complaints manager will be happy to discuss your complaint with you in person.

The Complaints Manager is Helen Barrow . She can be contacted on:

 By telephone on:  01535 294015.
Or you could email on:   complaints@anhst.nhs.uk

Whoever investigates your complaint will be careful to ensure that any information about you is kept strictly confidential.

In the circumstance where you received your NHS care and treatment in a none NHS facility on behalf of the Airedale NHS Trust then your concern will be dealt with by Airedale NHS Trust. Therefore we request you contact the Trust via the details provided.


What We Will Do

We will:

  • Try and speak with you within 3 days of receipt of your letter to discuss how to proceed with the complaint.
  • send you an acknowledgement letter
  • investigate all issues raised by your complaint
  • Aim to provide you with a full written explanation, verbal information, or meet with you and respond to your complaint within the time scale agreed with you.
  • inform you if more time is needed
  • Share where lessons  have been learned with you

Often a telephone conversation or a meeting can go a long way towards a quick resolution of problems.


How will we respond to your complaint ?

We are committed to:

  • responding directly and quickly
  • Ensuring everyone is treated on an equitable basis
  • responding with respect, fairness and confidentiality
  • making every effort to resolve your complaint
  • ensuring that you will continue to receive high standards of care from our hospital
  • identifying needed improvements in our services
  • A culture of openness

If you do not feel satisfied with your response

If you require your response translated into another language or made available in an alternative format, please let us know and we will do our very best to help you.


Can anyone else help?

The Yorkshire & Humberside Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) can provide independent information, advice, support and representation to people wanting to make a complaint about NHS treatment. They can be contacted on 0845 120 3734.


If you do not feel satisfied with your response

Please contact us as soon as possible. We will make every effort to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction. This may involve a meeting or further investigation and another written response. .

What if you are still unhappy?

If you are still dissatisfied you can ask the Health Service Commissioner (the Ombudsman) to investigate your case. The Ombudsman is completely independent of both the NHS and the Government and investigates complaints not only about NHS services, but also how the complaints procedure is working. You can contact her office at the address and number below.
The Ombudsman is not obliged to investigate every complaint submitted and will not generally take on a case unless it has been through the full NHS complaints procedure. This also applies to cases that are being dealt with by the courts.

You may contact the Care Quality Commission in order to inform the Commission of concerns you may have about the way in which your complaint has been processed and handled.

Will this procedure cost anything?

The whole of the Complaints Procedure, including Ombudsman Service is free.

And finally

We don't just want to know when things go wrong, we also want to know what you think of our services generally, good or bad. Please feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions you may have. You can do this by writing or by emailing us at the following addresss 

pals.office@anhst.nhs.uk