Complaints Procedure

The request was refused by Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Brenda Prentice

Dear Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,

At a recent Parliamentary Health Committee it was considered best practise for Boards to ‘own’ complaints. There should be a full summary of all complaints every month. Chairs should ‘love’ complaints as it tells them what is going on.

Please tell me what the procedure is for the Partnership Board to be kept fully informed of all complaints.

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player...

Yours faithfully,

Brenda Prentice

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Attached please find an acknowledgement letter in respect of your FOI
request.

 

With best wishes

 

Sent on behalf of

PHIL BRICE

Director of Governance and Corporate Development

 

 

 

Dawn  

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Attached please find a response in respect of your FOI request.

 

With best wishes

 

Sent on behalf of

PHIL BRICE

Director of Governance and Corporate Development

 

 

 

Dawn   

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Brenda Prentice

Dear Godfrey Dawn,

Thank you for your reply.

I note:

Minutes of meeting 24 Nov 13, Page 9.

'It was queried whether Non-Executive Directors could have access to more detailed information for all complaints. The Chairman asked the Executive Team to consider how information can be made available to Non-Executive Directors'.

I find it difficult to find any reference to more detailed information.

Can you please direct me to any reference to where negligence cases are flagged up please.

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Thank you for your email of 14 June 2014.

 

Please could I ask you to clarify whether you are raising a separate FOI
request regarding the process for the Trust Board to consider negligence
claims and litigation.

 

With best wishes

 

Dawn  

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Brenda Prentice

Dear Godfrey Dawn,

I am asking where it say’s in the minutes that the Partnership has directed me to, does it tell Board members about the negligence case the Partnership settled out of Court in February. I can’t see it. Your assistance in finding it would be helpful.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Mrs Prentice

I note that you have now submitted a further FOI request relating to how the Trust Board considers negligence claims and litigation.
I will therefore ensure that the response considers the question in your email below rather then emailing separately.

As you are aware, under the FOI Act 200 you will receive your response within 20 working days

With best wishes

DAWN

DAWN GODFREY
FOI and Complaints Officer
and Executive Support Assistant
to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,
Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN
Tel: 01278 432084

show quoted sections

Brenda Prentice

Dear Godfrey Dawn,

I have submitted a separate FOI request, please to do join the two together.

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Brenda Prentice

Dear Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

Although you have given a mass of minutes, you have not directed me to how the board of trustees have been made aware of my case and the fact that PHSO has up held the case.

Although there a policy's in place, they do not seem to be informative to committee or robust in nature. There appears to be no discussion about up held complaints.

I am writing to request an internal review of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's handling of my FOI request 'Complaints Procedure'

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Brenda Prentice

[Name Removed] (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

That's the problem with Ombudsman's decisions...

Even if a case is upheld, and the irhabusatiins proved negligent there is no automatic inspection or check up to see if things improve by independent inspectors.

[Name Removed] (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Spelling Correction....

That's the problem with Ombudsman's decisions...

Even if a case is upheld, and the organisations proved negligent, there is no automatic inspection or check up to see if things improve by independent inspectors.

Hooper Sarah (Somerset Partnership), Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Please find attached a letter regarding your recent internal review
request.

 

Regards

Sarah Hooper

Records Administrator

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

 

On Behalf of

 

Michèle Crumb

Head of Risk

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

2 Attachments

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Please see the attached letter and Independent Review Form which I am
sending on behalf of Mrs Michele Crumb, Head of Risk, following your
request for an independent review of your FOI application.

with best wishes

 

 

Dawn  

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Dear Godfrey Dawn,
Please be kind enough to ask Ms Crumb, what correspondence she was given access to.

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

I am away from my desk until Thursday 7 August 2014 and I will only have
limited access to my emails.  

 

If you enquiry is regarding a complaint please contact Lucy Nicholls,
Patient Experience Manager, on 01278 432007.

 

If it is regarding an FOI enquiry please email [Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust request email]  

 

If you need to contact Phil Brice, Director of Governance & Corporate
Development or the Governance Team urgently please contact Trust HQ on
01278 432000. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Best wishes

DAWN GODFREY

FOI & Complaints Officer

and PA to Director of Governance and Corporate Development

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

4 Attachments

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Please find attached a response letter in respect of your recent e-mail
correspondence dated 6 August 2014 (request-223671-c9a9b82e); 6 August
2014 (request-213620-59ff873e) and 10 August 2014
(request-217060-06130c15) in relation to the requests for information you
have previously raised under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

I believe that this letter answers the outstanding issues in respect of
all of the applications you have raised with the Trust.

 

With best wishes

 

Sent on behalf of

PHIL BRICE

Director of Governance and Corporate Development

 

 

 

Dawn  

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

D. Speers left an annotation ()

Sorry looks like Pigs are fed and ready for take off! Defend, Deny and Delay.....seems to be the Default setting!

[Name Removed] (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Tip:

Anyone driving through Somerset should try and reach the next county asap if they are feeling at all ill.

Dear Godfrey Dawn,

It is pleasing to note that my request has been understood and it is now possible to ‘respond to all of the outstanding points’.

Is it now possible to explain how the Trustees are encouraged to ‘take ownership’ of complaints as many suggest?

Simply providing statistics is not ‘taking ownership’, how is this to be done?

What positive steps have been taken to improve Trustees appreciation of serious issues?

What is the procedure for informing Trustees of impending litigation?

It is pleasing to see how the Patients Association collaboration has improved aspects of the Partnership’s complaints procedures, there was indeed room for improvement.
The report still leaves many questions un-answered.

Within the scorecard, there is an option to escalate serious issues of concern directly to the Trust Chief Executive.

Who will identify what are ‘serious issues’ and what will the Chief Executive do about it?

Will the Partnership ever give complaints an independent, outside assessor?

How are outcomes measured from ‘learning from action and learning points’?

How will the Partnership deal with historic complaints that did not reach the new and improved standard of complaints handling?

When will there be a reopening of cases which were not addressed in a fair and open fashion in accordance with the Patients Association plan?

In Quarter four 2013/14 there were 28 complaints.

How many of these were referred to the Chief Executive and who makes that decision?

Many of the complaints appeared to be more serious than the grading given.

For example 7.3 In view of the recent PHSO report upholding failures in the District Nurse Service, how was the ‘action plan’ implemented?

It is noted that the nurse service had the most complaints against it, how are ‘out comes’ measured and by whom?

Sixteen complaints were risk graded as ‘very low risk’, 10 were graded as ‘low risk’ and two were graded as ‘moderate risk’. How are ‘grades’ established?

CONFIDENTIAL Complaints monthly report April 2014 –
SOMERSET PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
MONTHLY COMPLAINTS REPORT FOR HEADS OF DIVISION – APRIL 2014

Is this paper given to the Trustees?

Again the risk score is unclear.

What is the accepted time lapse between an assessment of need being requested, and when it is carried out?

"The Trust understands that, unfortunately, it was not possible for the complainant to attend the liaison meeting arranged on 3 March 2014. As a Trust, we do try to involve and support carers and family members wherever we can we are sorry that the complainant did not feel properly supported and involved with her mother’s care".

How does the Trust work with relatives and patients to ensure dates of appointments are acceptable to all? How many other appointment times are offered if the first is not agreed?

Does the Trust have a hospital discharge procedure?

"Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation CCG should work with Somerset CCG and other Somerset NHS organisations to develop common approaches and processes for dealing with complaints where possible and practicable. These should reflect the best practice detailed in the Patients Association standards for complaints handling".

How is this being implemented?

"We are aware that navigating through NHS Services can sometimes be difficult and we fully appreciate the concerns raised and take every opportunity to learn from patients experience to ensure that we improve the services that we offer to our patients".

Best Practice advice from NHS England says that patients who wish to make complaints should be given independent advice and help.

How does the Partnership implement this?

Is there a sum set aside for this?

It is disappointing that the Partnership wish to ‘challenge’ the PHSO! A little more compliance would encourage, fair open and transparent and leaving behind, deny, delay defend, as requested by so many health reports of late.

There are very many other points that could be raised but if these can be dealt with it will be a step towards greater understanding.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

E. Colville left an annotation ()

Good questions and observations Brenda Prentice.
You have been very clear and fair....thank you.

E. Colville left an annotation ()

Sorry its D.Speers here.....for some reason I seem to be registered under E.Colville

Godfrey Dawn, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

1 Attachment

Dear Mrs Prentice

 

Attached please find the Trust’s response in respect of your FOI request.
 The Trust feels that it has provided you with all the information it has
available in respect of this subject and will not be able to correspond
with you any further on this particular matter.

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the response you receive from the Trust
you retain the right to progress any complaint under section 50 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 by writing to the Information
Commissioner’s Office,  Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF.

 

With best wishes

 

Sent on behalf of

PHIL BRICE

Director of Governance and Corporate Development

 

 

Dawn  

DAWN GODFREY

FOI and Complaints Officer

and Executive Support Assistant

to Director of Governance & Corporate Development

 

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
2nd Floor, Mallard Court, Express Park, Bristol Road,

Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RN

Tel: 01278 432084

 

 

This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the
message in error before deleting it.
Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or
take any action in reliance on its contents to do so is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

E. Colville left an annotation ()

Whooooooosh!!! (Buck passing sound!) BTW Its D.Speers here!!

[Name Removed] (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Vexed?

Over the the ICO.

The ICO will agree with whatever the Trust, or as far as I can see, any other body says.

So it'll be to a Tribunal...if the judge lets you proceed to one.

.....Because it's really not your right to put your case to one.

Apparently there are cost - the phrase is 'disproportionate' - implications for justice.

So If it 'disprportionately' costs to make negligent government organisations attend a Tribunal - you will not be allowed to question them.

And, apparently, the ICO doesn't seem to turn up much nowadays....... Apparently this is due to 'cost implications' too.

So you might be left in court with no organisational representative to question.

So.. Because you can it question anyone - You lose....

...but at the public expense - of not being able to bring obstructive organisation to court.

All you have to remember is : .....It's now ALL about the money.

E. Colville left an annotation ()

Money worries in the door, truth out the window......something like that!!

E. Colville left an annotation ()

Sorry all.....its D.Speers here but for some reason I have become E.Colville. What an exciting life I lead!

Fiona Watts left an annotation ()

Oh my! Dee!?!

What's happened to you? How fabulous! Two wonderfully pioneering women WITH ethics rolled into ONE?! New genetics? A scottish 'thing? Yeah!

Fiona Watts left an annotation ()

Dear FOI Officer,

I would like to add to Brenda's comments;
"At a recent Parliamentary Health Committee it was considered best
practise for Boards to ‘own’ complaints. There should be a full
summary of all complaints every month. Chairs should ‘love’
complaints as it tells them what is going on."

JUMP FORWARD TO 7th October 2014 in WESTMINSTER.
These sentiments were repeated by RUTH EVANS of The Patient Experience Network. I quote the PHSO The Facts Pressure Group newsletter; http://phsothefacts.com/tag/sally-sykes/

"She started by asking the direct question ‘What should a complaints system be like?’ Simple. And ‘What does someone want when they complain?’ They want things put right. She said Richard Branson’s organisation has a positive attitude to feedback/complaints, because it improves things."

I just wish to confirm my support for Brenda's family, who seem to have been treated appallingly by your organisation.

Brenda Prentice left an annotation ()

It's such a shame no one listens. The CQC recent report of Som Par is not good. If only....things could have been so much better in my opinion.
Mr Brice has been answering my 'concerns' since 2004....I feel there is now an element of personalisation.
ICO have made a 4 page recommendation of ways for Som Par to improve responses to requesters.
I'm waiting for information that was requested a very long time ago, I can have it I am told, eventually, but still no investigation into a 'sudden and unexpected death'.