It's important for us to include people in the shaping of our services because it helps to ensure we're improving services in a way that meets your needs. There are a few ways that you can get in touch with us about what you think. Just read on to see what method would suit you most.
Compliments
It is important for us to know when something has worked well. This information could assist us in sharing good practice and improving services. If you wish to praise a service, a member of staff or a team, please let us know online or by contacting us on the details at the bottom of this page. Submit details of your thanks online.
Concerns
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust aims to provide a high quality service but occasionally things can go wrong. When they do, please let us know so that we can try to put them right for you and learn from your experience to improve our services for other people. Anything you tell us will be treated as confidential under the concerns process. Submit details of your concern online.
Raising a Concern
If you are not happy with any service, care or treatment you receive, you can raise a concern or a suggestion to help us improve our services.
The Trust will ensure confidentiality, treat you sympathetically and keep you updated on how your concern is being handled. We will investigate under the National Health Service (Concerns, Complaints and Redress Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2011 and provide an explanation. Should we find that something could or should have been done differently, we will advise you what changes will be made within the organisation as a result.
Before raising a concern, it is important to think about what you want to happen and to make this clear to ensure that we understand your expectations. You may want:
- An apology;
- Someone to explain what has happened;
- Some changes or improvements to be made;
- To make sure people recognise their mistakes; and
- To make sure the same thing does not happen again.
Who can raise a concern?
You can raise a concern if you are a patient or if you have been affected, or are likely to be affected by something the Welsh Ambulance Service has done or not done.
If you prefer, a carer, friend, relative or your local Community Health Council (CHC) can represent you, but you will be asked to agree to this.
You can raise a concern on behalf of someone else if you have their permission in writing.
Is there a time limit for raising a concern?
You should try and talk to our Concerns Team about your concern as soon as possible, although you can raise your concern up to 12 months after the incident.
How to contact us with a compliment or a concern
If you feel able to do so you should raise your concern by speaking to a member of staff at the time. They may be able to resolve your concern to your satisfaction ‘on the spot’. If you would rather raise your concern formally, you can contact a member of our Concerns Team in the following ways:
Contacting us Online
Contacting Us by Email
Writing to Us
Jason Killens
Chief Executive
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust Headquarters
Ty Elwy, Unit 7
Ffordd Richard Davies
St Asaph Business Park
St Asaph, Denbighshire
LL17 0LJ
Contact us by Telephone
0300 321 321 1
What if I need help to raise a concern?
The Community Health Council (CHC) works to enhance and improve the quality of your local health service. They are your statutory and independent voice in health services provided throughout Wales. The CHC can provide you with free confidential help and advice if you have a problem or concern with NHS services. You can find the contact details of your local CHC on the website: http://www.communityhealthcouncils.org.uk/
What happens next?
When you raise a concern we will:
- Let you know within 2 working days that we have received your concern (weekends and bank holidays are not included).
- Ask if there are any particular needs that we should be aware of in dealing with your concern
- Ask you how much you want to be involved
- Investigate your concern
- Let you know what we have found and what we are going to do about it
- Let you have a final reply within 30 working days of the date we first received your concern. If we cannot reply to you in that time we will give you the reasons why and let you know when to expect a reply.
Redress
In some cases further investigations under the Redress arrangement may be needed. Redress is a range of actions that can be taken to resolve a concern where we have been at fault in causing some harm. It can include a written apology and explanation of what happened, an offer of treatment/rehabilitation to help relieve the problem and/or financial compensation. If Redress was to apply to your concern, we would let you know what this meant in more detail.
What should I do if I am still not happy?
If you remain unhappy with our investigation and response to your concern, it may be possible to resolve these by meeting with Trust staff to talk through your concerns in an informal and constructive way. This often proves a very positive and effective way of reaching a satisfactory outcome for everyone involved.
Have Your Say
We are always looking at ways to improve our services. If you have any comments about the services we provide locally or you would like to tell us about your experience of our services, please contact our Patient Experience Team by following this link Capturing your experiences & learning lessons.
The Trust welcomes comments in both English and Welsh language.
Useful Links & Contacts
If you still remain unhappy you can contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. Their details can be found under Useful Contacts below.
Putting Things Right
For supporting documents - click here.
Board of Community Health Councils in Wales
Tel: 0845 6447814
Tel: 029 20 235558
http://www.communityhealthcouncils.org.uk/
Email: enquiries@waleschc.org.uk
Citizen’s Advice Bureau
Tel: 03444 77 20 20
Text Relay: 03444 111 445
www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales
The Public Service Ombudsman for Wales
Tel: 0845 6010987
http://www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk/
Email: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk
Address: 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
Cardiff
CF35 5LJ
FAIR PROCESSING NOTICE
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust works in partnership with the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) by reporting patient safety incidents to the NPSA through the national Reporting and Learning System (RLS). Information is passed to the NPSA to enable it to learn from patient safety incidents and perform its functions relating to the ongoing management of health care services in England and Wales. The RLS operates on an anonymous basis; however, information which constitutes patients’, staff or visitors’ personal data may in some cases be passed to the NPSA. Where this is recognised, it will be deleted, as it is not the intention of the NPSA to hold person identifiable information.