Inpatient guide
Tell us what you think
We hope that your stay in any of our hospitals will be as comfortable as possible and you will continue to make a speedy and full recovery. We are keen to ensure we constantly strive to improve the services we offer to our patients.
Making Your Voice Heard - Comments, Compliments and Complaints
At West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust we are committed to providing the best possible service for our patients, visitors and staff. We are interested in receiving comments or suggestions regarding all aspects of your stay, from medical, nursing and midwifery care to catering and signposting in the hospital.
Please pass on your comments by completing one of the comment cards held on our wards and clinical areas and post it in the comments boxes in the main reception or the outpatients clinic. All information provided will be treated in confidence.
Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS)
Despite our best intentions, things do sometimes go wrong. We want to know when this happens so that we can put things right. Please talk to the ward staff if you have any issues and concerns. If that does not resolve the problem, please ask them to contact the PALS staff who would be happy to visit you, your relative or carer on the ward. You can also visit the department in person where staff are available to speak to you in confidence.
Even if you have been discharged and still feel you would like to make the Trust aware of any issues you wish to raise, please telephone the PALS office on 01923 217198. Should your relatives/carers/friends wish to raise concerns on your behalf, we would need to have your written consent; this is to protect, patient confidentiality.
Complaints Department
If, having discussed your concerns with the appropriate person or the PALS department you still feel that you would like to make a formal complaint (one that is formally registered and to which you will receive a written response from the Chief Executive) please write to:
Complaints Manager
Complaints Department
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Willow House
Watford General Hospital
Vicarage Road
Watford WD18 0HB
Email: wherts-tr.complaintsteam@nhs.net
Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman
If you are unhappy with the final response to your complaint, then you do have the right to contact the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (HSO) and ask them to consider the matter further. Your request should be made as reasonably practicable after the date on which our response was sent to you.
The HSO can be contacted at the following address:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033 from 8:30am to 5:30pm
Litigation and Claims
The role of the Department is to finalise any outstanding/new financial claims made against the Trust. Claims incorporate medical negligence, incident/site accidents, property damage/loss or personal injury. Patients, members of the public, staff and solicitors can make these requests.
For further information please contact:
Litigation and Claims Department
Administration Block
Watford General Hospital
Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire
WD18 0HB
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
If you want to enlist the help of an external agency, you can contact the ICAS provider for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire as detailed below. ICAS represents the interests if local people and is independent of the NHS. ICAS can advise you at every stage when making a complaint and their services are free and confidential. ICAS cannot, however, help you if wish to pursue a claim for compensation or negligence.
POhWER
Hertlands House,
Primett Road,
Stevenage,
Hertfordshire,
SG1 3EE
Tel: 0345 4561 082
Email: pohwer@pohwer.net
Webiste: www.pohwer.net
Patient Representatives
The Trust is looking for patients/relatives/carers who would like to become a patient representative to work with the Trust to improve services. If you are interested in becoming a patient representative, please complete a form, available from main reception or from the Patient and Public Involvement Manager. For further information please telephone 07881 623 836.
Patient Forums
Patient Forums will act as a monitoring body with volunteers from all parts of the community. For further information can be found on their website: www.cppih.org
Volunteers
We welcome volunteers from all sections of the community. For further details
on volunteering opportunities in your area please telephone our Voluntary
Services Co-ordinators at either:
Watford General Hospital on 01923 217307 or at Hemel Hempstead Hospital/St
Albans City Hospital on 01442 287973
