Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) welcomes complaints and concerns about us and about the services we commission. We see this as valuable feedback as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements.
We want to make sure we are open, honest and transparent in all in all our dealings with patients and the public. You don’t need to worry about the service you receive in future being adversely affected because you have made a complaint.
You can get in touch with us directly if you have a complaint or a concern or you could choose to contact your local MP who can contact us on your behalf.
Contact the patient experience team by email: lscicb-fw.patientexperience@nhs.net or call 0300 373 3550.
We have a complaints policy which describes how the ICB handles and responds to complaints. You can read it below.
If you are unhappy about any part of your care, treatment, or the way services are provided to you let us know as soon as you can. This makes it easier to put things right.
You should make a complaint within 12 months of the event(s) concerned or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about.
The first stage of the complaints procedure is called local resolution. You can make a complaint either about the actions of Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) or about the services we commission by contacting our patient experience team by freephone, email or letter.
Our opening hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
If you are not satisfied with the care or services provided to you by a local NHS organisation, you should first try to resolve it with them directly first without making a formal complaint. If you are not able to, you can pursue a complaint either through the provider organisation or to us as the commissioner. If you would like to discuss this with us, please get in touch. Together with the provider, we will make sure your complaint is investigated and responded to as quickly as possible.
If you need to make your complaint verbally, a member of our patient experience team help to put this in writing for you. You can discuss your complaint with a member of the team and tell us what outcome you would like.
We will send you a written acknowledgement confirming the points of your complaint that will be investigated. After the investigation, we will send you a written response from our chief executive or their delegate, including our explanation, conclusions and any action taken or learning.
Consent
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we will need their consent. We will send you a form to complete and return.
We can deal with complaints about our own organisation or any services we commission for our residents. This could be an NHS trust, primary care (GP, dentist, pharmacy or optician) or any other service either provided or funded by the NHS. Sometimes, it will be more appropriate that your complaint is handled directly by the provider organisation and we will tell you if this applies. If your complaint is about more than one organisation, we will try to provide you with a single, coordinated response which addresses all the points you have raised.
We can’t handle complaints about private healthcare unless your treatment was funded by the NHS but carried out by a private provider. We are also unable to look at complaints that are exclusively about social care. They are the responsibility of your local authority. If you are dissatisfied about both health and social care, we may be able to deal with this. Please contact us and we can discuss this with you.
There are a small number of specialised services that are not commissioned by the ICB such as care delivered in prisons or armed forces health. Also, there are some services which are provided or commissioned by NHS England. We would not be able to handle these but help direct you to the right place.
If you require independent advice about the complaints process, there are organisations which can help. They can support people by helping to write letters, prepare people for meetings and accompany them as well, and help people to know their options at every stage of a complaint.
The relevant organisations for where you live are below.
Lancashire
Advocacy Focus
Phone: 0300 323 0965
Text: 07886 744 634
Email: admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk
Blackburn with Darwen
N-Compass
Telephone: 03450 138 208
Email: admin@n-compassnorthwest.co.uk
Blackpool
Empowerment
Tel: 0300 32 32 100
Email: admin@empowermentcharity.org.uk
South Cumbria
People First
Tel: 03003 038037
Email: admin@wearepeoplefirst.co.uk
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your complaint, we will undertake further investigation to resolve it to your satisfaction. However, if you are still not happy, you can report it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman may investigate complaints on your behalf, but only if your complaint has already been investigated locally. There is no charge for this service and the ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Telephone: 0345 015 4033 (open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
We know that making a complaint can be difficult and we want to work with you to resolve the problems you have highlighted. We also want our staff to feel safe and secure at work and we will not accept any unreasonable behaviour. What we expect of you and what you should expect of us is explained below.