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Complaints of Ambulance Service
All NHS ambulance services operate their complaints procedure in accordance with the guidelines set out in the NHS Complaints Procedure, which came into force on 1st April 1996.
If you are not happy with the service you have received, you should first contact the local Ambulance Trust concerned. Wherever possible you should speak directly to someone close to the cause of your complaint, such as a paramedic or nurse. The Ambulance Trust may offer to bring in a conciliation service to resolve the complaint more quickly and amicably. If you are still unhappy, you can ask for an independent review to take place.
As a general guide, the time-scale for the local resolution of complaints is as follows:
- Letter of acknowledgement - 2 working days from receipt of complaint.
- Final response - 20 working days from receipt of complaint.
If you would prefer to talk to someone unconnected with your treatment, then you can contact the NHS Ambulance Trust’s complaints manager.
Finally, if you are not satisfied with the response from the Ambulance Trust, you can ask for an independent review panel to assess your complaint. This must be submitted within 28 days of the written reply to your complaint, and is dealt with by a non-executive member of the NHS Health Authority.
