At the RNOH we pride ourselves on being a responsive organisation and your feedback is really important to us. We believe that the best way of improving services is listening to the people who use them. Therefore all comments, suggestions and concern about the ways in which services can be improved are welcomed. We want to know when things go wrong so we can quickly put them right for you, and can learn from your experience to improve our services to other people.
Whether it is a thank you to a ward or department or an issue that you want to raise with us, there are several ways that you can leave us feedback on your experience at our hospital. Feedback allows us to make improvements and share best practice.
Ways that you can leave feedback include the Friends and Family Test, the NHS Choices website and by emailing us directly. We'll tell you a bit about each service in the sections below.
The Friends and Family Test (FFT) is an opportunity for people who use NHS services to provide real time feedback on their experiences anonymously and supports the fundamental principle that people who use NHS services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.
Listening to the views of patients and staff helps identify what is working well, what can be improved and how.
The question invites feedback on the overall experience you have had of using the service. When combined with supplementary follow-up questions, the FFT provides a mechanism to highlight both good and poor patient experience. This kind of feedback is vital in transforming NHS services and supporting patient choice.
This short film explains what the FFT is in a simple way – Visit https://
To complete the FFT forms visit: https://
For more information on the Friends and Family Test, visit https://
Your positive comments are appreciated by our staff as they aim to provide the best possible care and help to ensure that good practice is shared throughout the Trust. If you would like to share a positive experience, please speak to the person in charge of the ward, clinic or department.
Alternatively email rnoh.
Find out more about our Patient Charter by clicking here.
Many patients with long-term conditions, or following hospital treatment, are given follow-up appointments to meet their clinical team on a regular basis. However, often these follow-up appointments are not needed by the patient.
That’s why our Patient Initiated Follow-up (PIFU) appointments allow you to arrange your own follow-up appointment, only when you need it, for example, if your symptoms worsen, flare-ups or change. This means you don’t need to attend hospital regularly. PIFU allows you to be in control of your care, reduces unnecessary hospital visits, reduces waiting times for other patients who may need appointments and reduces the hospitals’ carbon footprint by reducing unnecessary journeys made to our hospital.
How does PIFU work?
Your healthcare professional may recommend the PIFU pathway for you if it is safe for you to manage your own appointments. Once you are placed on the pathway, you will be able to contact the service directly to arrange a follow-up appointment only when you feel you need. You will be given a list of ‘trigger’ symptoms and signs to look out for that indicate you should make an appointment.
You will be advised how long you will be on the PIFU pathway. If you do not make an appointment within this specified time period, (maximum 12 months) you will be discharged from the service. If you need to be seen again after being discharged, you will need a new referral.
How do I book a follow-up appointment?
Booking a follow-up appointment is quick and easy. Your healthcare professional will give you a contact number or an email address to use. These details should be mentioned on your clinic letter. You should contact us using these contact details if you need a follow-up appointment.
When contacting us, you will need to provide the following information:
· Name
· Date of birth
· NHS/hospital number (please see your appointment letter)
· The clinic or service you need to book the appointment with
Please make sure to say you are on a PIFU pathway when you contact the service. Our admin team will book an appointment for you and send you text reminders beforehand. If you find you cannot attend your appointment, please tell us in advance, so we can give it to someone else who needs it.
PALS stands for the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and focuses on improving the service we provide to our patients. Our top priority at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital is to put patients first, always. If you have any concerns about your care or the services at this hospital, you can talk to the staff involved in your care at the time or the ward manager. The staff and the PALS team can also help to address people’s concerns avoiding the need for the patient to write a letter of complaint. By responding quickly and efficiently there will be a better chance of early resolution.
The PALS team will advise and support patients, their families and carers, provide information on NHS services, listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries and help to direct your concerns to the appropriate members of staff.
The team is available between 10am 1.00pm to 1:30pm 4pm, Monday to Friday.
You can speak to the PALS team in confidence by email at rnoh.
Out of hours - please leave a telephone message or send an e-mail and you will be contacted the next working day.
The PALS Officers are happy to visit you on the wards if you wish and this can be arranged via the ward staff.
If you feel that you have made every effort to try and resolve your concerns directly with the staff or through PALS, but this has not been successful you may decide to make a formal complaint. If this is what you decide to do then it is important to do this as soon as possible; this should normally be within twelve months of the event.
You can contact the team:
By post to
Complaints and PALS Service
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Brockley Hill
Stanmore
Middlesex
HA7 4LP
By telephone
020 8909 5439 / 5383
By email
What information will be needed to make a formal complaint?
- Your name, address and contact telephone number and those of the person that you may be complaining for; including their date of birth and their NHS number
- A summary of what has happened, giving dates where possible
- Which department provided the care or service
- A list of things that you are complaining about
- What you would like to happen as a result of your complaint
For more information on complaints and PALS please visit the thumbnails at the bottom of this page.
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint using the RNOH Complaints and PALS service, you are entitled to request that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) considers the complaint. The request should be received by the PHSO within one year of making the complaint. The PHSO can be contacted in the following ways:
By post
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
By Telephone
PHSO helpline: 0345 015 4033
By email
phso.
For further information, please visit the PHSO website.
Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Services (ICAS)
This is a free, independent and confidential organisation who provide support to people who wish to make a complaint about their NHS care or treatment, contact details below:
By post
POhWER
Hertlands House,
Primett Road,
Stevenage, Herts
SG1 3EE
By Telephone
Telephone: 0300 456 2370
By email
Email: pohwer
Healthwatch England
Local Healthwatch bodies are independent consumer champions for health and social care. Their remit covers hospitals, GPs, pharmacists, opticians, community health services, residential care, mental health and children’s services.
Healthwatch gathers information and opinions from patients, carers, service users and the wider public about health and social care services, then makes sure those views are used to improve services for all.
They also provide information and signposting services to support people in making choices about health and social care services and how to access them.
They have a statutory authority to visit locations where health and social care services are being delivered, observe what is happening, and report findings. They are keen to hear from anybody who is interested in volunteering opportunities or to become members.
Contact details can be found on the websites of: https://
Patient feedback is of paramount importance to us in changing and adapting services and our Trust for the better. We are always looking for interested parties to be involved as our critical friend and work with us on improvement initiatives.
If you would like to be involved in a Patient Experience Group or you would like to participate in any of our future patient engagement events please contact Volunteer Services on 020 8909 5394.
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