Report into Complaints Handling at West Herts Hospital Trust

Healthwatch Hertfordshire worked with the West Herts Hospital Trust to review the quality of their final response letters to complainants. They reviewed 20 letters.

• verall the standard of response letters were scored highly, with only a couple exceptions. There were also some exemplary responses noted.
• The response letters consistently stated who investigated or oversaw the investigation into the complaint. This person always seemed to be of appropriate role within the organisation.
• The more structured and outcome/remedy focused the complaint letter, the better the Trust’s response letters.
• It was found there has been a gradual decline in timely responses from 2013 to 2016, from 100% in 2013 & 2014, down to 20% in 2016.
• Consistently the tone of the letters was scored highly across 2013 to 2016. 
• There was an improvement from 2014/15 to 2016 regarding ‘reasons for decisions being made clear’, increasing from 71% to 100% by 2016.
• Generally, technical terminology was explained, or avoided where possible. On the occasions where the use of technical terminology was not explained, these were aimed at a complainant who clearly understood his/her condition and the clinical terminology related to it.
• Honesty and Transparency  - it was highlighted that in this area WHHT scores lower compared to other sections in the review. It was found that there has been little improvement or change from 2013 to 2016 when assessing Honesty and Transparency in the response letters included in this review.
• On the whole complainants were offered the chance to discuss the outcome of the investigation.
• All response letters, bar two signposted to the Ombudsman if the complainant was still unsatisfied. However, the local advocacy service POhWER was not offered in any complaint response letter across the period.