Duty of Candour

At Willow Wood we recognise the importance of openness and honesty. When things go wrong we will acknowledge where we went wrong, and we will be clear and timely in our apology. The experience of our patients and carers is important to us and we will support you whilst we continue to reflect, review and continuously learn and develop. We will take responsibility for all our actions and ensure we work to do what is required to reduce risk and improve the way that we care so that you can remain confident in the service that we provide.

We will always aim to provide a service and environment that will prevent any need for a complaint being made. However, sometimes we may not get this right. We welcome any concerns or comments about any aspects of our services.

Concerns, Comments & Complaints

All concerns, comments and complaints are taken seriously because they give us a chance to improve our services and the experiences of those who access them. If you raise a concern this will not affect your care in any way. If we have a meeting with you to try and resolve your concerns, we will write to you with a summary of the matters discussed.

Our aim is to provide a Complaints Procedure that is easy to use, resolves complaints efficiently and is responsive to prevent recurrence.

What to do if you have a concern or complaint:

• In the event that you have a concern, comment or complaint regarding any area of service within the hospice we would ask you, in the first instance, to approach the person in charge of the clinical or service area. Any member of staff will be able to help you identify who this is.
• Please share your complaint, or comments, and they will try to resolve your concerns. It is hoped at this stage that any problem areas will be addressed immediately. If you would like to discuss issues further please feel free to ask to speak to a more senior clinical or service operational manager. If you are not satisfied with the result, please feel free to write to the Chief Executive with your concerns which will then be dealt with as a formal complaint.

Chief Executive
Willow Wood Hospice
Willow Wood Close
Ashton-under-Lyne
OL6 6SL

What happens next….

1. A written acknowledgement of your complaint will be sent to you within three working days of receiving it.
2. We will investigate the complaint thoroughly and the Chief Executive will send a written response within twenty-one working days of receipt of your complaint, or within an agreed timeframe, explaining the results of the investigation and any action taken.
3. If it is not possible to send you a written response within twenty-one working days, the Chief Executive will write to you and explain why in order to maintain communication. If following this explanation, you wish to meet with the Chief Executive, we will arrange an appointment. We will continue to communicate with you during the process.

You can contact the Care Quality Commission with your concerns at any time, including if you feel that your complaint is unresolved, by writing to the Care Quality Commission at the address below or via email at enquiries@cqc.org.uk;

The Care Quality Commission
North West Region
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

Telephone: 03000 616161
Website: www.cqc.org.uk

Or the:
Charity Commission for England and Wales
2nd Floor
20 Kings Parade
Queens Dock
Liverpool
L3 4QD – mainly directed at fundraising concerns: -

Telephone: 0845 300 0218
Website: www.charity-commission.gov.uk