Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust employs a total of 18,000 staff delivering services across seven hospitals. In 2020, following an external review of their complaints handling, a number of improvements were identified as necessary. To address this, the Trust introduced a Complaints Improvement Plan (CIP), which concluded in March 2024.
Our Role in the CIP
Our contribution focused on:
- Improving skills and behaviours that support resolving complaints locally and speedily.
- Reducing the number of complaints that escalate.
- Enhancing the investigation of complex complaints.
- Improving the quality of responses to complaints.
What We Did
Complaints and PALS Team
Our first phase was working with the Complaints Team, as they were crucial to the success of the CIP. Historically, the team faced several challenges:
- A very high volume of complaints, including those escalating unnecessarily.
- Inconsistent support from departments when gathering evidence and drafting responses.
- A lack of recognition for their expertise and experience, with their role often treated as purely administrative.
We began by:
- Providing the team with a safe space to discuss their experiences, identify what was working, and highlight areas for improvement.
- Collaborating with them to shape the future of complaints handling at the Trust.
- Redefining their roles to build confidence in challenging the quality of information provided and increasing their impact on the process.
Introducing a Competency Framework
Complaints handling is often influenced by defensive behaviour, which does not align with the Trust’s objectives. To foster greater understanding and consistency, we developed a Competency Framework for everyone involved in complaints handling. This framework:
- Avoided adding unnecessary layers of work.
- Aligned with the Trust’s existing values and behaviours.
- Highlighted the specific skills and behaviours necessary for effective complaints resolution.
Rolling Out a Training Programme
We developed a training programme designed to be cascaded throughout the organisation. The programme included three modules:
- Masterclass in Complaints Management: A comprehensive exploration of complaints handling, including what constitutes a complaint and the drivers behind complaints.
- Mediation Skills: A one-day programme equipping participants with mediation skills to enhance complaint resolution.
- Getting It Write: A half-day programme focused on improving the quality of written responses to complaints, emphasising humanising content and clarity.
The Impact
In their 2023/24 Annual Report, Leeds Teaching Hospitals reported the following outcomes:
- “A complaints training programme facilitated by an external provider continues to be delivered to staff. This includes modules on the complaints process, mediation skills, and response writing. It has been well received, and to date, 203 staff have attended.”
- “The Complaints Coaching Programme has been provided by the Complaints team for all Trust staff. The focus of this coaching is to raise awareness and understanding of the complaints process, how to investigate a complaint, and response writing. There has been increased delivery of these sessions to medical staff in all areas, particularly in the Trust Emergency Departments. There is continued evidence that the quality of complaints responses has improved as a result of this work.”
- Evidence of improvements in the recording of learning from complaints.
- An improvement in the percentage of complaint responses sent to complainants within the initially agreed timescale since the CIP began:
Year | % of Responses Sent On Time |
---|---|
2020/21 | 17% |
2021/22 | 25% |
2022/23 | 26% |
2023/24 | 34% |
Feedback from John White, Former Head of Patient Experience
“I wanted to say how fabulous it has been working with you all. You are an inspiring team and do great work. It is rare to find such a talented team, and from day one of when we met, I have always been impressed by your desire to provide our hospital with what we required. Long may it continue.“