Patients & the public

Complaints about NHS foundation trusts

If an NHS foundation trust is performing poorly and breaches its terms of authorisation, Monitor can intervene. We have a range of steps we can take, including meeting the foundation trust's board/senior management to obtain explanations, requiring effective implementation of a remedial action plan and regular progress reports. Monitor has powers to take further and more extensive action if the breaches are significant.

Monitor works closely with the Healthcare Commission to ensure that NHS foundation trusts offer good clinical care. The Healthcare Commission has the primary responsibility for examining complaints about clinical quality and services. It sends regular reports to Monitor about the performance of foundation trusts on complaints. In addition, Monitor asks the Healthcare Commission to refer direct to Monitor any particularly serious issues or complaints that fall outside its remit. These include matters about finance, corporate risk or corporate governance. Monitor can take appropriate steps to ensure the trust is addressing these properly and has good systems in place to prevent them recurring.

Monitor is not able to respond directly to any complaints from patients or the public about the standard of care they have received from an NHS foundation trust. If you have a comment or complaint about any aspect of the service you have received from an NHS foundation trust, there are a number of steps you can take:

1. It is important you raise your concerns as soon as possible. You should make these first to the organisation that has provided the service. They will have an independent Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service (PALS) that can help you with this complaint. You can also seek advice and assistance in making your complaint from the Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS) and there is more information here.
2. If you feel that, after they have had the opportunity to investigate and respond to your concerns, the response from the organisation that provided the service you have complained about was inadequate, you have the right to ask the Healthcare Commission to independently review your complaint. The Healthcare Commission is independent of the NHS and Government. You can find a form and further details on the Healthcare Commission's website or you can telephone them on 0845 601 3012. If appropriate, they will refer your complaint on to Monitor.
3. If you remain dissatisfied once the Healthcare Commission has reviewed your complaint, you can ask the Health Service Ombudsman to investigate your complaint.