Hi, my name is Katy. And my name is Carl. We work in the learning disability programme
at NHS England.
We are at the NHS England Customer Contact Centre that deals with concerns and complaints
about GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians and specialist services for uncommon and complex
health needs.
This film is about when people with learning disabilities, autism or both want to give
feedback, raise concerns or make complaints. It is also about when families, paid carers
and friends want to do it on their behalf. Whether it be about health, social care or
education. This film is about helping people to have good outcomes.
Just like my friend Aaron.
Aaron, come on, it's okay you can do this.
Good morning, you're speaking to Amelia from the Customer Contact Centre. Can I take your
name please?
My name is Aaron, I want to complain about a doctor.
Okay, that's fine. I just need to ask you a few questions first.
Aaron, tell them you have a learning disability and autism.
Can I just tell you I have a learning disability and autism and I'm finding this phone call
pretty difficult.
Ask if something is making the call hard or if there's anything you can do to make things
easier.
Don't worry we can take it slowly, I can always repeat what I've said or use different words
if that helps.
Learning disabilities and autism are lifelong conditions recognised in law that you might
need to make reasonable adjustments for.
Thanks for giving me your details Aaron. Can I ask for your consent to contact the service
you want to complain about.
Please explain any hard words like consent or even better just don't use them
Your consent means it's okay for us to get in touch with them if we need to.
Yes, that's okay. I give you permission to speak to my doctor.
Have you complained about this before?
No, I don't like complaining about people.
What is your complaint about? I'll take a few notes as we talk to make sure the information
we give to your GP is right.
I had an appointment and I couldn't understand what the doctor was saying to me and I asked
him to speak to my Support Worker instead of me.
So, you went to an appointment with your GP and you didn't understand what they were trying
to say?
No, I had a phone call with my GP because I asked him to ring me regarding my medicine.
My GP said, 'I don't need to speak to your Support Worker because I've already told you
what to do.'
Does the GP know that you have a Support Worker?
I don't know because I usually see another doctor.
Okay, what would you like us to do for you today?
I want the doctor to say sorry for saying words I don't understand. He did not listen
to me and he should have spoken to my Support Worker.
Yes, that's called a reasonable adjustment because of your disabilities. It's your right
to ask the doctor to talk to your Support Worker if that's what will help you. Okay,
I'll pass this information on to one of our Complaints Officers to investigate. The Complaints
Officer will look into your complaint. One of them will get in touch to let you know
what's happened.
In some other organisations one person might stay in touch from the beginning to the end.
You will need to explain this clearly, so the person knows who will be in touch, how
and when.
Thank you, I feel so much better speaking to you about it Amelia. What are reasonable
adjustments?
Okay, so the law says organisations should change how they do things to help you if you've
got a learning disability, autism or both, that's called a reasonable adjustment. So
you could ask the doctor to put it in your notes that you have a learning disability
and autism and ask them to make sure they speak to your Support Worker as well as you
next time.
That's great Amelia. Now, can you please make sure Aaron understands.
Okay, so just to check. What happens next Aaron?
Someone will be in contact with me again. When will that be? And they will speak to
my Support Worker as well as me?
I'll arrange for someone to contact you in a few weeks time when will be best for you?
After 10 please, and will I get in trouble for complaining?
No, it's always good to say if you're not happy about your care or how somebody is treating
you.
NHS England spoke with the Practice Manager about Aaron's concerns. They were very sorry
and said the doctor didn't know about Aaron's disabilities. The Practice Manager rang Aaron
to talk about how they could support him better in future to make sure it doesn't happen again.
All teams who receive feedback, concerns or complaints have an important part in helping
people.
Often, it's about the simple things,
like taking a bit more time to help someone
explaining things better,
having empathy and understanding,
saying sorry and meaning it.
Someone's quality of life and even their safety may depend on it.
Tips for professionals
Nobody complains just for the heck of it. People only complain when something's really
wrong.
It's important to get feedback from people because we can't make changes to our service
if we don't know where we're going wrong, or equally if we don't know where we're going
right, we can't share that learning with other departments across trusts. That 'that's what's
gone marvellous there' and you need to implement that in your area if we don't know.
I feel that there could be more reasonable adjustments in the process of taking the complaint
and feedback.
Make it very easy for them to connect with you, so that there is a lack of frustration
on both sides and so that you can kind of do your job as well as you need to and go
home feeling like you've done a good job instead of both parties leaving frustrated and probably
angry.