Make a complaint

We are committed to providing the best possible care for our patients but we know that sometimes things go wrong. If you feel that the treatment or service you received fell short of your expectations or you have cause for concern, please let us know. We take all complaints very seriously, treat them confidentially, investigate each one individually and endeavour to respond as quickly as possible. We acknowledge the importance of complaints and use them as an opportunity to learn how to improve our services and all aspects of the patient experience.

Guidance for getting in touch

• Please provide as much information as you can, including your full name and address and, if possible, your hospital number. 
• Please provide a description of what happened, including dates and names if you have them.
• Try to be clear about what you would like addressed. It is often useful to number or bullet point the questions you would like us to answer so that can be sure we are answering all your questions.
• You might also wish to suggest the outcome you would like to see, for example this may be a change in procedures, an apology, an explanation or a meeting.
• Please state whether you would like us to correspond by email or letter. If email, we will reply via a simple encryption service which will ask you to sign in. This ensures that our correspondence with you is secure.
• Try to make your complaint as soon as possible. This makes it easier for everyone involved to recall what happened and investigate more effectively. You should normally make your complaint within 12 months of the event(s) taking place.
• If you are complaining on behalf of a relative or friend, we will need their permission and the complaints manager will contact you to discuss the simple process for obtaining this. Should the person you are complaining on behalf of not be in a position to give their permission, please let the complaints manager know.

Stage 1 - Acknowledgement

When your complaint is received and it is agreed that it will follow the formal complaints process, you will receive a letter of acknowledgement which is sent within three working days of  your  complaint being received. The complaint manager may also try to contact you be telephone to clarify any issues and ensure we understand what you would like investigated.

Stage 2 - The investigation

Your complaint will be sent to a senior manager for investigation. This might include speaking to staff, asking for statements, reviewing your records or other paperwork. They will pull everything together so that a response addressing your concerns can be written.

Please note: no mention of your complaint will ever be recorded in your medical record. All details relating to your complaint are kept separately by the complaints department.

Stage 3 - The response

Once the complaints manager has completed the response, this is reviewed by the medical director (if there is a clinical issue) and the chief executive of Moorfields, who will sign the response, in the form of a letter addressed to you, which we try to ensure is sent to you within 25 working days from first receipt of your complaint. Some complaints can be dealt with more quickly, but more complex issues can take longer to resolve. If the investigation is delayed we will write or telephone to keep you informed of progress and you can of course, call us any time to be updated with the progress of your complaint.

Stage 4 - Outstanding concerns

We hope that the written response from the chief executive will answer all your concerns satisfactorily. If it doesn't, please let us know and we will try to address any outstanding issues or arrange a meeting if you wish.

We will make every effort to ensure that all your concerns are resolved, but if you are not completely satisfied there is another stage to take things further.