"NHS Forth Valley Public Relations and PNDD"

I sent a complaint by email to NHS Forth Valley's Patients Relations Team. This was regarding the current wait times for paediatric neurodevelopmental assessment (we are currently 2 years and 7 months since referral) and the complete and utter lack of support offered while awaiting.

20 working days (as per their complaints handling procedure) passed and I had to phone the Patient Relations Team for an update as I had heard nothing since submitting the complaint. I was transferred to the advisor assigned to my case and from this it was clear to me that they had not even read the complaint. They agreed to call me back on the Monday after they had looked at it. Monday comes and despite phoning the team again to ensure I was still getting a call back, they did not phone. The next day they then phoned to say that they will progress my complaint to Stage 2, but it would be likely May before I had a response. they were also meant to email my complaint reference number, which they never did.

May came and I had still heard nothing. I sent an email to enquire as to what was happening with my complaint and apart from an automatic acknowledgement email, the email was completely ignored.

At the end of May (more than another 20 working days) and I had heard nothing. I again phoned the Patient Relation team, where I was assured someone would look into it and call me back. Again, this never happened.

At the beginning of June I again had to phone the Patient Relations team as I had received no update at all. I was told the complaint was sitting with the PNDD team and they were awaiting a response. I asked when it was sent to the PNDD and was told it was when I had previously called and been told they would look into it. This was not passed to them for over 2 months.

I expressed my deep dissatisfaction to this and requested to speak to a manager. I was told the advisor assigned to my case would call me back. I declined this and insisted on a manager. I was told one would call me back later that day. No call back was made.

I phoned the Patient Relations team to say I had received no call back. I was assured that they now had all the information required and were in the process of finalising my response, but when pushed for a timescale I was told maybe 2 weeks or so. I explained this was unacceptable and I still wanted to speak to the manager that was meant to call be back. They were apparently not in until after lunch and would call me after this. Again this never happened.

I phone and again explain that I had received no call back. They assured me they will chase this up and call me later. That afternoon, they called  me back to say that the advisor now dealing with the case is refusing to call and speak to me as they are finalising the response anyway. I again requested to speak to the manager, three days in a row now and this has not been done. They again said they will speak to them tomorrow and call me back.

At no point has the service been proactive and followed their own complaint handling procedures by keeping me updated with my complaint at least once every 20 days or set an agreed upon timescale. They are now refusing to speak to me in person over the phone, which I find abhorrent behaviour from a Patient Relations team.

I feel like I have no other option but to raise this with the SPSO as from start to (un)finish the handling of this has been shocking. The irony that I am now complaining about the wait time to deal with my complaint about wait times is not lost on me. I should not have to push and push and push to get a response and be kept waiting for, as of today, over 62 working days.