Making a complaint

Policy and aims

East Anglian Air Ambulance and its subsidiary company (together referred to below as EAAA) are committed to the development of an open and just culture that is receptive to adopting new practices and learning from complaints from:

• Patients and their carers
• Other service users
• Supporters
• Volunteers
• Members of the public

The key aims of this policy are to ensure that:

• The complaints policy is accessible to the public.
• Complaints are handled sensitively, thoroughly, and consistently across all areas of EAAA.
• Complaints are recorded, acknowledged speedily, and resolved promptly.
• Complainants are treated with respect.
• We learn from complaints.
• Where appropriate, solutions are suggested that will benefit patients and improve service delivery.
• EAAA can demonstrate that it is an open, honest, caring, and transparent organisation.

We appreciate that things do occasionally go wrong; if they do, please let us know so that we can put things right and learn from our mistakes.

EAAA uses Datix software to record and monitor complaints for medical and non-medical incidents. Datix is the leading patient incident reporting software tool for healthcare risk management and adverse event reporting. Supporter complaints and related notes will also be recorded on our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system Dynamics365.

Making a complaint

In the first instance complaints can be made via any of the following methods:

• Telephone: Supporter Engagement Team on 03450 669 999
• Email: info@eaaa.org.uk
• Letter to: East Anglian Air Ambulance, Helimed House, Hangar 14, Gambling Close, Norwich NR6 6EG
• On any EAAA social media platform: Should be encouraged to contact the Supporter Engagement Team directly using telephone or email.

Complaints will be forwarded to and initially dealt with by the appropriate head of department:

• The appropriate member of the Clinical Leadership Team: Clinical, patient, or medical related complaints.
• Operations Manager: Service delivery or aviation related complaints.
• Head of Brand and Marketing Communications: Website, social media, communications, or marketing.
• Supporter Engagement Team Manager, Membership Team Manager and/or Head of Individual Giving and Supporter Engagement: Lottery, raffle, or direct marketing related complaints.
• Head of Community Fundraising, Corporate and Events: General fundraising, events, corporate related complaints.
• Head of Philanthropy: Major donors, gifts in wills, trust complaints.
• Volunteer Programme Manager: Volunteer and volunteering related complaints.
• HR Manager: Human Resources or recruitment related complaints.
• Data Protection Officer (DPO)/Head of Insight, Information & Technology: Data protection, data misuse or data breach related complaints.
• Community Training Programme Manager: Community CPR training complaints.
• Chief Executive: All other complaints or a severity that requires their involvement immediately.

How we respond

We will endeavour to deal with complaints promptly within five working days of receipt. If the complaint is complex or cannot be dealt with in this timescale then it will be acknowledged within three working days and then dealt with within 10 working days, or the complainant advised of progress at regular intervals.

If you are not happy with the initial response you receive, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to another member of the Executive Team or Chair of Trustees:

• Medical Director: Clinical, patient, or medical.
• Director of Operations and Infrastructure: Service delivery or aviation.
• Director of People and Culture: Human Resources or recruitment related complaints and volunteer and volunteering related complaints.
• Director of Engagement and Income: Fundraising, marketing communications and community training.
• Director of Engagement and Income and/or EAAA Gambling Commission’s registered responsible persons, Mr C McGeown or Mr S Judd: Lottery or Raffle related complaints.
• Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) Finance Director: Data protection, data misuse or data breach related complaints.
• Chief Executive: Any complaint.
• Chair of Trustees: All complaints, including those already investigated by the above Executive Team members and for which you have not received a satisfactory response.

Fundraising complaints

For fundraising related complaints, please contact EAAA in the first instance. We will review the complaint and come back to you with the outcome. At EAAA we are always looking to improve our supporter care and will always learn from our mistakes.

If you are not happy with the outcome of our investigation and response and your complaint is specifically about charitable fundraising, you can refer your complaint to the Fundraising Regulator within two months of receiving our response. EAAA is a member of the Fundraising Regulator which will independently investigate your complaint. Contact the Fundraising Regulator at:

Fundraising Regulator
2nd Floor,
CAN Mezzanine,
49-51 East Road,
London N1 6AH

Telephone: 0300 999 3407 (Mon to Fri, 09.30 am – 4.30 pm)

Email: complaints@fundraisingregulator.org.uk

https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints/make-complaint

Lottery complaints

Data protection complaints

For any data protection or use of your personal data related complaints please contact EAAA in the first instance. We will thoroughly investigate the complaint and come back to you with a response.

If your complaint relates to information under the Data Protection Act or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and you are not happy with our response it may then be referred to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/eir-and-access-to-information/guide-to-freedom-of-information/complaints/

Patient care complaints

For any patient care related complaints please contact EAAA in the first instance. As with all complaints and especially those related to patient care we will investigate thoroughly. Patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do at EAAA.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) outlines a procedure for complaints if you are unhappy with the response from EAAA.
https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us/how-complain/complain-about-hospital-community-or-mental-health-service

Although the CQC is not able to take forward complaints on your behalf, information submitted helps to protect others from going through the same experience.

Aviation complaints

For any aviation related complaints e.g. involving the Helicopter, please contact EAAA in the first instance. EAAA will thoroughly investigate your complaint, involve our aviation partner Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, and we will respond to you with the outcome.

If you have a public safety concern* related to any aviation activity you can contact the Civil Aviation Authority
https://www.caa.co.uk/our-work/make-a-report-or-complaint/report-something/report-a-safety-concern/

*What is a public safety concern?
A public safety concern would usually be a result of having been involved in or witnessed an incident or becoming aware of an issue that has or could affect aviation safety and has the potential to cause, or has led to, harm to the public.

What is not classified as a safety concern?
It can sometimes be difficult to decide what constitutes a public safety concern. Safety concerns should not be confused with a personal grievance or complaint that does not have the potential to cause harm to the public.