We value your feedback and we are committed to investigating and learning from complaints.
Due to a high volume of contacts, we may take longer than usual to respond to complaints, emails, and phone calls. We appreciate your patience.
What to expect
- No aggressive behaviour: Abusive or aggressive behaviour towards our staff (in person, by phone, or in writing) will not be tolerated.
- Complaint response time: We aim to respond within 30, 45, or 60 working days, depending on the complexity. If it takes longer, we'll keep you updated.
How to make a complaint
If you're receiving care or treatment, you can complain. If you're unable to, someone else (e.g. a relative) can do so with your consent.
Ways to complain
- Online: Complete our complaints form.
- Email: Send to our complaints inbox.
- Phone: Call 01223 216756 (9 am-4 pm, Monday-Friday).
- Post: PALS and complaints department, Box 53, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ.
- In person: Visit us near the main Addenbrooke's Hospital reception (9 am-4 pm, Monday-Friday).
Other ways to complain
You can also complain to your local Integrated Care System (ICS):
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICS: Call 0800 2792535 or email the ICS team.
If your complaint involves other organisations, we’ll contact them for you.
What to include
Please provide:
- Full name, date of birth, and address of the patient
- Dates of treatment (if known)
- Your expectations and desired outcome
Complaints should be made within 12 months of the event. If it’s later, we’ll still consider it and explain why we may still investigate.
We may look at your medical records. Tell us if you have any concerns about this.
Support for making a complaint
You can get help from:
- POhWER: Independent NHS complaints advocacy. Call 0300 456 2370 or email POhWER.
- Healthwatch Cambridgeshire: For support in making decisions about health and social care.
What happens when you make a complaint
We will write to confirm we’ve received your complaint within 3 working days.
A member of the complaints team will manage your case. Their contact details will be in your acknowledgement letter.
We will offer you a chance to discuss how we’ll handle your complaint. We’ll explain how long we expect the investigation to take and when you should receive a response.
We aim to reply within 30, 45 or 60 working days. This depends on how complex the complaint is. If it’s likely to take longer, we will let you know.
If it takes more than 6 months to send you a written response, we will explain why in writing.
We normally respond by post. If you prefer email, please tell us you're happy for us to contact you this way.
You will receive a response pack made up of:
- a letter signed by the chief executive
- an investigation report
A member of the executive team will review the report. This might be the chief nurse, medical director (or deputy), or chief operating officer.
If you’re not happy with our response, the case manager can talk through any remaining concerns. We can send another response or arrange a meeting.
If a meeting would help, we’ll arrange for you to speak with senior medical or nursing staff. This usually happens after you receive the written response. You can bring someone with you for support.
The complaints process at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (CUH) is based on the national NHS complaints regulations (2009).
Quick resolution
If you make a verbal complaint and we resolve it by the next working day, we will not treat it as a formal complaint.
If we can't resolve your complaint
If we can't resolve your complaint locally, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) (opens in a new tab)for an independent review.
Alternative formats
If you need information in a different format, contact our accessibility team by email.