Patient Experience Team

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust recognises the importance of your experience, whether you are a patient, family member or visitor. We aim to listen, respond in a timely way, and learn from what you share so we can continue improving our services.

Our team offers advice and support to anyone using our services. On this page, you’ll find information about how we can help, how to contact us, and how you can get involved in shaping improvements across the Trust.

We want you to feel safe raising any concerns. Raising a concern or making a complaint will never negatively affect the care or treatment you receive. If you ever feel this is not the case, please contact us so we can address it immediately.

Many concerns can be resolved quickly by speaking with the ward or clinic team caring for you. They know your situation best and can often help straight away. If this doesn’t feel comfortable, or the issue remains unresolved, our Patient Relations team is here for you.

• Offering confidential non-clinical advice to patients, families and carers
• Providing NHS and health‑related information
• Providing confidential support to resolve problems and concerns quickly
• Responding to your queries and concerns, and offering advice when things have not gone as planned
• Acting on your behalf when handling concerns, ensuring your voice is represented
• Speaking with staff, managers, and external organisations when appropriate to explore solutions and inform changes to how services are delivered
• Providing information on the NHS complaints procedure and how to get in touch with someone who can help
• Helping you access independent complaints advocacy for additional support
• Offering information on ways you can get involved in shaping improvements across the Trust and the local NHS
• Listening to your suggestions for improvement and ensuring your feedback contributes to organisational learning
• Directing you to additional services when needed

Concerns
A concern is when you tell us something hasn’t gone as expected and you would like it addressed quickly. Concerns are usually resolved informally and promptly, often by the team caring for you within 10 working days.
We will always try to resolve concerns through early resolution, which focuses on putting things right as soon as possible without a formal investigation.

Concerns are ideal when:

• You want something looked at quickly
• A conversation or clarification may resolve the issue
• You do not want to enter the formal complaints process

Complaints
A complaint is a formal way of raising an issue about care, treatment or services, and follows the NHS Complaints Regulations and the NHS Complaint Standards. Complaints are acknowledged in writing, investigated, and aim to be responded to within 30 working days.

Complaints are appropriate when:

• The issue is complex, serious, or needs a detailed investigation
• Early resolution has not resolved the matter
• You would like a formal written response

Which Should I Use?
We encourage patients, families and carers to raise a concern first wherever possible. This often leads to faster solutions and can prevent problems escalating unnecessarily. If the issue is complex or cannot be resolved quickly, we will support you to make a formal complaint.

The team is based in the Patient Information Centre, location C2, at New Cross Hospital. You are welcome to drop in if you would like to speak to someone when you are at hospital, or you can contact us to make an appointment in advance.

The team is available between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

Telephone: 01902 695368 (lines open between 10am and 3pm).
Email: rwh-tr.pals@nhs.net

Write to us:
Patient Experience Team
Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
New Cross Hospital
Zone C, location C2
Wolverhampton Road
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP

To view our latest Privacy notice, download Patient Relations Privacy Notice 2025/26.

The quickest and easiest way to raise a concern or make a complaint is via our secure online form.

If you are unable to complete the form, you can do this in writing to:

PALS
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
New Cross Hospital
Wolverhampton Road
Wolverhampton
WV10 0QP

Email: rwh-tr.pals@nhs.net

After your complaint has been received you will receive a written acknowledgement within three working days.

If you would like someone from an independent organisation to help you with your formal complaint and feel it would be helpful, you can contact the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service. This service is open to all Walsall residents and can provide advice and assistance with your complaint. They can be contacted on 0300 456 2370 or by email.

Upon receipt of your complaint, a complaint handler will be assigned to lead on the investigation. As part of this process, the complaint handler will contact you to introduce themselves, discuss your concerns in further detail and to agree a timeframe for our response.

When attending the hospital, you have the right to access an interpreter, to ensure your communication requirements are met. If you require an interpreter during your appointment or inpatient stay, please speak with the department overseeing your care and they will ensure an interpreter is provided. If you require additional support with Language Services, please contact the Patient Experience Team on 01902 695368.

We Want to Hear From You (English)
We Want to Hear From You (Arabic)
We Want to Hear From You (Kurdish)
We Want to Hear From You (Polish)
We Want to Hear From You (Punjabi)
We Want to Hear From You (Romanian)

If you have contacted the Patient Relations team or made a formal complaint to the Trust, and we have been unable to resolve your issue to satisfaction, then you can ask the Health or Local Government Ombudsmen to review the matter.

If the issue is about an NHS service then you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman by visiting the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website or calling the helpline on 0345 015 4033 or in writing to The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

If the issue is about an adult social care service the person complaining can contact the Local Government Ombudsman by visiting the  Parliatmentary and Social Care Ombudsman website or calling the helpline on 0845 602 1983 or in writing to The Local Government Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH.

If you have received excellent care or have had a positive experience at the Trust, please let us know. Compliments are always passed on to the staff involved in your care.

Your experiences can be shared on the Care Opinion website. Care Opinion publishes stories anonymously to help make health and care services better for everyone.

Feedback can be seen by the public and the care provider. For more information visit the Care Opinion website.