Socrates, you might recall, posted a copy of the following email sent by a very rebellious native of the Southern Highlands, who had been waiting (and staying alive) diligently to be able to obtain a report into a series of complaints that the Health Care Complaints Commission and the Ombudsman's office thought should dealt with by the Sydney South West Area Health Service. The email is explanatory enough, one would think, and although it might be considered to be a bit tart in its consumption, is most likely appropriate given that the complainant has been waiting 11 months for the offered response, even though the investigator has never bothered to even speak with the complainant.
Today Socrates was informed that Mr Slade has been on holidays for a month (back next week), but the source at SSWAHS says that all his emails had been forwarded to Dr Bellamy, his boss, during his absence. Now that name did ring a temple bell or two in the mind of Socrates! Ah, yes!
That's the same Dr Bellamy that the tabloids in Sydney (and referred to in an earlier post), had much to say about some of her clinical practices, and who the SSWAHS Executive were so happy to appoint to the position of Director of Clinical Governance in SSWAHS. My, how the temple pool has become so cloudy up at Liverpool.
Mr Graeme Slade
Designated Senior Complaints Officer
SSWAHS
Dear Mr Slade
I have your letters addressed to me and dated 18th and 19th November 2009 in which I am assured by you that the matters about which I "complained were being, and would be, investigated and a written response would be provided to me upon completion of the investigation."
I write to inform you that I have not yet received a written response to my complaints, nor have you even made any form of contact with me, the complainant.
Mr Slade I find it surprising that this has not happened given that in the NSW Health Code of Conduct there is specific mention that complaints such as mine (or indeed from any complainant) should be dealt with in a timely manner.
I also draw your attention to the SSWAHS Policy Directive: Complaints: Management of a Complaint or Concern about a Clinician - Document No: SSW_PD2007_035, which describes the procedures to be followed in the matter of all complaints received by the SSWAHS oganisation, and in particular, the role of the Designated Senior Complaints Officer.
I can assure you that as I was not anonymous in my complaints nor did I consider them to be frivolous in nature I did anticipate that there would be some action and some response as you had stated.
The fact that there has been no apparent action or response leads me to believe that SSWAHS is failing in its adherence to both the NSW Health Code of Conduct and its own Policy as stated above.
The alternative may be, however, that you, Mr Slade, have died, been terminated, or simply decided to part company with SSWAHS. Perhaps, if you are neither dead, nor been terminated, but still work for SSWAHS you might consider responding to this email. For myself I can assure you that I am not dead, and I still want to have a written response to those several complaints.
Yours sincerely,
......................................
