Complaints for Ambulance staff (FOI)Complaints for Ambulance staff (FOI)
Produced by the Freedom of Information officeAuthored by Government of Jersey and published on
08 January 2025.Prepared internally, no external costs.
Request
Please could I request the following information regarding the complaints process in the Ambulance Service:
- A detailed explanation of the current procedure for logging feedback or complaints via the DATIX system for Ambulance Service staff.
- The total number of complaints or incidents submitted by Ambulance Service staff over the past 15 years, broken down by year.
- The number of staff complaints that were actioned or resolved in each of the past 15 years.
- The number of grievance procedures (or similar) for more serious complaints that were escalated
Response
A
The States of Jersey Ambulance Service (SoJAS) follows the Government of Jersey’s Customer Feedback Policy in handling customer feedback (complaints, compliments, suggestions and comments). Islanders can enter feedback online via the Customer Feedback Management System (CFMS) or in a variety of other ways, including, but not limited to in person, via email or letter. The following table shows how customer complaints, compliments, suggestions and comments relating to SoJAS are entered into the customer feedback section of the Datix system.
Feedback Source | Feedback Format | Action to capture |
Patient
| In person: sign language / Maketon system of vocalisations physical touch or positioning / body language system of non-verbal expression spoken word dropping off gifts for the crew
| The colleague receiving feedback capture a factual and exact account of it. They must do this in an unbiased way using the patient's meaning and intention. Where the patient uses spoken word, the colleague should capture the exact word rather than interpret. Email this to [internal mailbox for staff use only] The Head of Regulation and Compliance (HoRAC) or in their absence the Senior Analyst, will enter into Datix and pass any gifts to the relevant colleagues. |
| On paper communication: drawings and pictures cards letters emails
| Colleague receiving the feedback passes it to the HoRAC or Senior Analyst to be entered into Datix. Emails can be forwarded to [internal mailbox for staff use only] |
| Formal submission to CFMS on Gov.je | HoRAC or Senior Analyst acknowledges receipt and transfers from CFMS to Datix |
Customer's family / friend / appointed advocate or delegate / formal carer or care agency | In person: | Colleague receiving the feedback should encourage the person to record formally via the GoJ Customer Feedback process. If person is unable to do this or prefers not to, the colleague should support them by emailing the feedback to [internal mailbox for staff use only] Any gifts should be passed to the HoRAC or Senior Analyst to be recorded and distributed. |
| Written word in email, note or letter | Colleague receiving the feedback |
| Formal submission to CFMS on Gov.je | HoRAC or Senior Analyst acknowledges receipt and transfers from CFMS to Datix |
The Jersey Care Commission (JCC)
| Collected during an Inspection and included in the subsequent Inspection Report | This is anonymous and will be considered by the Registered Provider, Registered Manager and the HoRAC or Senior Analyst for dissemination and action. |
| Verbal or written complaint from or on behalf of a customer | To be brought to the attention of the HoRAC or Senior Analyst who will ensure that it is handled appropriately.
|
B
Only customer (patient) complaints are submitted via the Datix system and so the number of staff complaints in Datix is 0.
Ambulance staff do submit ‘incidents’ or near misses known as safety events (these incidents cover a wide range of incidents such as damage to vehicles or equipment, injury to staff etc. the aim is to learn and prevent future issues) via Datix where records go back to 2010. The numbers for each year (based on date reported) are set out in the table below.
Year | Number of Safety Events Reported |
2010
| 36 |
2011 | 29
|
2012 | 34 |
2013 | 82 |
2014 | 99 |
2015 | 54
|
2016 | 44 |
2017 | 47 |
2018 | 40 |
2019 | 38 |
2020 | 43 |
2021
| 55 |
2022 | 103 |
2023 | 143 |
2024 | 249 |
Total | 1,096
|
C
Our HR records only go back to 2015, since when 11 formal complaints were raised by Ambulance staff which were supported and resolved through the GoJ case management team. It is not possible to provide further breakdown as this could lead to the identification of individuals. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 Personal Information has been applied.
D
Our systems do not record these separately, so any grievances raised by staff are captured within the data above and managed through the GoJ Case Management team.
Article Applied
Article 25 - Personal information
(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.
(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –
(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and
(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.
3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.
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