Complaints Manager for Unplanned Care

Overview

Complaints Manager for Unplanned Care Department Complaints and PALS Team. Band 6 £ 38,682 - £46,580 per annum, pro rata if part-time.

Hours:

37.5 per week. All MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working. The Complaints and PALS team are looking to recruit a dynamic and self-motivated individual who can manage the formal complaint process for unplanned services. The successful candidate will be caring and able to ensure that patients and families are at the heart of everything you do, build good relationships with senior staff, and provide a seamless service for complainants.

A proven track record in NHS complaints through to resolution and excellent communication skills to formulate complex complaint responses to high standards are required. This role offers an opportunity to progress in the field of complaint handling/patient experience and contribute to #TeamMKUH and the perspective of complaints. Please note that sponsorship for this role cannot be offered. Interview date: 03 March 2026.

• To be responsible for managing the delivery of a formal complaints service for complainants and divisions to ensure an efficient and effective service that investigates formal complaints to the highest standards – leading this service provision for Unplanned Care (Divisions of Medicine and Core Clinical).
• To provide non-clinical advice, information and a signposting service to patients and their families.
• To provide necessary expertise and support to the divisional triumvirates in the drafting of written responses to formal complaints.
• To take an active role and be responsible for maintaining accurate information to support the audit of complaints.
• To ensure the action taken and lessons learned following the investigation of complaints are recorded on Radar and shared with the divisions, and where appropriate Trust wide, and referenced in reporting to the divisions or the Trust Board.
• To support and develop the Complaint Officers ensuring they are responsive to the needs of complainants and staff, with complaints recorded accurately and to a high standard from a quality perspective. Maintain high quality and timely communication with all contacts to the office including patients, their families, and staff; provide non-clinical advice appropriate to their needs; and ensure patients and families are informed about the complaints procedure.
• To produce reports that clearly analyse where complaints are happening, what they are about and what action is being taken, at both divisional and Trust-wide levels.
• To provide support to the Head of Complaints and Patient and Family Experience and act as their Deputy in their absence, ensuring the smooth running of the department and acting as the first point of reference for the complaints and PALS team.
• Lead in the drafting of investigation responses, which may be complex and lengthy, producing well-written letters of response for the complainant for designated divisions.
• To ensure the ongoing development of information systems and processes to support complaints handling and quality assurance.

You will have a proven track record in NHS complaints through to resolution and will need to have fantastic communication skills to formulate complex complaint responses to high standards. You should be able to build relationships with senior staff, manage a formal complaints process, and deliver a patient-centered service. No sponsorship is available for this role.

Milton Keynes University Hospital is a University Teaching Hospital in partnership with the University of Buckingham, committed to advancing patient care through research and education. We are a medium-sized general hospital offering a full range of medical and surgical services. We recently opened a state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre and have ongoing investment in facilities and services. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support wellbeing, work-life balance and professional growth, including: free on-site parking with EV charging, complimentary refreshments, flexible working arrangements, discounted gym membership, salary sacrifice car scheme, generous annual leave with bank holiday entitlement, NHS Pension Scheme, on-site nursery (charges apply), and a broad staff health and wellbeing program.