Data protection complaints

How to make a data protection complaint

Please use our online complaints form.

If your concern involves both care and information handling, please raise your complaint through the 'Compliments and complaints' page to ensure it is reviewed appropriately without you needing to raise more than one complaint.

Our partner organisations, including for example The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board, also have their own Information Governance teams.

What to expect if you make a data protection complaint

Across the Trust we take all complaints very seriously and wherever possible we use them to learn lessons and make changes and improvements to our services. So if you are not happy with a service we provided, please let us know using one of these methods:

• Speak to any member of staff who will be able to help you in the first instance
• Fill out our online data protection complaints form
  
• You can also write to us regarding your concerns and send your letter to the Data Protection Officer (DPO) using the address opposite

When we receive your complaint we will contact you within three working days to acknowledge it, discuss with you what will happen next and ask you how you want to be informed about how your complaint is being dealt with.

We will advise you about support and advice which is available to you throughout the data protection complaints process. We will do everything we can to investigate and try to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction.

We will aim to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and within a maximum of 25 working days. We will contact you if it is going to take longer than this period to resolve your complaint and explain the reasons why.

All complaints will be responded to fairly and actions will then be taken to directly improve our services so any issues raised will not occur again. Your complaint will be treated in strictest confidence and will not affect your current or future care in any way.

Your right to complain about how we use your information

You have the right to raise a concern or make a complaint if you believe we have not handled your personal information properly.

This right is protected by data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA).

Making a data protection complaint will not affect your care or the services you receive.

What is a data protection complaint?

A data protection complaint is about how your personal information has been used or handled, rather than about the quality of care or services.

This may include concerns about:

• how your information was collected or used
• information being shared incorrectly
• information being inaccurate or out of date
• information being kept for longer than necessary
• information not being kept secure
• how we handled a Subject Access Request (SAR) or another information rights request

If your concern involves both care and information handling, please raise your complaint through the 'Compliments and complaints' page to ensure it is reviewed appropriately without you needing to raise more than one complaint.

Your rights when making a complaint

You have the right to:

• raise a data protection complaint with us in any format (online, email, letter, phone or verbally)
• have your complaint considered fairly and impartially
• receive a response explaining the outcome
• be told about your right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with our response

How to make a data protection complaint

You can use our existing complaints routes:

• Online: Complete the 'Data protection complaints' form
• Email: shropcom.ig@nhs.net
• Post: See contacts section
• Telephone: 01743 644514

If you raise a concern with a member of staff, they will ensure it is passed to the appropriate team.

What happens next

When we receive your data protection complaint, we will:

1. Acknowledge your complaint promptly
2. Investigate the issues raised, which may include reviewing records, systems and policies
3. Respond without undue delay, explaining our findings and any actions taken

We will keep you informed if your complaint is complex or takes longer to investigate.

If you are not satisfied

If you remain unhappy with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Support and accessibility

If you need help making a complaint or require this information in another format, please contact us and we will support you.