Protection of Personal Information

Liverpool Clinical Laboratories (LCL) will comply with all guidance and legislation relating to Information Governance and ensures that all person-identifiable information is handled in a confidential and secure manner. LCL will promote effective confidentiality, data protection and security practice to staff through policies, procedures and Information Governance training. The Personal Information and Confidentiality Policy sets out the requirements staff must fulfil when accessing or sharing personal information.

All employees working for the NHS have a legal duty of confidence to patients and staff. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that they are familiar with and adhere to the informatics policies and procedures and to ensure high standards of data protection and confidentiality are met. Any personal information, non-clinical or clinical, must be treated as confidential. Any breach of confidentiality will be taken seriously and appropriate action taken.

We have a duty to:
  • Maintain full and accurate records
  • Keep records confidential, secure and accurate
  • Provide information in a format that is accessible

    Patients and users who feel that confidence has been breached may use the Trust’s complaints procedure. Patients and users may also complain to the Information Commissioner.

    Feedback and Complaints Procedure


    Liverpool Clinical Laboratories aim to provide a safe, reliable, high quality and cost-effective service that fulfils service user’s requirements and makes a positive contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of patients. We are committed to improving our service and have produced a satisfaction survey for service users to complete to provide us with feedback regarding the quality of services provided and to allow us to develop and improve our services in the future. Therefore, we welcome your feedback as this helps us to improve the services we provide. If you have any feedback with any aspect of the services provided, please tell us by contacting either the LCL communications team on lcl.communications@liverpoolft.nhs.ukor the relevant department, contact information is available by clicking in the services section of LCL Laboratory Handbook. Additionally, complaints can be raised directly to the LCL Quality team, LCL Customer Care team or Directorate managers. For telephone or face to face complaints LCL staff will ask for your details so a response letter can be issued after investigation.

    In line with LCL Policy, LCL staff will log all complaints in our Quality Management System. This ensures that all complaints are assigned to the correct person and all information and actions taken are appropriately recorded. If there has been any noted harm (identified through investigation of the complaint) with direct patients of the Trust then adequate reporting to DATIX will be undertaken. Patients from other Trusts that may have come to harm will be reported on that Trust system. After the investigation is concluded LCL will issue a response letter, with the details of the investigation completed and what actions did LCL implement, if appropriate. LCL aims to issue a response within 30 days of a complaint being received.

    Furthermore, if you feel that LCL was unable to address all your concerns and you wish to escalate this, the Patient Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) will advise you on what you need to do and who to contact.

    The Patient Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) is there to support patients, relatives, carers and visitors who:

  • Have a concern
  • Want to make an official complaint
  • Would like to share a compliment.

    You can complete our online feedback form to share your thoughts on our services. This could be to compliment a team or colleague for the care they delivered, or complain, if you were unhappy with treatment you or a loved one received. If you have a concern, we recommend you raise it locally with the ward manager/nurse in charge, or department. This will often result in a timely and satisfactory resolution.

    If your concern is regarding an urgent patient safety issue on a ward, we ask that you call the Matron Help Phone on:

  • Aintree University Hospital: 0151 706 9999
  • Broadgreen Hospital: 0151 282 6305
  • Royal Liverpool University Hospital: 0151 706 3377


    If this approach does not resolve your concern, then please complete our online feedback form to make an official complaint. PACT are also available on site from 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday. Outside of these times, you can leave a voicemail message or send an email, the team will aim to reply within 48 hours.

    The PACT Team can be contacted by:

  • Tel: 0151 706 2380
  • Email: PACT@liverpoolft.nhs.uk


    Visit the LUHFT website for further information regarding the complaints procedure https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/give-us-your-feedback

    If you have any other queries in relation to the above or any other subject, please do not hesitate to contact the LCL communications Team on lcl.communications@liverpoolft.nhs.uk