WYE Valley NHS Trust  faces a legal action from one of its staff over the state of pathways around Hereford County Hospital.

Both the Trust and its PFI contract partner Sodexo are named in the claim lodged last December over a staff member’s slip and resulting injury on an icy path in January that year.

The claimant alleges that the Trust and Sodexo did not make “proper arrangements” to clear and grit paths after adverse weather.

Liability for the claim is  currently being reviewed the Trust’s solicitor. The Trust board has been told that there is potential to recoup costs from Sodexo.

The Trust took 23 complaints over December and is experiencing an increase in the number of complaints received when compared to the same period over the past two years.

A majority of the December complaints related to incidents between November-December with staff attitude and communication being a common theme.

Another eight complaints were re-opened over the month ranging from a delay in receiving a letter from health records to challenging the medical opinion of a paediatrician.

The Trust monitors themes from complaints for reports to its quality committee, which has already discussed issues related to communication and attitude.

A review  of training arrangements and a focus on “customer care and human factors”  is planned.