Take it High

Robin's story, below, is shocking, and it ably demonstrates his earlier point that taking a complaint right to the top will have an effect.

I have sent several letters of complaint, re issues about the use of incontinence pants, to the Royal Free Hospital. My last letter was sent after taking advice from Whine & Cheese members. I wrote to the Chair of the Trust and to six other heads of department within the Trust, as well as my MP, Glenda Jackson.

It was my second letter to Glenda, and this time she took action, sending a note to the hospital. The Chair of the Trust has now arranged for me to talk with three matrons about my concerns. While this isn't quite what I wanted - it seems to me that my concerns are well established and what they should be doing is getting someone to investigate in-house and come up with solutions or a written policy - I am happy to know what I have to say is being taken seriously.

Separately to this, my house insurance payments have just doubled. This is because I have made four claims in six years. Actually, the first 'claim' was an inquiry when I mislaid jewellery that I later found. I asked what I should do if I didn't find it. The second 'claim' was four years ago. The people next door insisted a leak from my house had caused damp in the party wall. I refuted this. The insurance sent an assessor who confirmed the leak was on their side.

Separately to this, I have made two real claims in the past two years: for a stolen iPod and a smashed laptop, but these are not, according to a LloydsTSB call centre person, reason enough for my premium doubling. "It's because you have had four claims, which increases the risk with your policy"

After Easter, I shall be writing to Victor Blank, head of LloydsTSB and to Archie G Kane who is Group Executive Director of Insurance and Investments. Other ideas welcome. Shyama