Make a complaint against the health service

If you are unhappy with the care or treatment you receive from the health service in Northern Ireland, you have the right to complain. Your complaint will be taken seriously and will be treated in confidence.

Who can complain?

Anyone who uses health services can complain. Health services include hospitals, community services, nursing or residential homes, ambulance services, social services, family doctors and health service pharmacists, opticians and dentists.

You can also complain on someone else’s behalf, although you will generally need their consent.

How to complain?

You can complain in the way that best suits you. This can be face to face, on the telephone, in a letter or by email. You should try to provide details of:

how to contact you;
who or what you are complaining about;
where and when the event that caused your complaint happened; and,
if possible, what you would like to be done to address your complaint.

You should try to complain as soon as possible, usually within six months of you becoming aware that you have a cause for complaint and normally no longer than 12 months after the event. But you don’t have to wait – if you are unhappy with something, you can speak to any of the staff who are dealing with your treatment or care and they will try to resolve your concerns straight away.

Who to complain to?

You can speak to any member of staff who is involved in your treatment or care about your complaint.

Alternatively, all health service organisations will have someone who is responsible for dealing with complaints and you can ask to speak to them.

If your complaint relates to services provided by a GP, or a health service dentist, pharmacist or optician, you can also contact the Health and Social Care Board.

What will happen next?

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 2-3 working days of receipt. You should receive a full response within 10 days if your complaint was about a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician. If your complaint was about a hospital or community service, you should receive a full response within 20 working days.

Some complaints take longer to resolve than others. You should be told if this is the case and be given an explanation.

Help with making a complaint

Health service complaints managers can provide you with more information on how to make a complaint.

You can also contact the Patient and Client Council who can provide free and confidential advice, information and help to make a complaint.

Specialist advocacy services may also be available. Complaints managers or the Patient and Client Council can tell you about these.

What to do if you’re still not happy?

If you are not happy with the response to your complaint, you can contact the service again and they will try to address your concerns.

If you remain unhappy, you can refer your complaint to the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints (the Ombudsman). The Ombudsman will look at your complaint and decide whether he should investigate it.

Complaints about independent establishments

If the health service has placed you or a friend or relative in an independent establishment, such as a residential or nursing home, and you have a complaint you should raise it first with the provider of care. If you are not happy with the response you receive, you can ask the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority to review your complaint.