Independent Health Complaints Advocacy
When you are at your most vulnerable, getting the right care is really important. The NHS works hard to deliver life-saving and life-changing care every single day, but sometimes things go wrong, and mistakes can happen, whether in treatment, communication or the delivery of care.
When these situations arise, it can be difficult to navigate the process of raising concerns or seeking resolution. This is where an Independent Health Complaints Advocate becomes invaluable. They are there to support you, ensuring that your voice is heard, helping you understand your rights, and guiding you through the process to ensure your concerns are properly addressed.
Who might need an Independent Health Complaints Advocate?
Anyone who needs support to make a complaint about an NHS or an NHS-funded service might need an Independent Health Complaints Advocate.
NHS services can include hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, ambulances and opticians. These services can be delivered in hospitals, clinics, in the community or in prisons. They can also be delivered in private health establishments, where the NHS has paid for the treatment. This can also include NHS-funded nursing or residential homes.
Independent Health Complaints Advocacy is a statutory service, which means that anyone making a complaint about the NHS has a right to advocacy support. People can have help from an advocate at any point in the complaints process.
What does an Independent Health Complaints Advocate do?
- Help the person understand the complaints process.
- Support the person to make a complaint in writing.
- Keep in touch with the person about progress with their complaint.
- Attend complaints meetings with the person.
- Help the person understand the outcome of their complaint.
- Help the person take their complaint to the Ombudsman if they are not happy with the result. Achievable outcomes are usually an apology, explanation, a service improvement or a change in procedure.
Who can make a referral?
Anyone who wants support from an advocate can self-refer.
If you want to make a referral for someone else, you would need to get their permission first.
Download our leaflets
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