We regard a complaint as:
“Any expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.”
If you need to complain about something, we encourage you to do so. We also understand that your complaint may involve more than one HSC body or service, or relate to both health and social care services, or it may be about someone working on our behalf.
Complaints about an independent sector provider, contracted to deliver a service on behalf of the Trust, should be raised with the provider directly. If the complaint has not been resolved, further advice can be requested from the Trust on next steps.
What the Complaints Procedure covers
You can complain about things like:
- failure or refusal to provide a service
- inadequate quality or standard of care and treatment, or an unreasonable delay in the provision of care
- failure to properly implement or follow policy, procedures and standards
- failure to properly apply law, procedure or guidance when delivering services
- failure to follow the appropriate administrative process
- poor conduct, behaviour or attitude of a member of staff
- a concern about the actions or service of an organisation who is delivering services on our behalf
- disagreement with a decision, (except where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision, or an established appeals process)
What can’t be dealt with through the Complaints Procedure
There are some things we are unable to deal with through our Complaints Handling Procedure. These include:
- a routine first-time request for a service, for example a request for an appointment or a request for a specific course of treatment
- a request for a second opinion in respect of care or treatment
- matters relating to private healthcare or treatment
- matters relating to services not provided by or funded by the NHS
- a previously concluded complaint or a request to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision
- a complaint made by an employee of the Trust or health service provider or other person in relation to their employment contract
- a complaint that is being or has been previously investigated by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)
- a complaint arising from a suggested failure to comply with a request for information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act
- matters where there is intent to or instigation of legal action
- matters where there is an ongoing criminal investigation
We also realise that it is not possible to list everything that you cannot complain about. If other procedures can help you resolve your concerns, we will give information and advice to help you.