Complaints

If you are not happy with the care or service received, please tell a staff member, ask to speak to the person in charge of the area or The Complaints Officer.  Staff will make every effort to resolve the issue immediately.

• Where a complaint cannot be immediately resolved to your satisfaction, please write down the complaint or ask a staff member to assist you in writing down your complaint, so that it might be investigated.
• The Complaints Officer (Head of Education, Research & Quality) will do a preliminary investigation and will acknowledge your written complaint within five working days of receipt.
• If the complaint relates to staff, it will be referred to the Head of Human Resources.
• If the complaint relates to clinical judgement, it will be referred to the appropriate Clinical Head of Department.
• We will work with you to find a solution, if at all possible, that meets with your satisfaction as quickly as possible.

• If, because of the seriousness or complexity of the issue, formal investigation is required, the Complaints Officer will coordinate the investigation with the relevant staff and line managers.
• We aim to conduct the investigation within thirty working day (if possible) of acknowledgement of the complaint.
• The Complaints Officer will be in regular contact with you during and at the end of the thirty days.
• A report outlining the investigation and the recommendations will be developed.
• You will get a copy of this report, as will the relevant Line Manager, Head of Department and the Chief Executive.
• Action plans and persons responsible shall be developed to ensure the recommendations are implemented.

• If you are not happy with the outcome of the investigation, you can appeal to the Chief Executive for a review of the investigation.
• The review panel will not include any persons involved in the original investigation and will determine if the investigation was fair and reasonable and will attempt to complete their review within twenty working days.
• The review panel will be in regular communication with you.

• If you are not happy with the outcome of the review panel, the complaint can be referred to the Head of Consumer Affairs in the HSE who will appoint a review officer to conduct a review within twenty working days of receipt of the request for review.
• If you are not happy with the outcome of this review, you can request an independent review from the:
  Office of the Ombudsman. Lo-call 1890 223 030.