AN INFORMATION pack on how to complain about health or social care services is now available to members of the public.
The Healthcomplaints toolkit, launched yesterday by the Minister of State for Health, Róisín Shorthall, consists of a guide for the public, a leaflet, a poster, a staff training guide and a website address – healthcomplaints.ie.
The information pack comes from an initiative by the Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, who said she felt it was necessary that making a complaint about their experiences in the health or social care systems, be made easier for people.
“Around the same time as we were thinking about this in the office, Hiqa published research showing that 84 per cent of people with a complaint didn’t know who to complain to, while 52 per cent felt too intimidated to complain.”
Healthcomplaints is a collaboration between the complaints handling bodies, the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children, the HSE, Hiqa, the Mental Health Commission, the Medical Council, An Bord Altranais, Corú (the health and social care professionals council), the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, and the Irish Patients Association.
“This initiative aims to empower people and wants to provide them with the information, direction and support they need to step forward in making their complaints.
“It is through learning from our mistakes that improvements can be made and patients can receive safer better care,” said Ms O’Reilly.
Information will be available through hospitals, nursing homes, GP surgeries, advocacy groups and all the agencies and organisations involved in providing health and social care, as well as at the website.
