How Do I Complain About My Care in a Public Acute Hospital?

You can make a complaint verbally in person by talking to a member of staff in your hospital; or you can make a complaint over the phone, via email, in writing or by filling out the feedback form online.

You can complain by doing one of the following:

• Talking to a local member of staff
• Phonecall: 1890 424 555 from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
• Phonecall to HSE Live: on 1850 24 1850 from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturdays
• Emailing HSE complaints inbox at yoursay@hse.ie
• Filling out online the HSE complaints form
• Writing to or emailing the Complaints Officer in your hospital directly. You can find these contact details, including postal addresses and email addresses, on the HSE website complaints officers page here
• Visit www.hse.ie/yoursay for more information

You have 12 months from the time of the event/action which is being complained about to lodge a complaint. 

In situations where you, the person making the complaint, were not aware of the issue/event until a later date, you have 12 months from the date you became aware of the issue to lodge a complaint. 

A complaints officer may decide to investigate a complaint outside of these timeframes in special circumstances.

If you make a complaint verbally to a staff member of the person providing your care, they should try and resolve your complaint immediately, if possible, or within 48 hours.

If you have made a written/emailed complaint, receipt of the complaint should be acknowledged within 5 working days. The formal investigation should be completed within 30 working days and if this is not the case, the complaints officer must inform you of the delay by the due date and update you every 20 days thereafter. 

For nearly all types of complaint, the first place you should complain is directly to your service provider (for example, the hospital, nursing home, health centre, GP or physiotherapist).

If you are a patient in a Public Acute Hospital, you can make a complaint under the ‘Your Service Your Say’ procedure. HSE-funded services employ staff called complaints officers who are responsible for receiving, coordinating and responding to a complaint that has been made.

See FAQ Who Can Help me Make a Complaint About a Public Acute Hospital?

If you are a private patient, further information on mechanisms open for complaint can be found on the Ombudsman’s website. 

In your written complaint, include the following information;

• Your name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Name of the Public Acute Hospital
• Name of the section in the hospital
• Who was involved 
• Dates and times of the experience
• An accurate description of what happened
• What you have done to resolve the issue so far
• What you want to happen now to resolve your issue

You can also attach any documentation to your complaint, either in the letter or email that you feel is relevant.

In your written letter, you should also grant permission to the HSE to access your personal confidential information, in order to process your complaint.

The HSE operates a ‘no wrong door policy’. This means you can make your complaint at the point of contact or to any local staff member who should address or signpost your complaint for you. 

Your point of contact may be the doctor, nurse or care assistant who is helping you.  

You can complain by doing one of the following:

• Talking to a local member of staff
• Phonecall: 1890 424 555 from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
• Phonecall to HSE Live: on 1850 24 1850 from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturdays
• Emailing HSE complaints inbox at yoursay@hse.ie
• Filling out online the HSE complaints form
• Writing to or emailing the Complaints Officer in your hospital or nursing home directly; For hospitals, you can find these contact details, including postal addresses and email addresses, on the HSE website complaints officers page here
• Visiting www.hse.ie/yoursay for more information

Initially, where possible you should make your complaint at the point of contact in your hospital by providing details of your complaint verbally or in writing. If your concern is not resolved or addressed satisfactorily you can request that your complaint be investigated formally at Stage 2 of the complaints process, by making a written complaint. 

If you are still not happy with the outcome/decision of the complaints officer at this point, you can choose to request an internal review of your complaint – Stage 3 or move directly to Stage 4 and seek an independent review of your complaint. See the above FAQs for further explanation of each stage of the complaints process.

Any person, including children, receiving a health or personal social service from the HSE or a HSE funded service provider can make a complaint. 

Where a person cannot make a complaint independently due to age, illness or disability, the complaint can be made on their behalf by a close relative or carer of the person, any person who by law has responsibility for the affairs of the person, any legal representative of the person, any other person with the consent of the person, any person who was a close relative or carer of a deceased person who at that time would have been entitled to complain, any other person who is appointed as prescribed in the regulations. 

It is the policy of the HSE to ensure that children of sufficient age, reason and understanding are encouraged and supported to provide feedback or to make a complaint about any aspect of the service they have received from the HSE or relevant healthcare provider. Their feedback and, in particular, their complaint should be taken seriously and responded to appropriately, like a complaint made by an adult. 

You can choose to withdraw a complaint at any stage of the complaints process. 

It is the policy of the HSE that you, the  service user, must provide contact details when making a complaint against the HSE to enable appropriate validation, follow up and investigation of that complaint unless there is a good and sufficient reason for withholding this information.

You can make a Freedom of Information Request for your file.