NHS Wales complaints and concerns: Putting Things Right

How to raise a complaint or concern about your NHS care or treatment.

Contents

Overview

If you have concerns about your care or treatment, talk to the staff involved with your care as soon as possible. They will try to resolve your concerns immediately.

If this does not help, or you do not want to speak to the staff, you can contact the health board or trust‘s complaints team.

The process for raising concerns or complaints in NHS Wales is called Putting Things Right.

Concerns about services received from a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician

You should ask the practice to look into your concerns. If you prefer you can ask your health board or trust‘s complaints team to do so.

Raising a complaint via your health board or trust’s complaints team

You can raise a concern yourself or ask a carer, friend or relative to represent you. You will need to give them written permission to do this.

Contact the complaints team in your health board area:

Local health boards

• Aneurin Bevan Health Board
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
• Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
• Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
• Hywel Dda University Health Board
• Powys Teaching Health Board
• Swansea Bay University Health Board

NHS Wales trusts

• Public Health Wales
• Velindre NHS Trust
• Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

Special health authorities

• Digital Health and Care Wales
• Health Education Improvement Wales

Once you have raised your concern, the complaints team:

• will listen to your concerns to try to resolve them as quickly as possible
• will look into your concerns and speak to the staff involved in your care or treatment
• may offer a meeting to discuss your concerns
• will put you in contact with the right person to help you
• will let you know what they have found and what they are going to do about it

The complaints team should respond to you within 30 working days of receiving your concern. If they cannot reply to you in that time, they will explain why and let you know when to expect a response. Some concerns may take longer to look into.

What to do if you are not satisfied with the response you receive

If you are not satisfied with the health board or trust’s response, you can contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae Pencoed CF35 5LJ

Telephone: 0300 790 0203 (Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh)

Rydym yn croesawu galwadau yn Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh.

Time limit for raising concerns or complaints

You can take up to 12 months to raise a concern or complaint. However, it is best to talk to someone as soon as possible.

If it has been longer than 12 months and there are good reasons for the delay, the complaints team may still be able to deal with your concern or complaint.

Support available

Llais is an independent body which provides free and confidential complaints advocacy and support.

Llais

Third floor
33-35 Cathedral Road,
Cardiff
CF11 9HB

Telephone: 02920 235558

Rydym yn croesawu galwadau a gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg / We welcome calls and correspondence in Welsh.