Knowing how to make a complaint
If you have a concern about the health care you or someone you know is receiving at the moment, you can ask to speak to a doctor, nurse or manager at the service.
If your concern is about a service provided by an NHS Trust (hospitals, mental health services, community health services and ambulance services) you can contact their Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS).
If you are unhappy after this, or if your concern is about something that has already happened, you can contact Pohwer, an independent charity who provide the NHS Complaints Advocacy service for Barnet. Powher's service is free and confidential, and they can answer questions about the complaints process. Powher also have online self-help guides.
Healthwatch Guidance
We've worked with Healthwatch England to produce a guide on the process including knowing who to talk to, top tips on what to do and what you can expect from services in response.
Tips and tools for making a complaint
Pohwer NHS complaints advocacy
Do you have a health or social care issue you need help with? Do you need support complaining about an NHS service?
Pohwer supports people to have their voice heard and their rights respected. Pohwer can also help you make a complaint about treatment or care that that you or someone you care for has received from an NHS service (you will need prior consent from the individual involved before the NHS can investigate, if the complaint is about someone else’s care). The support is free, independent and confidential.
Pohwer can:
- Provide information about how to complain including who to complain to.
- Explain the complaints process and your options at each stage.
- Help you to write letters.
- Help you to prepare for complaint meetings and attend with you.
- Help you to refer your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman if you are not happy with the response you receive from the NHS service.
- Signpost you to other organisations which can help you if Pohwer can’t.
To find out which services you can access, please visit POhWER, email pohwer@pohwer.net , call Pohwer’s help hub on 0300 456 2370 between Monday to Friday 8 am to 6pm or send a text with the word ‘pohwer’ to 81025 with your name and phone number.
Bank holidays may affect these hours. For more information, please see the website link above.
Patient Advice Liaison Service
Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) offers confidential advice, support and information on health matters. It provides a point of contact for patients, families and carers.
PALS do not investigate individual complaints but can give you general advice about the NHS complaints procedure.
PALS can provide:
- Help with health related questions
- Help to resolve concerns or problems with NHS services
- Help to ensure you are more involved in your own care
- Information about the NHS and their complaints procedure
- Infomation on support groups outside the NHS
