How ICAS can help you
ICAS helps people who want to make a complaint about the NHS through the NHS Complaints Procedure. Our service is free and independent whatever level of support you require from us.
The amount of support we give is decided by you and can vary from giving you some information about the complaints process and the possible outcomes to more in depth support detailed below.
We can only work within the NHS Complaints process though, so some of the things we can't do are also explained below. If we can't help you ourselves we will usually be able to suggest other services that can.
What can ICAS do?
These are some of the ways in which we can help you:
- provide you with a Self Help Information pack to help you find your own way through the complaints process if you prefer to do this - follow this link to read or download the pack Self Help Information Pack
- explain how the NHS complaints procedure works
- listen to your complaint and discuss your options and choices
- help you to write letters about your complaint
- go through the replies you receive and explain what else can be done
- go with you to meetings and give you support.
- speak to other agencies on your behalf when requested by you
- give you information on other services you may wish to access
- help you to obtain medical records
What can't ICAS help with?
There are some things that we don’t do within the ICAS service.
- tell you what you should do
- encourage complaints
- help with complaints that are not about NHS funded services
- offer legal or medical advice
- take meeting minutes (the advocate may take file notes though)
- discuss you or your circumstances with others without your consent
- continue to support you if you start legal proceedings about your complaint
- investigate your complaint
- act as counsellors
