NHS Complaints Advocacy

Access the information on this page in BSL Sign Language

What is NHS Complaints Advocacy?

NHS Complaints Advocacy is free, independent of the NHS and confidential. We can help you to use the NHS complaints process which covers all NHS funded treatment.

As well as NHS hospitals, GPs, ambulance services, district nurses and mental health services you can also use the NHS complaints process to complain about your dentist (if they treat you as an NHS patient), a pharmacist (if you had an NHS prescription) or your optician (if the NHS pays for your eye tests and glasses). Also if the NHS paid for you to be treated at a private hospital or pays all or part of someone’s care home fees this is covered by the complaints process.

What the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service can and can't do?

We can

Give you information about how to complain including who to complain to
Explain the complaints process and your options at each stage of the process
Signpost you to other organisations who can help you if we can’t
Send you an information pack to help you make your complaint yourself
Provide you with an advocate to support you if you need more help

We can’t

Investigate your complaint
Support you with a complaint about something that happened more than 12 months ago, unless you have only just found out that something went wrong or you have a good reason for not complaining sooner. This is because the NHS regulations say you should complain within 12 months.
Support you with a complaint about private health care
Support you to complain about a medical professional’s fitness to practise (whether they are able to do their job)
Give you legal advice
Give you medical advice

What sort of support can we offer?

You can download our self-help information, including information about the NHS complaints process and how to make your complaint. If you are not sure whether to make a complaint please contact us. We will listen and help you decide whether there are other ways of sorting out your concerns. You might find that the self-help information is all you need to make your complaint yourself but you can contact us again if your need more information or advice.

If you feel you need more help an NHS Complaints advocate can support you at any stage of the complaints process. Advocates can help with writing letters, getting copies of your medical records and finding information about your concerns. Sometimes to sort out your concerns you might want to have a meeting with NHS staff. If you decide to do this your advocate can help you prepare for the meeting and if you want, come to it with you.

If after doing everything you can to sort out your complaint you are not happy with the way the NHS has dealt with it you can take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman. This is the second and last stage of the NHS complaints process. You can find out more about taking your complaint to the Ombudsman from their website www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

If you need help taking your complaint to the ombudsman please contact us or speak to your advocate.

Where do we provide this service?

You can find out if we provide an NHS Complaints Advocacy support in your area by clicking on the link below. If we don’t provide a service where you live, please call our support centre on 0300 456 2370 for information, advice and signposting to other organisations in your area who may be able to help you.

POhWER support in your area

How do I get support from an advocate?

If you would like an advocate to support you with your complaint you can contact us yourself. You can also make a referral for someone else but please get their permission first.

NHS Complaints Advocacy referral form (word version)

NHS Complaints Advocacy referral form (pdf version)

Leaflets

About POhWER NHS Complaints Advocacy (pdf)

About POhWER NHS Complaints Advocacy in Easy Read (pdf)

NHS Complaints Advocacy leaflet (pdf)

NHS Complaints Advocacy leaflets in other community languages

NHS Complaints Advocacy step by step guide (pdf)

NHS Complaints Advocacy in BSL Sign Language

Latest

Volunteer as a Peer Advocacy Group Facilitator in Nottingham

Volunteer with POhWER by running a peer advocacy group that supports people affected by mental health living in the community.
Independent Advocate

Independent Advocate Home Based – Medway, Kent Role no. 37 Contract Type: Fixed term – 12 month contract Hours: Part-Time – 18.5 hours per week. Working pattern to be agreed, working between Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Salary: £11,250.00 - £12,811.50 per annum, pro rata (Full-Time Equivalent £22,500.00 - £25,623.00 per annum) + Benefits
Roger's story - HertsHelp

Roger is 75 years old and lives in a three-bedroom social housing property. He had been admitted to hospital following a fall on the steps outside his property which caused an injury to his ribs. Roger was referred to HertsHelp by the nurse in charge of the ward he was being treated on at Watford General Hospital as a hospital discharge case. The nurse had become aware that Roger’s property was in a bad state.
Peer Advocacy Groups across Nottingham

POhWER Nottingham are providing Peer Advocacy Groups across Nottingham. These groups are called the EmPOhWER groups, which are confidential, free and non-judgemental.

Relevant Person's Paid Representative Service RPPR

POhWER’s RPPRs are qualified advocates who have specialist knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) legislation. They visit the person deprived of their liberty on a regular basis and help them to understand their DoLS authorisation and how it affects them.
Citizen, Peer and Group Advocacy

POhWER’s trained volunteers provide one-to-one peer and citizen advocacy, supporting people to increase their confidence and speak up. We also bring people with similar needs and issues together to support each other through group advocacy.
Children's and Young People's Advocacy including CAMHS

POhWER provides advocacy support to children and young people in the same way as we provide support for adults. Our qualified professional advocates support children and young people through a range of services.We work face to face with children and young people who are receiving treatment on a mental health unit - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards protect people in hospital or a care home who lack capacity. An Independent Mental Capacity Advocate’s (IMCA) supports and represents the person being deprived of their liberty.
HertsHelp

HertsHelp is a free and confidential independent information and advice service providing a variety of support through a network of local organisations. Information includes advice about staying independent, help for carers or support in a crisis.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

An Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) can support someone who is not able to make certain decisions about their lives for themselves and has no suitable family or friends to speak for them. Read more about this service.
Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

An IMHA is an independent advocate who is specially trained to work within the framework of the Mental Health Act to support people to understand their rights under the Act and participate in decisions about their care and treatment. Read more about this service.
Information, Advice and Advocacy Support Centre (iAASC)

The Information, Advice & Advocacy Support Centre (iAASC) provides support to clients, professionals and other stakeholders. Our information, advice and advocacy support officers can provide help and support with many different areas such as referrals, signposting and general information & advice.
Care Act Advocacy

Care Act advocates support people who need support to be involved in decisions their local council is making about their care and support but do not have family or friends to help them. Read more about this service.
Direct Payments

Our Direct Payment Support Services help people to understand the process for being assessed and awarded a direct payment and we provide information and practical support to help people to manage their direct payment. Read more about this service.

NHS Complaints Advocacy

NHS Complaints Advocacy can support anyone who is unhappy with the care or treatment they or someone they know has received from the NHS and is thinking about making a complaint. Read more about this service.
Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

An IMHA is an independent advocate who is specially trained to work within the framework of the Mental Health Act to support people to understand their rights under the Act and participate in decisions about their care and treatment. Read more about this service.
Make a referral
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

An Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) can support someone who is not able to make certain decisions about their lives for themselves and has no suitable family or friends to speak for them. Read more about this service.
Central and East of England

We provide services across nine county councils/local authorities of Central and East of England that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
London

We provide services across London that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide services in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
What we do

POhWER is a charity and membership organisation. We provide information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.
NHS Complaints Advocacy resources

POhWER NHS Complaints Advocacy Self Help Information for NHS Complaints Process. For those who wish to make a complaint about an NHS service they or one of their family or friends received we have a special NHS Complaints Advocacy Service self help pack.
Southern England

We provide services across six boroughs of Southern England that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
West Midlands

We provide services across seven boroughs of West Midlands that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.