If you want to give feedback or raise a concern about the care or support in a health or social care service, you can contact us by:
Phone: 021 240 9646
Email: concerns@hiqa.ie
Post information to: Information Handling Centre, HIQA, George’s Court, George's Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, Ireland.
For many, the thought of making a complaint can be off-putting, so these booklets aim to help make the process easier for you.
They explain what to do if you, a family member or someone acting on your behalf wants to give feedback or make a complaint about care or treatment.
We welcome your feedback regarding your positive experiences of health and social care.
If you have a concern about a health or social care service that you or your family is receiving, we want you to let us know.
Where we have the legal power to do so, we may investigate your concern. Where we don’t have this power, we will direct you to the best place to get help, advice, information and support.
The best starting point is usually to bring your concern directly to the person or organisation responsible for providing your care.
You can do this by speaking to:
You may also wish to put your concern in writing. In many cases, concerns can be resolved at this stage. If the response you get is not satisfactory you may be able to refer your concern for another review.
We welcome information about designated centres for dependent persons, such as nursing homes, or any concerns people may have about other health and social care services.
While we do not have the legal power to investigate individual complaints, we do review all information or concerns about services we receive and we assess them against the regulations and the standards.
If there is a serious risk to the health and welfare of people using services, HIQA or the Chief Inspector of Social Services may decide to take appropriate action in relation to that service. We may also undertake, or be required by the Minister for Health to undertake, an investigation into the safety, quality and standard of healthcare services.
For public services, you can refer your concerns to the Office of the Ombudsman or the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (you may have to first submit a complaint to the public body before you can go to the Ombudsman).
For private services, you may be able to refer your concerns to the relevant regulator. You may also want to get legal advice.
We take every precaution to protect the confidentiality of your personal information in accordance with Data Protection legislation. Any information you provide will only be used in line with the purpose for which you provided it.
HIQA or the Chief Inspector will not share your personal information with third parties unless allowed or required by law. Your personal data may also be anonymised and used for statistical purposes.