Information to help you make a complaint

We know that making a complaint about NHS or social care services can be confusing.  Healthwatch Manchester can provide you with the information to make a complaint when things go wrong. 

Contact us to find out how to get help with making your complaint.

Contact us

Healthwatch Manchester wants to be accessible to everyone in our diverse community.  We aim to give children, young people and adults a powerful voice locally in the delivery of health and social care services.  The best health and social care services are shaped by local needs and experiences.

We're open, flexible and approachable, that's why we go to local events and  local groups to speak directly to local people.

Our guides help you to make your voice be heard on health and social care in Manchester.

NHS Complaints Guide

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Healthwatch Manchester (Easy Read)

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Advocacy

Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes, and help you stand up for your rights. Someone who helps you in this way is called your advocate.

Advocates support any patients, service users, residents, their family, carer or representative with a complaint or grievance related to any aspect of healthcare as described in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, including that which falls under the remit of the Health Service Ombudsman, such as complaints about poor treatment or service provided through health services in England.

Healthwatch Manchester do not provide any advocacy services to Manchester residents. We do however signpost citizens to the appropriate provider. Both VoiceAbility and Coram Voice provide an advocacy service and their details are as follows:

VoiceAbility (18+)

Coram Voice (25 and below)

Self Help Information Pack

This Self Help Information Pack (SHIP) is designed to help you to understand the system so you can decide what you are able to do for yourself and where you might want our help and support.

It is organised into six sections, click the link for each to find out more.

Enquiry, Feedback or Complaint?

The NHS provides good quality services to most people but sometimes things do go wrong. Very often a problem can be resolved, quickly, easily and informally but in some cases people may choose to make an official complaint.

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Making an NHS Complaint

If you are unhappy about any aspect of NHS care or treatment, or have a complaint about Public Health provision you or others have received, you can raise your concerns about it.

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The Complaints Process

There are two stages to the NHS complaints process, these stages are detailed here.

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The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, (PHSO) for NHS Complaints or the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) for Public Health complaints, are the second and final stage of the complaints process.

Find out more

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.

Find out more

Complaints advocacy services

Every area of England has an independent NHS complaints advocacy service funded by the local authority. They can help you make a complaint about an NHS service or work out what you want to achieve from a complaint. 

You will need to contact your local authority to find out who holds your local advocacy service contract.

Find out more

Complaints about Healthwatch Manchester

Find out information about how to make a complaint if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service received by Healthwatch Manchester.

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Our work 

Find out more about the work we have been doing to understand and improve people's experiences.

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