Advocacy services - Complaints and feedback

The Patient Advocacy Service is a free and confidential service, independent of the HSE.

It gives information and support to people who want to make a complaint about an experience they have had in a HSE public hospital or a HSE-operated nursing home. This can be either through the HSE’s:

• Your Service Your Say process
• Incident Management Framework, where a person has been involved in a patient safety incident

The HSE has developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Patient Advocacy Service that sets out their commitment to ensure that people receive a timely, compassionate and comprehensive response to their complaints.

The MoU recognises that every person has the right to make a complaint about the service they have received from HSE public hospitals. The HSE also recognises the important role that independent patient advocacy can play in the HSE’s complaints processes, the Incident Management Framework and Your Service Your Say.

Website: patientadvocacyservice.ie

Phone: 0818 293 003

Email: info@patientadvocacyservice.ie

Address: Level 3 Marshalsea Court, 22/23 Merchants Quay, Dublin D08 N8V

Cairde is a community development organisation working to tackle inequalities among ethnic minority communities. They do this by improving ethnic minority access to health services and ethnic minority participation in health planning and delivery.

Website: cairde.ie

Phone: 01 855 2111

Email: info@cairde.ie

Address: 19 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1

Citizen's Information are a statutory body that supports the provision of information, advice and advocacy on a broad range of public and social services.

They provide free, confidential, independent and impartial information to all

They do this through:

• citizensinformation.ie
• a network of Citizens Information Centres
• the Citizens Information Phone Service

Phone: 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm)

If you're calling from outside Ireland, phone: 00 353 21 229 8178

Address: Citizens Information Board, Georges Quay House, 43 Townsend St., Dublin 2, D02 VK65

If you have a query, you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service or your local Citizens Information Centre directly. Please also note that email is not generally considered to be a secure form of communication.

SHEP Advocacy Project (previously known as the Cork Advocacy Service) are a community-based wellbeing and development project.

Website: SHEP Advocacy Project - socialandhealth.com

Phone: Cork - 021 466 6180

Email: info@socialandhealth.com

Address: The Social and Health Education Project (SHEP), The Old Primary School, Ardfoyle Avenue, Ballintemple, Co. Cork, T12 XDH2

Croí's aim is to lead the fight against heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on the West of Ireland. Their mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery & wellbeing.

Website: croi.ie

Phone: 091 332 999

For general queries, email: info@croi.ie

For health-related queries, email: healthteam@croi.ie

Address: Croí House, Moyola Lane, Newcastle, Galway, H91 FF68

Any patient wishing to make a complaint should, in the first instance, raise the issue with the nominated person in the dental practice.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you may wish to contact the Dental Complaints Resolution Service.

The Dental Complaints Resolution Service aims to assist dental patients and participating dentists resolve complaints about dental services. The service is an independent dental complaints service provided by the Irish Dental Association.

Website: Patient information - dentalcomplaints.ie

Email: Mary Culliton at mary@dentalcomplaints.ie

Phone: Mary on 087 354 5842

Address: Irish Dental Association, Unit 2, Leopardstown Office Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland

Diabetes Ireland is dedicated to helping people with diabetes.

Website: diabetes.ie

Phone: 01 842 8118

Email: info@diabetes.ie

Address: 19 Northwood House, Northwood Business Campus, Santry, Dublin 9, D09DH30

Dignity4Patients is a patient support and advocacy organisation who work with people who have suffered sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual behaviour whilst a patient in a medical or therapeutic setting.

Website: dignity4patients.org

Phone: 041 984 3730 (Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm)

Text: 086 165 4111 (Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm)

Email: support@dignity4patients.org

Rape Crisis Ireland: 1800 77 88 88 (24 hours)

EPIC aims to advance the interests and welfare of children and young adults in the care system by:

• advocating on their behalf
• providing information and advice
• providing opportunities for participation
• influencing through regional and national councils
• developing policies on and conducting research into issues affecting children and young adults in the care system

Website: epiconline.ie

Phone: 01 872 7661

Email: info@epiconline.ie

Address: 7 Red Cow Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 KX52

EPIC Cork

Phone: 021 242 8434

Address: Unit G1 & 2 Northside for Business Campus, Ballyvolane, Co. Cork T23 E6TT

EPIC Limerick

Phone: 061 514 518

Northside Youth Space, Ballynanty Road, Ballynanty Beg, Limerick, V94 TPP3

EPIC Mayo

Phone: 091 395 605

Address: Castlebar Social Services, Castle Street Car Park, Gorteendrunagh, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, F23 CY67

Inclusion Ireland is a national organisation advocating for the rights of people with an intellectual disability and their families.

Website: inclusionireland.ie

Phone: 01 855 9891

Email: info@inclusionireland.ie

Address: Unit C2, The Steelworks, Foley St, Dublin 1

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is Ireland’s national human rights and equality institution. The IHREC is an independent public body that promotes and protects human rights and equality in Ireland.

Website: ihrec.ie

Phone: 01 858 9601

Email: info@ihrec.ie

Address: IHREC, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7, D07 CR20

The Irish Cancer Society operates Daffodil Centres. They provide cancer information, support and advice, in 13 locations nationwide.

Website: cancer.ie

Freephone support line: 1800 200 700

Email: supportline@irishcancer.ie

Address: Irish Cancer Society, 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin, D04 VX65

The Irish Heart Foundation is working to:

• effect positive change in the lifestyles of Irish people
• achieve better outcomes for those affected by heart disease and stroke
• to challenge when the health of the nation is put at risk

Website: irishheart.ie

Phone: 01 668 5001

Email: info@irishheart.ie

Address: Irish Heart Foundation, 17-19 Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6, D06C780

Providing independent patient advocacy since 1995. The Irish Patients’ Association’s mission is to keep the patient at the centre of the healthcare system. It does this by advocating for the needs of patients to be paramount while working in partnership with health providers.

Website: irishpatients.ie

Email: info@irishpatients.ie

Mental Health Ireland plays a central role in:

• reshaping how the public understand mental health issues
• promoting positive mental health
• supporting people with lived experience of mental health challenges in their recovery
• bringing practical expression to national policy objectives

Website: mentalhealthireland.ie

Phone: 01 284 1166

Email: info@mentalhealthireland.ie

Address: Second Floor Marina House, 11-13 Clarence Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, A96 E289

The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities provides an independent, confidential and free, representative advocacy service for the person using the service.

Website: advocacy.ie

Phone: 0818 07 3000

Phone (outside of Ireland): 00 353 1 520 0863

Email: info@advocacy.ie

Address: Level 3 Rear Unit, Marshalsea Court, Merchant's Quay, Dublin 8, D08 AEY8

Pavee Point are a non-governmental organisation for the promotion and realisation of Travellers human rights.

Website: paveepoint.ie

Phone: 01 878 0255

Email: info@pavee.ie

Address: 46 Charles Street Great, Dublin 1, D01 XC63

Peer Advocacy in Mental Health (previously known as the Irish Advocacy Network) is a peer advocacy service for people with mental health challenges.

Website: peeradvocacyinmentalhealth.com

Phone:01 547 0510

Email: admin@irishadvocacynetwork.com

Address: Irish Advocacy Network Ltd, 1st Floor, The Tannery Building, 53-56 Cork Street, Dublin 8, D08 X31R.

Sage Advocacy is a support and advocacy service for vulnerable adults, older people and healthcare patients.

Website: sageadvocacy.ie

Phone: 01 536 7330

Email: info@sageadvocacy.ie

Address: 9A Merchants House, 27-30 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, D08 K3KD

Third Age champion older people in an interconnecting range of initiatives, including the challenge of negative perceptions and the representation of older people at policy-making fora.

Third Age offers choices and provides opportunities for lifelong learning, volunteering, community development and social inclusion.

Seniorline is a confidential listening service for older people provided by trained older volunteers that is open 365 days a year, from 10am to 10pm. As well as responding to individual callers, Seniorline advocates nationally for older people in Ireland, representing their needs, concerns and wishes to media, the general public, politicians and key stakeholders.

Website: thirdageireland.ie

Phone: 046 955 7766

Seniorline Freephone: 1800 80 45 91

Address: Third Age, Summerhill, Co. Meath, Ireland, A83 PW94

Polish community services centre for drug and alcohol issues and advice in relation to mental health and counselling. Together-Razem provides counselling & psychotherapy, English courses, advice and information services, legal advice and promotes education in Polish schools.

Website: togetherrazem.org

Phone: 021 439 55 88

Email: info@together-razem.org

Address: Unit 2 A, Kilnap Business and Technology Park, Old Mallow Road, Blackpool, Cork, T23 V9K3