Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
Do you have a complaint about the care and/or treatment you have received from the NHS? We can help you.
The majority of people who access NHS health services are happy with their care and treatment. Unfortunately things can sometimes go wrong. If you’re not satisfied with the service you’ve experienced from a hospital, doctor, dentist, local surgery or other NHS provider, you are entitled to complain about it.
We can help you make this complaint, by providing a free, confidential and independent service designed to help you understand your rights and make informed choices.
Via our service we can help you to:
- explore the options available at every stage of the complaints procedure
- provide confidential support from someone who is independent of the NHS
- write effective letters to the right people
- prepare for meetings and maybe even go with you
- contact and speak to third parties if required
If you do not need the support of our fully trained advocate but want some advice on the best way to make a complaint we can send you some self help materials which will support you to make the complaint. See our guide below, which tells you how to make an NHS complaint;
Contact us:
Helpline number: 0800 206 1304
Email address – info@healthwatchsefton.co.uk
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) Patient Advice Complaints Team
You can also share concerns about a local NHS service you have received or make a complaint directly with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) Patient Advice Complaints Team. You can do via;
Email: enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
Via Telephone: 0800 132 996 (option 3 for patients who are registered with a GP Practice in the Sefton area).
Via Post: NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington WA1 1QY.
This information is also available on their webpage at – https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/contact/complaints/
Download our Guide to Making and NHS Complaint
If you are unhappy about any aspect of NHS care or treatment you or others have received, you can raise your concerns about it. This booklet will give you all the
information to get you started.
Referral process for external organisations
Our main aim is to make the referral process as simple as possible for everyone. You can request a referral form from us by giving us a call on 0800 206 1304 or by downloading the form.
Simply complete the referral form with the requested information and return to us, along with any additional information which you think will be helpful to us.
You can return the form by:
Post: FREEPOST RTCG-HGXH-LHRS. Healthwatch Sefton. Sefton CVS. 3rd Floor, Suite 3B North Wing, Burlington House, Crosby Road North, Waterloo, L22 0LG. (no postage stamp is required if you use this address on the envelope).
Email: info@healthwatchsefton.co.uk (email must be password protected)
Once the form has been received, we will begin the next stage of arranging contact with the complainant.
All referral forms will be assessed by our Signposting and Information officer who provides tier one support for the Independent Complaints Advocacy service.
Contact will be made with the complainant within two working days of receiving the referral form by the preferred method to discuss the complaint and support needs.