WHO CAN COMPLAIN?

People who need or use Dalriada Urgent Care have a right to expect a high standard of care and treatment.

However, things can go wrong and you may wish to complain because you are:

dissatisfied with a service provided, either to yourself, your relative or someone in your care, or
concerned that you, your relative or someone in your care has not received a service you think should be provided.
Complaints are helpful because they can highlight areas where improvements are necessary.
All complaints should be dealt with as quickly as possible and many of them can be resolved informally by the person who is organising or providing your care.

If you have a complaint we would encourage you to tell the staff who are dealing with you. If you cannot reach agreement, or find it hard to approach the member of staff and wish your complaint to be dealt with more formally, then speak or write to the Complaints Officer.

This procedure is known as "Local Resolution".

You can contact Dalriada’s Complaints Officer by telephoning or writing to:

The Complaints Officer
Dalriada Urgent Care
20 Larne Road Link
Ballymena BT42 3AG
Telephone: 02825 663502 (9am – 5pm)
Fax: 02825 663509
E-mail: complaints@duc.hscni.net

TIME LIMITS

It is important to make your complaint as soon as possible. The time limits for making a complaint are:

• Within 6 months of the event, or
• Within 6 months of becoming aware that you have cause for complaint provided this is not more than 12 months after the event.

These time limits can be extended if there are good reasons why you did not complain sooner.

WHAT HAPPENS THEN?

The aim of those managing complaints is to ensure complaints are:

• Acknowledged within 2 working days.
• Investigated thoroughly.
• Treated confidentially.
• Responded to fully, in writing, within 20 working days

Dalriada Urgent Care has a number of Lay Representatives who are recognised as being useful and valuable in providing an independent prespective.   All complaints received are reviewed by our Lay Representatives.

IF YOU ARE STILL UNHAPPY

If you are still dissatisfied after Local Resolution has been completed, you can ask the Northern Ireland Ombudsman to investigate your case.

The Ombudsman
Freepost BEL 1478
Belfast
BT1 6BR

or

The Ombudsman
Progressive House
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6BR

Tel: 0800 34 34 24 / 028 9023 3821
Fax: 028 9023 4912
Email: ombudsman@ni-ombudsman.org.uk