NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy

Your Voice Counts Advocacy Services

NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy (NHS ICA)

Independent support with complaints about NHS care and treatment

What is NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy?

NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy is a free, independent and confidential service for people who need support to make a complaint about NHS-funded care or treatment in England.

You can ask for support at any stage of the complaints process, including before you have made your complaint.

Who can we help?

Our commissioned NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy service supports people who live in Newcastle, Gateshead or South Tyneside.

If you live outside these areas, your local Healthwatch can help you find the NHS complaints advocacy service covering your area.

We may be able to help with complaints about:

GPs, dentists, pharmacies and opticians providing NHS services
hospitals and community health services
mental health services
ambulance services and NHS 111
NHS Continuing Healthcare
care or treatment delivered by an independent organisation where it was funded by the NHS.

If your complaint includes both NHS and social-care issues, contact us and we will help you identify the appropriate complaints route.

How can an advocate help?

An advocate can:

explain the NHS complaints process and your options
help you identify the organisation responsible for responding
help you decide what you want your complaint to say
help you organise relevant information and documents
help you draft or review complaint letters
help you explain how the experience has affected you and what outcome you are seeking
prepare for and attend complaint-resolution meetings with you
communicate with NHS complaints teams when you have given permission
help you understand the response to your complaint
explain how to approach the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if the local complaints process has finished without resolving your concerns.

The complaint remains yours. The advocate works with you and follows your instructions wherever possible.

What can’t an advocate do?

An advocate cannot:

investigate the complaint or decide whether the NHS acted correctly
give medical or legal advice
make decisions for you or tell you what to do
guarantee a particular outcome
require an organisation to discipline a member of staff
help you pursue compensation or legal action
provide emergency medical assistance or resolve an immediate care or safety issue
support a complaint solely about privately funded treatment.

Where we cannot provide advocacy, we will explain why and help you identify another relevant organisation where possible.

Is there a time limit?

NHS complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the incident or within 12 months of when you first became aware of the concern.

The NHS may accept a later complaint where there is a good reason for the delay and it is still possible to investigate the concerns fairly. Please contact us even if more than 12 months have passed rather than assuming it is too late.

Can someone complain for another person?

You can make a complaint about your own care or treatment. You may also be able to complain on behalf of another person.

The NHS organisation will normally need evidence that the person has agreed to the complaint and to relevant information being shared. Different arrangements may apply if the person:

lacks capacity to make the relevant decision
is a child who cannot make the complaint themselves
has died
is otherwise unable to act for themselves.

An advocate can help you understand what information the NHS organisation may require.

Self-help information

Not everyone needs ongoing support from an advocate. You may only need information or some initial help to get started.

You can contact us again if you begin the complaint yourself and later decide that you need advocacy support.

How to get help from our service

You can refer yourself or ask someone to help you complete the referral form.

If someone is referring on your behalf, the form should confirm that you know about the referral and agree that YVC may contact you or explain why your agreement is not currently possible.

Returning the referral form allows us to consider the request and contact you about advocacy support. It does not automatically give us permission to contact an NHS organisation or share information on your behalf. Your advocate will discuss and record any specific permission needed.

Visit Make a referral to download the required referral form.

If completing the form is difficult, call us on 0191 478 6472 or freephone 0300 303 1248. We can discuss what is happening and take the initial referral information by telephone or email when appropriate.

Further information

Visit our Resources page for information about advocacy.
For advice about a referral, email mail@yvc.org.uk, call 0191 478 6472 or call freephone 0300 303 1248.

Useful resources

You can find out more information about your rights and what to expect in the NHS Constitution for England and the NHS complaints guidance here.
The NHS Choices website also has information about feedback and complaints on its website, find out more here.
If you have already made your complaint and received a response which you are unhappy with, you may wish to contact the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman who make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England. More information can be found here.
Your Voice Counts NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy leaflet (pdf)