NHS Wales complaints and concerns: Putting Things Right

If you have concerns about your care or treatment, talk to the staff involved with your care as soon as possible. They will try to resolve your concerns immediately.

If this does not help, or you do not want to speak to the staff, you can contact the health board or trust‘s complaints team.

The process for raising concerns or complaints in NHS Wales is called Putting Things Right.

You should ask the practice to look into your concerns. If you prefer you can ask your health board or trust‘s complaints team to do so.

You can raise a concern yourself or ask a carer, friend or relative to represent you. You will need to give them written permission to do this.

Contact the complaints team in your health board area:

Local health boards

• Aneurin Bevan Health Board
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
• Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
• Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
• Hywel Dda University Health Board
• Powys Teaching Health Board
• Swansea Bay University Health Board

NHS Wales trusts

• Public Health Wales
• Velindre NHS Trust
• Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

Special health authorities

• Digital Health and Care Wales
• Health Education Improvement Wales

Once you have raised your concern, the complaints team:

• will listen to your concerns to try to resolve them as quickly as possible
• will look into your concerns and speak to the staff involved in your care or treatment
• may offer a meeting to discuss your concerns
• will put you in contact with the right person to help you
• will let you know what they have found and what they are going to do about it

The complaints team should respond to you within 30 working days of receiving your concern. If they cannot reply to you in that time, they will explain why and let you know when to expect a response. Some concerns may take longer to look into.

If you are not satisfied with the health board or trust’s response, you can contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

You can take up to 12 months to raise a concern or complaint. However, it is best to talk to someone as soon as possible.

If it has been longer than 12 months and there are good reasons for the delay, the complaints team may still be able to deal with your concern or complaint.

Llais is an independent body which provides free and confidential complaints advocacy and support.

Alternative formats of this guidance are available including:

• easy read
• large print
• children's version

Foreign language versions are also available.

Please tell the concerns team or practice if you need information or communication in a different format.