The HSE is commencing a   promotional week, from Monday 20th September to Friday   24th September 2010, for its comments and complaints policy and   procedure, aimed at all service users and their relatives. Â All service   users have a right under the Health Act to comment or complain about a public   health service, and the HSE is telling all those attending our services that â??We   want to hear from youâ??.

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 The HSEâ??s Comments and   Complaints Policy â??Your Service, Your Sayâ? came into effect on 1st   January 2007 and invites all health service users to have their say about their   experience of the health services, and about how services have been   delivered.  Comments and feedback from the public enables the HSE to   continually improve and develop its services to meet the needs of its clients.

 Speaking   about the awareness campaign, Ms Mary Culliton, Director of Advocacy, HSE said   â??the HSE this week is showing leadership â??from Board room to Ward roomâ??,  demonstrating our commitment to using patient feedback to improve what we   do.  We want to focus attention on the importance of giving their feedback,  whether it is positive or negative, and to   ensure everyone knows how to give that feedback.   We want to hear   from you, and we want you to know that by having your say, you can make a   difference to the health system.â??

 Welcoming this Awareness   Campaign Ms Culliton added â??there is a real opportunity for us to build on this   concept year on year â?? by promoting a more patient-focused organisation.  Information on how to make a comment or complaint is widely available throughout   our health service locations. Every health care system in the world experiences   adverse incidents, and they can never be completely eradicated, but what we need   to focus on is how we learn from incidents that occur to improve patient safety   and the healthcare system generallyâ??

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Editorâ??s   Notes

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Examples   of activities taking place during Your Service, Your Say   week:

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• Â Prominent   display of â??We want to hear from youâ?? posters and banners in all principal HSE   service areas
 
• Front of house   staff in â??Your Service, Your Say â?? We want to hear from youâ?? t-shirts in HSE   locations for the duration of the week, giving information on how to make   comments and taking service user feedback for follow   up
 
• Comment boxes   and leaflets in hospitals, local health offices, nursing homes, community based   services
 
• Listening days   and patient fora where senior managers will spend time receiving feedback from   service users and involving service users in the running of our   facilities

Statistics:

The HSE received 7,984   complaints from service users in 2009 which represents an increase of 63% on   2008.  This substantial increase shows that our work to promote knowledge   of this policy and service has been a success, and more people can access the   complaints process and feel able to make   complaints.Â

If a complainant is not   satisfied with the local HSE response to a complaint they can use the HSEâ??s own   appeals process. If the complainant remains dissatisfied following an appeal,  the HSE advises the complainant that they may request an independent review from   the Office of the Ombudsman. Â

In 2009, only 2% of   complainants were unhappy with the response they received from local   investigation and requested a review of their complaint.  This is the same   percentage as in 2008 - showing that despite the increase in complaints made in   2009, the standard of response and level of satisfaction with the process is   consistent.

The HSE has set a target   response time to complaints of 30 days. Of the 7,984 complaints received in   2009 79% were addressed with the 30 day target which is an increase of 7% from   2008.

We   want to hear from you

Here is how a   service user can make a complaint or give feedback to the HSE:

 
• Talk to a member of   staff                    
 
• Call 1850 24   1850
 
• Fill out a â??Your Service, Your Sayâ?? form   in your local HSE office, facility or hospital
 
• Email yoursay@hse.ie
 
• Visit www.hse.ie

For further information   or to request an interview with Ms Mary Culliton, Head of Advocacy please   contact the National Press Office at 01 6342840, email press@hse.ie