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DH complaints procedure
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Last modified date:6 July 2007
The Department's complaints procedure has four stages.
Dealing with your complaint immediately
Our aim is to resolve complaints on the spot, so if you know which office or section at the Department is responsible for the service you are concerned about, or the name or title of the appropriate member of staff, please make your complaint directly. The switchboard will help you find the right person.
If you do not have this information, please contact the Customer Service Centre. We will either direct you to the right person or take a note of your complaint and pass it to him or her. We will usually do this within 24 hours.
Formal complaint
If you are not happy with the response to your complaint please ask that your complaint is sent to Head of Complaints, who will reply within 20 days or write to let you know why this cannot be done and agree a new deadline with you.
Independent review
If you are not satisfied with the response from the Head of Complaints, you have the right to take your complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner of Administration (the Ombudsman).
In some circumstances it may be helpful to refer your complaint to someone independent of the Department of Health who has relevant knowledge and expertise, and is able to review your complaint and the way we have handled it. We will discuss this option with you and agree the best way forward.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
If you remain unhappy with the Department's actions, you may ask a Member of Parliament (MP) to request that the Ombudsman investigate your complaint and the way it has been handled.
The Ombudsman can carry out independent investigations into complaints about government departments, agencies and some public bodies. If you believe you have received poor service or haven't been treated properly or fairly they can help.
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Frequently asked questions
The Department of Health's Customer Service Centre deals with thousands of queries each week. This section answers some of our most frequently asked questions.
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