Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019
998. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of complaints his Department received under the customer service charter in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019; if his attention has been drawn to issues and or problems in having complaints registered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35646/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince my time as Minister, no complaints have been made or processed through the formal complaints procedure.
The customer service function in my Department manages complaints in the form of emails to complaints@health.gov.ie and customer service telephone calls.
The Department adheres to the Principles of Quality Customer Services as set in our Quality Customer Action Plan and our Customer Charter. Our customer complaints procedure is published on the Department's website. (https://health.gov.ie/about-us/customer-charter)
The Complaints Procedure covers complaints about issues, including delays in responding to correspondence and the use of Irish. The complaints procedure does not cover:
- Matters of policy;
- Complaints relating to a hospital/the HSE or other health agencies;
- Matters that are the subject of litigation; or
- Matters that have been referred to the Ombudsman or Information Commissioner.
Through Your Service Your Say, the Health Service Executive offers service users a vital avenue for feedback, and by collecting and classifying complaints data supports organisational learning by enabling the collective voice of complainants to inform healthcare development.
