Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 603: To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm the position regarding recent reports in the media relating to the formation of a new complaints body for members of the public to make complaints against health service officials; the avenues available for someone to make a complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9166/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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There are a number of avenues open to individuals to make a complaint about the health services at present. Part 9 of the Health Act 2004 states that a person has the right to complain about any action of the Health Service Executive (HSE) or a service provider that they believe was not fair or had an adverse affect on them. The HSE has appointed designated Complaints Officers to ensure the effective management of complaints throughout their relevant areas of responsibility. The HSE actively encourages and promotes consumer feedback and links with customers on a regular basis to ensure that the complaint handling processes are effective, are being communicated and are achieving outcomes that are satisfactory to the consumers. I believe that it is generally best that complaints are dealt with directly when they occur and all efforts made to resolve them locally with the patient or person that complains. The HSE continues to seek improvements in its complaint handling ability and capacity in order to respond to the needs of patients.

If an individual is unhappy with the way in which his/her complaint was dealt with the National Advocacy Unit of the HSE will appoint an independent officer to review the complaint. If an individual is still unhappy with the outcome of this process he/she can request an independent review of the complaint from the Office of the Ombudsman or Ombudsman for Children. A new on-line information service called healthcomplaints.ie was launched in September, 2011. This initiative, which was developed by the Office of the Ombudsman in cooperation with a number of organisations including my Department and the HSE, provides information on how to make a complaint or give feedback about health and social care services in Ireland. is website has been developed for people who use health and social care services in Ireland, as well as for their families, care-givers and advocates.

Furthermore, if an individual is unhappy with the level of care provided by a health service employee such as a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional, he/she may make a complaint to that employee's professional regulatory body.

One of the key initiatives of the Government's Health Reform Programme is the establishment of a Patient Safety Authority (PSA). My Department is continuing to formulate proposals on the options and possible organisational structures of the PSA taking account of international experience and the existing structures and organisations in the Irish system. Indeed, the recent 2nd National Patient Safety Conference which took place on 9th February, 2012 was a key part of this process. The international speakers from Canada and Denmark provided insights into patient safety structures in their countries which will help to inform our consideration of some of the roles and responsibilities that might be assigned to the PSA, including in relation to the handling of patient complaints and patient advocacy.