ComplaintsWhat you can contact DHSC about

TheDHSC wayis servicesresponsible arefor providedhealth isand asocial mattercare forpolicy thein localEngland. NHS,This includes setting national strategy, developing guidance and mattersleading concerningpublic thosehealth serviceswork, needsuch toas benational resolvedinformation byand thecampaigns.

ForYou complaintscan andcontact generalDHSC feedback about hospitals, GP practicesthe andwork other NHS servicesof includingthe dentistry,department, pharmacistsfor andexample:

• questions mentalabout government health service,or see feedbacksocial andcare policy
• comments on DHSC strategies, plans or consultations
• reports of serious wrongdoing (whistleblowing)
• requests for information held by DHSC
• complaints about NHSDHSC

Questions services.

and comments

ForYou complaintscan contact DHSC online to ask a question or share comments about adultour work, including health and social care services, contactpolicy theor LocalDHSC Governmentplans and Socialconsultations.

Report Careserious Ombudsman.

wrongdoing (whistleblowing)

ForYou complaintscan andreport queriesserious aboutwrongdoing children’s(whistleblowing) related to health or social care services, contactthat could affect other people or the Departmentpublic. This is known as a ‘disclosure in the public interest’.

This includes concerns about:

• criminal activity (for example fraud)
• risks to patient or public safety
• organisations breaking the law
• misuse of public money
• covering up wrongdoing

This is not the right route for Educationpersonal workplace issues (for example bullying, harassment or disputes about your own employment), unless your concern could also affect others. These should be raised through your employer’s grievance process. You can also contact Acas for advice.

ForContact complaintsDHSC andonline queriesto report serious wrongdoing.

Requests for information

There are 2 types of information you can request from DHSC.

Request personal information

You can request access to personal information we hold about NHSyou penaltyby charges,making Vaccinea DamageSubject PaymentAccess SchemeRequest.

Email paymentsdata_protection@dhsc.gov.uk, explaining what personal information you’re looking for and helpprovide withenough healthdetail costs, contactfor DHSC to understand your request.

DHSC does not hold patient medical records or social care records. Requests for this information should be made to the relevant care organisation, such as your GP practice, NHS Businesstrust Servicesor Authoritylocal council.

Request other information

You can request other information held by DHSC, such as policies or data, by making a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Before submitting a request, you can check our previous Freedom of Information (FOI) releases.

IfContact youDHSC haveonline ato complaintmake oran queryFOI request.

Find out more about FOI requests and how they work.

Complaints

We only handle complaints about anythe healthwork, staff and carelevels servicesof inservice Northernprovided Ireland,by ScotlandDHSC.

Contact orDHSC Wales,online to make a complaint.

See the complaints procedure for more information about what you shouldcan raisecomplain thisabout withand how we handle complaints.

Contact DHSC online

You can use the appropriateonline government:form to:

• contactask thea Northernquestion Irelandabout ExecutiveDHSC policy or our work
• contactshare thea Scottishcomment
• report Governmentserious wrongdoing (whistleblowing)
• generalrequest queriesnon-personal forinformation theheld Welshby GovernmentDHSC (Freedom of Information)
• complaintsmake fora thecomplaint Welshabout GovernmentDHSC

Complaints

We aboutaim DHSC

to respond within 20 working days.

We canmay not respond if your enquiry:

• contains offensive language
• does not clearly explain your enquiry or concern
• only handleshares complaintsinformation aboutor thefeedback work,that staffdoesn’t andrequire levelsa ofresponse
• has servicealready providedbeen byanswered thein Departmenta ofprevious Healthreply andto Socialyou
• is Care.selling Seeor thepromoting complaintsa procedureproduct

Start now  for

To complaintrequest aboutpersonal DHSC.information held by DHSC, email data_protection@dhsc.gov.uk.

WorkWhat experienceyou cannot contact DHSC about

DHSCWe iswork currentlywith unableorganisations tosuch offeras workthe experienceNHS placements.and However,local opportunitiescouncils, maybut bewe availabledo withnot othermanage governmentindividual departmentshealth or care services or give medical advice.

Contact the NHS.relevant See:organisation for enquiries about:

• FindingNHS workservices experience- incontact NHS England
• adult social care - contact your local council or the NHSLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman
• Workingchildren’s forsocial care - contact the CivilDepartment Servicefor Education

Benefits

Complaints about health or social care services

ForDHSC matterscannot relatinghelp towith benefits,complaints includingor health-relatedfeedback benefits,about:

• NHS pleaseservices, directincluding yourhospitals queryand toGP thepractices
• adult Departmentor forchildren’s Worksocial andcare Pensions.services

See the complaints procedure to find out who to contact instead.

Housing

Other enquiries DHSC cannot help with

Concerns

• work aboutexperience housing,placements including- livingDHSC conditionsdoes thatnot youoffer feelwork areexperience. affectingYou yourcan health,look shouldfor beopportunities raisedthrough withWorking for the Civil Service or Finding work experience in the NHS
• benefits, including health-related benefits - contact the Department for Work and Pensions
• housing issues, including living conditions affecting your health - contact the Ministry offor Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Other enquiriesways to contact DHSC

Accessibility support

ToIf applyyou forcannot ause Globalthe Healthonline Insuranceform, Cardyou (GHIC),can getcall anus NHSon prescription0300 prepayment790 certificate4007.

We ordo checknot ifoperate youa cancall getcentre. helpLeave a voicemail with healthyour costs,contact godetails toand thea NHSbrief Businessexplanation Servicesof Authorityyour website.query. A member of our team will contact you.

Media enquiries

Contact media enquiries.