Feedback & queries

This page gives information on the kinds of support that are available if you have queries, concerns, compliments or complaints. 

Patient liaison service

Our Patient Liaison Service offers help, support and advice for patients, families and carers. We can help you in many ways including:

• Get you the information you need about hospital services.
• Listen and respond to your questions, concerns or compliments.
• Help you resolve any problems or issues that you have about our hospital services.
• Give you information about our formal complaints process and independent support services.

We will always ask your permission before your personal information is discussed with others.

Patient compliments and general feedback

If you had a good experience at the Mater Hospital and would like to thank the staff who cared for you, you can let us know. Please send your message to patientservices@mater.ie

You can also provide feedback using our feedback form below.

• Complete the patient feedback form

For more information on providing feedback, please see our taking your feedback seriously information leaflet here

• Please find a copy of our Privacy Notice here

Independent advocacy services

For free, independent and confidential patient advocacy services, please visit the patient advocacy service website here for information or call them directly on (national phone line) 0818 293003. 

How to raise a concern

Sometimes things don't go just as you would like them to. We'd like to know about it so that we can try to put matters right. There are several ways for you do this.

If you are a patient or visiting an inpatient:

Talk to the ward manager or nurse in charge. They will listen to you, agree what actions to take and update you on progress that is made. Many problems can be resolved quickly by talking things through, avoiding the need for a formal complaint.

If you are an outpatient:

Please ask the staff at the registration area to put you in touch with the appropriate person to speak to in the department about an issue.

If you would rather talk to someone outside the ward or department:

If you feel you are unable to discuss your concerns with the ward or clinical staff, please contact our patient liaison service at one of the numbers provided or by email. Our Patient Liaison Officers will help you to resolve your issue without you having to make a formal complaint. They can also tell you more about our complaints procedure and how to contact an independent advocacy service.

If you have a concern or complaint during the evening or night time:

You can discuss your concern with your nurse or doctor, or ask to speak to the nurse manager on duty. If you feel your concern needs further attention, please call the Patient Services telephone number and leave a message with the Patient Liaison Service.

Will raising a concern affect your (or your relative's) care:

Some people can be worried about raising a concern or complaint about their care or the care of someone close to them. Please don't be. We want to provide the safest, highest quality of care. Your feedback will help us to keep improving.

Formal complaints

How to make a formal complaint:

If it hasn't been possible to resolve your concerns locally, you should make a formal complaint in writing.

You should do this as soon as possible. The timeframe for making a complaint is 12 months after the event (or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have cause to complain).

• You can send a complaint using our online form. Complete the patient feedback form
• Email: patientservices@mater.ie
• Write a letter to the Complaint Officer:

What should be included in a formal complaint?

We suggest you give the following information when you are making a formal complaint on your own behalf.

• Your name, contact details and your medical record number if you know it
• A postal address for correspondence
• Your email address and telephone number, if you would like to be contacted in these ways
• A summary of your complaint

Below are some of the key areas that you should cover in your summary of the complaint.

• What happened?
• Who was involved?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• How did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• What is your desired outcome?

healthcomplaints.ie provides information on how to make a complaint or give feedback about health and social care services in Ireland. This link also provides information on independent advocacy services.

If you ask a friend or relative to write your complaint on your behalf, we will ask you to sign a consent form. This will give us permission to disclose your personal information to this person.

What happens after you make a formal complaint?​

• We will assign a Complaints Officer to your case.
• The Complaints Officer will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receiving it. 
• We will examine your complaint and do our best to respond to you within 30 working days. However, if we think that it will take longer than this, we will keep you updated every 20 working days after that to let you know what is happening.
• When the Complaints Officer has finished their examination, they will write to you outlining the outcome/findings.
• The Complaints Officer will set out what actions and recommendations (where appropriate) the Mater Hospital will take when the service has fallen below the expected standard.

On occasion, the Complaint Officer will recommend a face-to-face meeting with the healthcare professionals involved.

What you can do if you are not happy:

We hope that we have been able to resolve your complaint satisfactorily. However, if you remain unhappy with our response then you can:

HSE Dublin North East, Acute Hospitals

You may apply for an Internal Review of the recommendations made to the Dublin North East, Acute Hospitals at the address below.

Ms. Susan Moloney

Quality & Patient Safety Manager

HSE Dublin North East Acute Hospitals,
Quality & Patient Safety Directorate,
Academic Centre,
Connolly Hospital,
Dublin 15 D15X40D.

susanmoloney@rcsihospitals.ie 

 

Office of the Ombudsman

Refer your complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is fair, independent, and free to use. The Ombudsman will ask you for details of your complaint and a copy of this letter/email (our final response to your complaint). The best way to contact the Ombudsman is by:

• Clicking on the Make A Complaint on the Ombudsman website
• Writing to: Office of the Ombudsman, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W773
• Calling the Ombudsman on 01 639 5600 if you have any queries.