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Complaints

PLEASE NOTE- Public Health Wales is not responsible for all NHS care and treatment across Wales.

The NHS in Wales

Care in other Health Boards and Trusts

Public Health Wales is not able to deal with all complaints in relation to your health and the NHS services which may be the responsibility of other NHS organisations across Wales. Local Health Boards and other NHS Trusts are responsible for planning and delivering NHS services for their populations in their own geographical areas.

These health services include but are not limited to:  

  • Hospital services 
  • Dental services 
  • Optical  
  • Pharmacy 
  • GP services 
  • Mental Health support
  • Ambulance transport 
  • Cancer treatment

Any concerns, feedback or complaints which you have about these services need to be referred to the respective Health Board or NHS Trust. For details on how to contact your Local Health Board, please visit the following link:

If your complaint is about a GP Surgery/Dentist/Pharmacist or Optician, you should ask the practice/practice manager to investigate your complaint in the first instance.  

Services and care provided by Public Health Wales

Regrettably, there are times when things may not go as planned.  Voicing your concern or complaint allows us to investigate what happened and learn from your experiences and improve the services we offer here in Public Health Wales.

If you, a member of your family, a carer, or an advocate, wish to discuss any complaints you have about care or a service you have received from Public Health Wales, you should speak to the staff who are involved with your care and treatment so that they can help you to resolve the matter. You can also write or ring us.

Welsh Language Complaints.

Any complaints received from members of the public concerning compliance with the Welsh Language Standards, or a lack of Welsh/Bi-lingual services provided by Public Health Wales will be reported to our Welsh Language team and will follow the Putting Things Right process (see below).

How to raise a complaint.

There are a number of ways you can raise a concern or complaint and we are continuously improving our processes to make it as easy as possible for you.

At the moment you can write us a letter, send us an email or speak to us directly using the contact number below.

Write to us.

Executive Director of Quality, Nursing and Allied Health Professionals
Putting Things Right Team
Public Health Wales
Number 2
Capital Quarter
Tyndall Street
Cardiff
CF10 4BZ

Speak to or email us.

You can make a complaint by speaking to us directly, or, if you are unhappy with a response you have received from staff, please contact the Putting Things Right Team via:

Phone: 0300 003 0383
Email: Complaints.publichealthwales@wales.nhs.uk  
The Putting Things Right team is available Monday-Friday between 8 am - 4 pm.

What to expect when you make a complaint.

When you make a complaint, you will be contacted within five working days via telephone, email, or letter.
We will then investigate your complaint openly and honestly and will respond to you within 30 working days wherever possible.  If the investigation is expected to take longer, we will contact you to explain why, and you will receive a regular update.

Llais – if you need support to raise your complaint.  

If you need support to raise a complaint about a Public Health Wales service, you can talk to Llais. Llais are an independent body, set up by the Welsh Government and are here to make sure your views and experiences are used by decision-makers to plan and deliver better health and social care services. Their trained, dedicated complaints advocacy staff will provide you with the free, independent, and confidential support you are entitled to. 
For more information visit the Llais website – 

What should I do if I am still unhappy with the outcome of my complaint?

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your complaint, please let us know so that we can discuss this with you further.  Additional steps will be taken to try and answer all your questions and resolve your complaint wherever possible.  However, if you are still not happy, you can raise with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales at the address below. The Ombudsman can only review your complaint if it has already been investigated by us.

Address: 1 Ffordd Yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ
Telephone: 0300 790 0203 
Email: ask@ombudsman.wales

Duty of Candour.

From April 2023, the Duty of Candour is a legal requirement for all NHS organisations in Wales.

More information about the Duty of Candour is available here:

Information for children and young people.

An information leaflet has been produced for children to explain how they can be supported to raise a concern.

If you are a child or young person and would like Support and Advocacy, you can contact Meic by clicking on the link below.

Meic is a helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 15 in Wales. Meic can help with a number of scenarios; from finding out what is going on in your local area to helping to deal with tricky situations. MEIC will listen even when you think no one else will. They won’t judge you and will help you by giving you information, useful advice and the support you need to make a change. Please visit the link below for further information.