Advocacy

NHS Complaints Advocacy

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If you are unhappy with the care or treatment you have received from the NHS you may be able to get support to submit a complaint from an NHS complaints advocate. This service is free and independent of the NHS.

An NHS Complaints Advocate can:

• Give you information on how to complain and who to complain to

• Explain your options to you at each stage

• Support you to write letters and understand documents

• Help you to prepare for any meetings you have to resolve a problem

An advocate is not able to investigate your complaint or give any legal or medical advice.

 

We work in partnership with POhWER to deliver this service and all referrals must go through them. Advocates for this service can be from Equal Lives, POhWER or Age UK Norfolk. If you have a concern about the care you are receiving, you should first speak to a doctor or nurse or contact PALS (the Patient Advice Liaison Service). You can also contact Healthwatch to feedback about care and treatment you’ve received, you can visit Healthwatch Norfolk’s website here.

 

Relevant Persons Paid Representative Advocacy

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​We work in partnership with POhWER to provide the Relevant Persons Paid Representative (RPPR) advocacy service in Norfolk.

People who have been deprived of their liberty under the Mental Capacity Act need to have a representative to make sure they understand the process and know their rights. This could be a friend or family member, or an RPPR.

Referrals all go through the local authority Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards team who will make an application for an RPPR. For more information please visit the POhWER website.

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If your organisation is looking to commission advocacy services either ad-hoc or long term, we may be able to help. Please contact the team at info@equallives.org.uk