National Advocacy Service awarded tender to deliver Patient Advocacy Service for further five years
(sent on behalf of Louise Loughlin, National Manager of the National Advocacy Service)
Dear colleagues,
I am delighted to announce that the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) will continue to operate Ireland’s Patient Advocacy Service for another five years.
Following a competitive tendering process, the National Patient Safety Office in the Department of Health (DoH) has awarded the contract for the Patient Advocacy Service to NAS, running from October 2022 until October 2027.
The Patient Advocacy Service is an independent, free and confidential service that provides information and support to people who want to make a complaint about an experience they have had in a public acute hospital. In 2021, the Patient Advocacy Service expanded its remit to include advocacy support for people in HSE-operated nursing homes.
Since 2019, when NAS commenced operation of the Service, its Advocates have provided support to over 1,600 people, covering more than 4,000 individual complaints issues.
The Service has also strengthened its cooperation with the HSE with the aim of ensuring that people receive a timely, compassionate and comprehensive response to their healthcare complaints.
Over the past four years, we have worked closely with the National Patient Safety Office in the Department of Health to develop the Patient Advocacy Service. We look forward to continuing to work with the department to deliver and expand the crucial advocacy provided by the Service in the years ahead.
Regards,
Louise Loughlin,
National Manager of the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS).