How to complain about mental health services
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social well-being.
Firstly, speak to a member of staff involved with the care
It is best to first speak with a member of staff involved with the care.
This means that concerns you have may be sorted quickly and easily.
If you find that staff cannot help you, or you are not comfortable speaking with them you may want to make a formal complaint.
Contact the Customer Service Team at the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT)
Contact the Customer Service Team to resolve your concerns or to find out how to make a formal complaint.
This is a confidential service designed to provide advice and support for patients, relatives, and carers.
You can contact the Customer Service Team at NSFT by:
Phone – 01603 421486
Email – [email protected]
Online – Visiting their website here
There is also a leaflet which gives more information about making a complaint and NSFT’s standards for a response. You can download it here
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are the final stage of unresolved complaints in the NHS. Only contact them once you have received your final response to your formal complaint.
You can contact them by:
Phone – 0345 015 4033
Online – Visiting their website here
Please note: as of September 2022 the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman have changed the way they handle complaints about the NHS. In most cases they will now only look into more serious cases. To find out more about this please visit their website: www.ombudsman.org.uk/service-update.
Need help with your mental health?
If it is an emergency and you or someone else is in danger call 999 immediately and request an ambulance and/or police.
Other organisations who can help include:
Call 111 and select option 2 to speak to the 24-hour urgent mental health helpline.
Samaritans – Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call them on 116 123.
You can also email the Samaritans on [email protected]. They aim to respond within 24 hours.
Your GP surgery – Speak with your GP who can put you in touch with local services.
Norfolk and Waveney Mind – Mental health support. You can call them on 0300 330 5488 or visit their website here.
Norfolk and Waveney Wellbeing Service – offer mental health & emotional support. You can call them on 0300 123 1503 (lines are open 8am to 8pm) or visit their website here.
