Patient advocacy service offers free support to people
The Patient Advocacy Service is pleased to offer support to individuals in the Cavan and surrounding areas who are seeking to make a complaint about the care they have received in a public acute hospital or a public or private nursing home. We also offer support to a person in the aftermath of a Patient Safety Incident.
Professionally trained Advocates are here to empower patients and nursing home residents in navigating relevant complaints processes and supporting them to realise their rights.
Wholly funded by the Department of Health, the Patient Advocacy Service is fully independent from the HSE and other service providers.
In 2025, the Service provided support to 3,031 people, covering 7,969 separate complaint issues. So far, this year, the Service has been contacted by over 2,700 people seeking independent advocacy support. Supports available include providing information on the complaints process for public acute hospitals and public and private nursing homes, guiding individuals on writing a formal complaint, and supporting them in exploring their options following a response to their complaint. Support is also available for any investigation following a patient safety incident.
As part of our commitment to accessibility, we have recently released new Easy Read Information leaflets in English and Irish, as well as an Easy Read Data Protection Consent form.
These resources aim to make our services more understandable and approachable for nursing home residents.
Georgina Cruise, National Manager of the Patient Advocacy Service, said: “The Patient Advocacy Service provides independent advocacy to empower patients in public acute hospitals and residents in public and private nursing homes to uphold their rights and have their voice, will and preference heard and be at the centre of the complaints and the incident review process.
"Through elevating the voice of the patient and resident and supporting them to share their lived experience, the Patient Advocacy Service seeks to encourage patient partnership, empathy, openness, transparency and accountability, and promote a culture of learning and improved patient safety.
"We would encourage people in Cavan and surrounding areas who would like to make a health care complaint to reach out to the Patient Advocacy Service for support, information and signposting.”
Since its launch in October 2019, the Patient Advocacy Service has assisted over 12,000 people nationwide who have had concerns about the care they received in a health or social care service. 2025 marked the busiest year for the Service since its establishment, with over 3,000 enquiries, highlighting nearly 8,000 issues.
The Service is provided by the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS). It 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 or public or private nursing home. The Service also provides support in the aftermath of patient safety incidents
CONTACT US
For more information on the Patient Advocacy Service and the support available, contact the national helpline on 0818 293003, email info@patientadvocacyservice.ie or visit www.patientadvocacyservice.ie
The phoneline is open Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm, including lunchtime.