Information for the Public - CORU - Regulating Health and Social Care Professionals

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How can I make a complaint?

You can make a complaint about a registered practitioner (a registrant) by filling out CORU’s Fitness to Practise complaint form. If you wish to complain about more than one of CORU’s registrants please use a separate complaint form for each registrant

The form can be downloaded and filled in. If possible, please type the details on the complaint form, and then print and sign it. If this is not possible and you are completing the complaint form by hand, please write neatly and clearly.

When you have signed the form you can send a scanned copy by email to ftp@coru.ie or you can post it to:

Fitness to Practise
CORU
Infinity Building
George's Court
George's Lane
Smithfield
Dublin 7
D07 E98Y

Only a completed complaint form that is signed can be dealt with by CORU.

If you are unable to print out the complaint form please contact us, from Monday to Friday (10am to 1pm), at 01 472 7960 and we will post one to you.

What information do I need before I begin?

The form will ask you to identify the registrant that you wish to make a complaint against, and set out the nature of your complaint in detail.

Click here for the Codes of Professional Conduct and Ethics.

It will be helpful if you can include as much information as possible about the registrant such as their name, profession, place of work and registration number. You will be able to find their registration number by searching our Register on www.coru.ie.

In relation to the complaint, please try to be as specific as possible regarding the date, time and place.

Please also provide any documents that are relevant to your complaint.

Will the registrant I am complaining about be told of my complaint?

Yes, once you have submitted your complaint, the registrant will be sent a copy of your complaint so he or she can respond or comment on it. In the interest of fairness, both sides to a complaint will be given the chance to be heard.

What types of complaints can CORU consider?

CORU can only take action in respect of a registrant where the incidents complained of are serious and raise a concern about the registrant’s ability to practise his or her profession. CORU’s objective is to take action where necessary to protect service users, patients and the public interest. CORU’s role is not to resolve individual complaints.

Before making a complaint to CORU you may wish to consider whether it is better to make your complaint locally to the registrant directly or to the relevant employer.

The Fitness to Practise team in CORU can help with queries in relation to the types of complaints that can be considered by CORU. For information about the types of things that CORU cannot do please click here.

Does CORU consider complaints about Court proceedings?

CORU’s Fitness to Practise process should not be used as a forum for re-trying cases heard before the court. CORU cannot interfere with evidence given in Court proceedings or overturn the decision of the Court.

In acting as expert witnesses, registrants, are generally not immune from fitness to practise proceedings. However, CORU must be careful not to interfere in matters which are within the remit of the relevant Court or Tribunal.

As a general principle, the admission of evidence is a matter for the Court or Tribunal that is hearing the case. Complaints about a registrant who is acting as a witness should be raised with the Court or Tribunal that is hearing the case. This is particularly the case if the complaint is about dissatisfaction with the opinion expressed by the registrant giving expert evidence, which is properly a matter for the Court or Tribunal which has heard the evidence. Complaints made on this basis will be closed by CORU if CORU is of the opinion that the complaint relates to matters that should be raised before the Court.

CORU is unlikely to take action in respect of a complaint about a registrant giving evidence in Court proceedings unless it can be demonstrated that (a) the registrant has made false claims of expertise or has given evidence outside of the registrant’s expertise; (b) has breached the expert’s duty to assist the Court or Tribunal; or (c) has breached the obligation to produce an objective, unbiased, independent report based upon all material facts.

Please note that if you do make a complaint related to Court proceedings and you intend to provide CORU with a copy of any report that was ordered by the Court, for example a social worker report, you need to obtain the permission of the Court to provide the report to CORU. CORU will only deal with the complaint once the permission of the Court to release the report to CORU has been obtained.

What should I do if my complaint about a registrant relates to child protection or harm to a child or vulnerable person?

If you are concerned that children or vulnerable persons are, or may be, at risk of harm you should inform:

• TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency, or
• An Garda Siochana, where appropriate.

You may also wish to submit a complaint to CORU. Please be advised that CORU may be obliged to provide information to either of the above if your complaint contains information relating to child protection or harm to a child or vulnerable person.

Do you need assistance to make your complaint?

If you need assistance in making your complaint there are patient advocacy groups who may be in a position to help or advise you about your complaint. To view a list of these groups and their contact details log onto www.healthcomplaints.ie, click here.