Complaint to the patients' rights office of a Greek hospital

Published byDocMuse

The complaint a patient files when they consider their rights were breached in a hospital of Greece's national health system (ESY): what happened, when and in which department, which right was affected and what is asked for. It goes to the hospital's Office for the Protection of the Rights of Health Service Users, which every ESY hospital must have (art. 60 of Law 4368/2016), not to the management. It can be filed in person, by registered letter, fax or e-mail, and its registration number is the first document of any later step.

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Common questions

Why does the complaint go to the patients' rights office rather than to the hospital's director?

Because Law 4368/2016 (art. 60) gave that office, which exists in every hospital of the Greek national health system, the task of receiving and handling patients' complaints. It can be filed in person, by registered letter, fax or e-mail; either way, keep the registration number. In a private clinic with no such office, the complaint goes to the clinic's management.

Which patient rights can a complaint to a Greek public hospital concern?

Any right of the patient as a user of health services: information about their health and treatment, consent before a medical act, respect for dignity and privacy, confidentiality of data, access to the medical file, and also the conduct of staff and the organisation of care. These rights come from Law 2071/1992 and the Greek Code of Medical Ethics (Law 3418/2005).

What are the next steps if a complaint about a Greek public hospital gets nowhere?

For maladministration by a public hospital, the Greek Ombudsman (Synigoros tou Politi) examines citizens' complaints free of charge. For personal data and access to the file, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority is competent. Compensation for medical negligence needs a court action, with a lawyer. In every case, the complaint with its registration number proves what was reported and when.