Perth Citizens Advice Bureau has extended its overall service by providing support to patients, their carers and/or relatives and individuals in a community in their dealings with the NHS and other matters affecting their health. The service is provided though the Independent Advice and Support Service, a project funded by Tayside Health Board.

Through the Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS), Perth Citizens Advice Bureau can help people to:

• Raise concerns informally to try to resolve issues with the people directly involved in providing their care
• Complain about any aspect of their treatment or care, and guide them through the complaints process
• Feed back any comments they may have about the NHS

The Perth Citizens Advice Bureau also continues to support clients in other areas, which may have an impact on their health and well-being by:

• Helping patients to understand their rights and responsibilities with regard to NHS services
• Providing information on how to deal with changes in personal circumstances due to illness or disability
• Providing advice on non-health issues, which may be having an impact on a client’s health, such as coping with debt or benefits issues, lifting this burden from health professionals.

As part of the IASS service, Perth CAB has a specialist Caseworker to assist people looking for advice and support on health related issues.

If you know someone who may need the service, please pass on to him/her the following telephone number: 0870 124 3812 or simply advise to contact local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Please note that IASS Caseworker may arrange an Interpreter or Translator through NHS in order to enable access to IASS and NHS complaints system.