Citizens Advice Scotland has created the service by working with tech firm Avaya

A new helpline for people to raise concerns about the National Health Service has been launched.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) will launch a new 0800 service for anyone who wants to give feedback, or raise comments, concerns or complaints about NHS treatment in Scotland.

The Patient Advice & Support Service (PASS) provides critical advice and support to citizens in all parts of Scotland, and is administered by a mix of paid and volunteer advisers across the country.

CAS required a system that could route calls to and from remote areas, seeking capacity in times of high demand, while still being intuitive and easy to use.

For a service such as this, a large, centralised call centre was expensive and impractical, since it would not be able to effectively scale in accordance with inbound demand.

The solution delivered by working with tech firm Avaya has allowed CAS to offer an efficient and distributed service, scaled to the organisation’s needs.

As a result of the upgrade, anyone seeking advice or support about NHS feedback can contact an adviser using the phone, email or web chat through the online portal, where they can simply click to call an adviser. The service is available at every Citizens Advice Bureau in Scotland.

Anne Lavery, chief operating officer for CAS, said: “The solution provided by Avaya allows the citizens advice network in Scotland to respond to provide a multi-channel offer which is responsive to client demands while maximising productivity, delivering real value for money.

“The 0800 number is an essential service for anyone who is not happy with the treatment they’ve received from the NHS in Scotland and needs free, confidential, and independent advice. Since we introduced Avaya IP office, the uptake to the service has been remarkable.”