Henrietta Wallace and Linda Mulcahy Published: 6th September 1999 In 1997, PLP received funding from the National Lotteries Charities Board to carry out the first independent, national evaluation of the operation and effectiveness of the NHS complaints procedure introduced in April 1996. The aim of this report is to evaluate the procedure from the perspective of health service users, looking at issues of fairness and independence, and complainants satisfaction with both the handling and outcome of their complaints. Cause for Complaint