The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) means that all children in Ireland, including LGBTQ+ children, have a right to:
- Non-discrimination (Article 2)
- Identity (Article 8)
- Highest attainable standard of healthcare (Article 24)
The Equal Status Act (2000) makes it illegal for those offering healthcare services to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This means a healthcare provider cannot treat you less favourably than another person because you are LGBTIQ+.
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO)
The OCO is available to you if you feel any of these rights have been denied to you.
If you are not happy with how you have been treated in a public healthcare setting and would like to make a complaint, it is important to take a note of what has happened and to act quickly. If you are not happy with the response and are under 18 you can then make a complaint to the OCO yourself or you can ask a parent or trusted adult to do this with you or for you.
The OCO deals with complaints where a child has been, or may have been, negatively impacted by the decision of a public body, including public health care providers and hospitals. The Office of the Ombudsman can deal with similar complaints made by adults.
Complaints
However, there are some things the OCO and the Ombudsman cannot investigate which include:
- Actions of private practitioners such as dentists, opticians and pharmacists and complaints relating to private health care.
- Decisions made by medical professionals in relation to clinical judgement (diagnoses or decisions about treatment).
Information on the OCO and Ombudsman’s Offices complaints process can be found at: oco.ie and ombudsman.ie
Thanks to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office who helped to collate this information.