In 1994 the Act on formal admissions to psychiatric hospitals came into force. The main provisions of the Act have been evaluated in 1995/1996. The evaluation of the complaint procedures reveals that only few hospitals have drawn up regulations which are completely compatible with the legal provisions. In cases in which patients have used the complaint procedure, approximately 40% of the complaints were found (partly) justified. Patients as well as therapists acknowledge the value and usefulness of the complaints procedure. It is to be expected that the legislator will introduce some changes to the Act, in order to solve some of the problems the present regulation causes.