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This information is for people who want to make a complaint because they're unhappy about the treatment they have received from a health service.
Most people are happy with the treatment and care they get from the healthcare professionals looking after them, so when mistakes are made it's an extremely distressing situation to be in.
We can't advise you about whether it's right for you to make a complaint. However, we hope this information answers your questions and directs you to other organisations that can help and support you.
Making a complaint is different from making a clinical negligence| claim. In a clinical negligence case you are asking for money to compensate for injury or death. The main objective of making a complaint is usually to get answers about what went wrong, receive an apology or be told that changes to practice will be made to prevent it from happening again.
We all have expectations of the kind of healthcare we’d like to receive. These may be about communication, waiting times, standards of treatment, levels of hygiene or being cared for compassionately. Hospitals also have expectations of how their staff should behave and the standards they should achieve.
Usually these standards are met, but sometimes people feel the care they’ve had falls below an acceptable level. When this happens it’s natural to be unhappy and to seek an explanation or apology. Making a complaint can be a positive way of dealing with a distressing situation.
Getting an apology or an explanation of what went wrong may help you come to terms with it. Sometimes changes to practice are made as a result of a complaint.
To begin with it’s best to speak directly to the doctor or the healthcare professional involved. This can sometimes sort out the the situation quickly and easily.
However, if you’d rather not speak directly to them, your local Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS) may be able to help resolve your complaint informally. You can find your local PALS office by asking at the hospital or visiting the PALS website|.
If you’re still not satisfied, or you’d prefer to have things dealt with formally, you can make a formal complaint using the NHS Complaints Procedure. All NHS services are covered by this procedure, which is similar across the UK.
A complaint has to be made within 12 months of the event or within 12 months of when you discovered there was something to complain about. If there are reasons why you couldn’t make the complaint within this period, the time limit may be extended.
You should receive an initial response within three working days of making your complaint. At this initial stage you should be told that your complaint has been received and what will happen next. You should be asked how you would like your complaint to be dealt with - for example by a face-to-face meeting or in writing - and you should be informed of the likely timescale involved in properly reviewing the complaint.
There are two stages to the complaints process:
Local resolution is the first stage of the NHS complaints procedure. Most cases are resolved (sorted out) at this stage.
Ask for a copy of the complaints procedure. Some hospitals have a member of staff who deals with all complaints, such as a complaints manager. Copies of the NHS complaints procedure are available from the hospital, Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), or from the Department of Health website|. The staff in the PALS can also help and support with a formal complaint. Every NHS trust in England has a PALS.
Your complaint can be verbal or written. It’s advisable to make your complaint in writing because you can keep a record of it. Keep a copy of everything you post an a note of when you sent it. If you make a verbal complaint, a member of staff should record it in writing.
Always include as much information as possible, including:
If you’re not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can ask for it to be investigated further or you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman|. The Ombudsman is completely independent of the NHS and will decide whether or not to investigate your complaint further.
You should contact the Ombudsman within a year of when the event took place, or from when you were first aware of it. You will need to fill in a form to explain why you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been dealt with.
Some people may consider taking legal action if they’re still not happy with the outcome from the Ombudsman.
If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, the hospital, clinic or GP practice will need to make sure that you are a suitable representative. You will usually need to have written permission from the person you are complaining for.
If you are being treated privately, ask the manager of the hospital or clinic providing your healthcare for their complaints procedure. If your care is through a private healthcare insurance company you can also ask them for advice.
The following organisations can help you make your complaint or give you information and support. Contact details for these organisations are at the bottom of this page:
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) can give you advice, help you to write your complaint and go along with you to the meetings.
The Patient Support and Advice Service is available from any Citizen’s Advice. The staff there can guide you through the different stages of making a complaint.
Patient Advocacy services are available through Community Health Councils. They can help you make a complaint about NHS services or your NHS practitioner.
Patient and Client Councils can help you make a complaint about NHS services.
You can get more advice about local procedures from:
AvMA| offers individual guidance and information about the complaints procedure via their helpline and casework service.
The Patients Association| provides an information and signposting service via their website and helpline.
As part of making a complaint you might want to see your medical records. You’ll need to specify if you want copies of scans and x-rays.
You don’t have to give a reason for asking to see your records and they should be given to you within 40 days of your request. You will usually have to pay for this service.
Making a complaint can be a difficult and distressing experience. It may be painful to be reminded of what has happened to you and to have to go over it frequently. If you still need medical care you may find it hard to trust the healthcare professionals looking after you. It may be helpful to mention this to them so that they can understand your concerns.
You’re likely to experience a number of different feelings and at times these can be overwhelming. Each person has their own way of coping with difficult situations. Some people find it helpful to talk to friends or family, while others prefer to get help from people outside their situation. Some people prefer to keep their feelings to themselves. There’s no right or wrong way to cope.
The organisations listed below may be able to offer you advice and support. You may also find it helpful to talk to a trained counsellor who can listen and help you deal with difficult emotions|. Our cancer support specialists| can give you advice about finding a counsellor in your area.
Finsbury Tower, 103-105 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8TG Tel 03000 616161 Email via website www.cqc.org.uk|
Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP Tel 0345 015 4033 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm) Email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk| www.ombudsman.org.uk|
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)
ICAS can support you and help you raise a concern about NHS care or treatment. It's free, confidential and independent. You can find your local ICAS office on the NHS Choices website|.
Contact the Scottish Citizen’s Advice Bureau: Citizen's Advice Scotland (CAS) 1st Floor Spectrum House, 2 Powderhall Road Edinburgh, EH7 4GB Tel 0131 550 1000 www.cas.org.uk|
www.patientadvicescotland.org.uk |
4 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS Tel 0800 377 7330 www.spso.org.uk|
2nd Floor, 33-35 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HB Tel 0845 644 7814 Email enquiries@waleschc.org.uk| www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/899|
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed CF35 5LJ Tel 0845 601 0987 Email via website www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk|
There are four Patient and Client Councils in Northern Ireland. You can contact your local office by calling 0800 917 0222 or by emailing info.pcc@hscni.net|
Write to: The Ombudsman, Freepost BEL 1478, Belfast, BT1 6BR Call in (9.30am-4pm) at: The Ombudsman’s Office, 33 Wellington Place, Belfast BT1 6HN Tel 0800 34 34 24 Email ombudsman@ni-ombudsman.org.uk| www.ni-ombudsman.org.uk|
44 High Street, Croydon, CR0 1YB Tel 0845 123 23 52 (Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm) Email advice@avma.org.uk| www.avma.org.uk| AVMA provides free, independent advice and support, and has caseworkers who help people through the process of making a complaint.
www.pals.nhs.uk| Provides information, advice and local support to help patients, families and their carers.
PO Box 935, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3YJ Helpline 0845 608 4455 (Mon-Fri, 9.30am–5pm) Email helpline@patients-association.com| www.patients-association.com|
The helpline provides information on what patients are entitled to and how to make a complaint.
For answers, support or just a chat, call the Macmillan Support Line free (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm)
If you have any questions about cancer, need support or just want someone to talk to, ask Macmillan.