Before you start, it is important to be clear for yourself what it is you want to complain about. This can be any aspect of the NHS care and services that you have received, but might include:
Here are some “real-life” examples of recent complaints:
Useful tip: write down now what you want to complain about as simply and clearly as you can so that you can refer back to it later.
Think about what you want to achieve. Your complaint is more likely to be dealt with smoothly if you can be specific and realistic.
Most people who complain to the NHS can expect:
The NHS Complaints Procedure cannot be used for the following:
Financial compensation - this is usually possible only through legal action. You need to speak to a solicitor who specialises in medical or clinical negligence;
Disciplinary action against any NHS staff member - however, this could happen under a separate procedure as a result of an investigation in to your complaint.
Private healthcare complaints – even as an NHS patient, you may receive service or treatment not funded by the NHS. If your complaint is about a private service you will need to use the complaints procedure that the private healthcare service operates
NHS Foundation Trusts complaints - these Trusts have their own process for handling complaints at the first stage of a complaint. However they do fall under the authority of the Healthcare Commission and the Health Service Ombudsman so the latter stages (2 and 3) of the NHS Complaints Procedure do apply
Care home and nursing home complaints - unless the service or treatment you are complaining about is funded by the NHS.
Once you have got things clear in your mind, you need to decide how best to go about making a complaint. Many complaints are caused by misunderstandings that can quickly be put right once you explain the problem. You do not necessarily have to make a formal complaint to have your concerns addressed.
Are you in the middle of treatment or care?
If so, you can speak to a member of staff responsible for the service you are unhappy about. This is often the quickest way to put things right and stop them getting worse. If you do not want to speak to a staff member yourself, or you have tried and have not got what you wanted, then a service called PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) may be able to help you. PALS provides information, advice and support to patients, families and their carers and can help you raise your concerns informally. Click here to find out more about PALS.
Look at the “pros and cons”
Making a formal complaint using the NHS Complaints Procedure may be the best route to follow if:
Making a complaint using the NHS Complaints Procedure may not be the best route to follow at this stage if:
To sum up
Useful tip: You may find it useful to obtain a copy of the health records concerned (click here to find out how to do this)
If you decide to go ahead
Making a complaint can be quite complicated and lengthy (writing letters, remembering deadlines, keeping notes of phone calls etc.) so we have provided helpful hints and guidelines on this site to help you manage your complaint.
It can also be upsetting having to think and talk about what has happened, especially if something has gone very badly wrong with your treatment or a relative or friend has died. If you feel you would like extra help at any time, you can contact the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS).
ICAS staff, known as advocates, can:
Your advocate will not try to persuade you to do or not do anything and will always respect your decisions. Click here to find contact details for your nearest ICAS office.
If you would like advice on how to write a complaint letter, please take a look at our online complaint letter guide and sample complaint letter. We also have more in-depth information about the NHS complaints procedure for you to read, as well as a page of answers to frequently asked questions, which you may find helpful.
These pages (and others) are also accessible from the Making a Complaint menu toward the top of the page.