Most people are happy with the help they get from health and care services, but sometimes things do go wrong. You might be able to resolve problems informally or you may have to follow a formal complaints procedure. If you're unsure about making a complaint, you can get help.
There can be many reasons why you might want to make a complaint. You want to complain because:
You have a right to complain about poor care. It can be a way to:
If you’re unhappy with an ongoing situation or a particular incident, don’t be afraid to speak out. Organisations need to know if there’s a problem, and they usually prefer to be told so that they can resolve it.
It's a good idea to discuss things informally with the organisation or staff providing your care first. In most cases, having an informal conversation is enough to put things right.
You can speak with the individual concerned, another member of staff or the manager. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, you can ask someone else to do this on your behalf, such as a friend or relative.
If you’re not happy with the response or the problem continues, you may want to make a formal complaint. All health and social care services must have a complaints procedure. Ask the service you want to complain to for a copy. It should be available in different formats, such as a leaflet or online.
You – or a friend or relative – can complain by:
You must receive written or verbal acknowledgement of your complaint within three days, which will also tell you:
When you complain, you should:
If any action is promised or a decision made, ask for written confirmation.
You should make your complaint as soon as possible. If you live in England or Wales, you'll usually have 12 months from the date of the incident, or when you became aware of it, to make your complaint. In Scotland, you should make a complaint within six months of the reason for the complaint (or of you becoming aware of the reason for the complaint).
If you’re considering legal action (see below), you'll have to act more quickly. For example, if you're applying for a judicial review, it must be done within three months. So it’s important to get specialist advice as soon as possible.
If the NHS is taking longer than six months to respond, they must give you a reason for the delay and let you know when they are likely to respond. For social care complaints, you should receive a response within a specific timeframe, depending on where you live:
Try to resolve the issue with the care agency first. If you arranged care privately, ask for a copy of the agency’s complaints procedure.
If you're unhappy with your care, you – or a friend or relative – should first talk to the home manager or matron of the care home and try to find a way to resolve the complaint. Ask them for a copy of the home’s complaints procedure.
If you arranged or paid for care privately through an agency or organisation, you can make a complaint directly to them. If your care was arranged or paid for by your council, you can make a complaint using the council’s complaints procedure. To find details of your local council, go to Gov.uk.
You can also report your concerns about private home care agencies or care homes to the Care Quality Commission (England only). In Scotland, contact the Care Inspectorate, and in Wales, contact Care Inspectorate Wales.
They don’t investigate individual complaints but can check that the agency or care home is dealing with it. In more serious cases, they may carry out an inspection, or use your evidence if the agency is being inspected at that time.
If you’re concerned about something that is beyond the care home’s control – such as the amount the council is prepared to pay towards the care home’s fees, or the accuracy of the information – you may want to consider applying for a judicial review.
If you want to complain about NHS services, you can complain directly to the service. Ask the organisation that provided your care for a copy of their complaints policy and the name of the person you should direct your complaint to.
If you don’t want to approach the healthcare provider directly, you can complain to the commissioner of that service.
To complain about primary care services such as your GP, a dentist, an optician or a pharmacist, contact the relevant health authority for your country:
Scotland – the Local Health Board (LHB) – you should only contact them in exceptional circumstances
If you are complaining about secondary services, such as hospital care, mental health services or out-of-hours services, for example, you should contact the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) in England, or the LHB in Scotland and Wales. You must not complain directly to the service and also contact the board – if you do this, the board will likely disregard your complaint.
If your complaint is about private healthcare that you are funding yourself, you'll need to complain directly to the healthcare provider. Each private healthcare provider should have their own formal complaints procedure.
If you’re not happy with their response, you can contact the Independent Healthcare Sector Complaints Adjudication Service in England. In Scotland, contact Healthcare Improvement Scotland, a regulatory body for private healthcare services. If you live in Wales, you can share your concerns with the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, which makes sure that healthcare services are meeting set standards.
If you’re receiving treatment from a private healthcare provider but it is funded by the NHS, you should go through the NHS complaints procedure.
If you need to complain about both NHS and social services, you only need to make your complaint to one organisation. That organisation must contact the other service to decide who will take overall responsibility for dealing with your complaint.
If you want to complain about an individual care or health professional, you can contact their professional body.