NHS Complaints Procedure

We recognise that sometimes it may be necessary to file a complaint following negative experiences with healthcare providers. Below is a summary of information from the NHS regarding how you can do this (in the UK). Alternatively, this information is available directly on the NHS website.

Local Level

Complaints are initially usually dealt with on a local basis. To start the process, you can write a letter addressed to the manager at the GP surgery or clinic you have been treated by setting out a chronology of your treatment and your grounds of complaint. If you are complaining to a hospital, you may wish to contact the chief executive. Sometimes you will find that a Trust or organisation will have details of their own complaints procedure set out in their letters or on their website.

The person responsible for dealing with the procedure should keep you informed about progress with the investigation and prepare a written response to you within approximately 20 working days. In practice, this does often take much longer.

Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman

If, you are dissatisfied with the local response, a complaint can be pursued with the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman. This is the final rung of the Complaints Process. Contact details for the Ombudsman can be found at the Ombudsman website. The Health Service Ombudsman is independent from the NHS and the Government and carries out investigations into complaints about the service a patient has received from the NHS in England. The Ombudsman aims to treat everyone fairly and impartially and it is confidential and free. However, some complaints can take a long time to investigate. You must bring the complaint to the Ombudsman’s attention within one year of becoming aware of the cause of the complaint. If your NHS Complaints Procedure has taken longer than it should have done to resolve the complaint, the time limit for making a complaint to the Ombudsman can be extended.

The Ombudsman will usually reply to a patient’s complaint within 20 days indicating whether or not the complaint will be taken on for investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the Ombudsman sends a report setting out the recommended remedies to the patient and body complained about. The possible remedies would include an apology, an explanation of what went wrong, a change of decision, repayment of costs incurred by the patient as a result of a mistake, a change in procedure, improvement of facilities, and the provision of consolatory payments in respect of distress or inconvenience although this can be somewhat rare. Although the Ombudsman can recommend financial recompense to be made to cover out-of- pocket expenses incurred by the patient, they have no power to award wider compensation such as damages for pain and suffering, future loss of earnings or for care or bereavement.

Support Networks

PALS

There are also support networks that can provide you with assistance such as the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

PALS are available in all Trusts and can provide confidential advice and information.

Complaints Advocacy Services

Every area of England has an independent NHS complaints advocacy service funded by the local authority. They can help you make a complaint about the NHS and have replaced the ICAS service. In some areas, local Healthwatch carry out these advocacy services. In other areas, local authorities may group together to provide the service at a regional level.

This service is open to everybody and is free of charge. Advocacy providers can help you with writing letters and prepare for meetings. They can also arrange for an advocate to attend a meeting with you.

There are a number of NHS complaints advocacy providers and your local Healthwatch can give you the contact details for the services available in your area. Providers of the service include:

Voiceability

Voiceability NHS Complaints Advocacy Service Tel: 0300 330 5454
Textphone: 0786 002 2939
Email: nhscomplaints@voiceability.org
Website: www.nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org

POhWER

NHS Complaints Advocacy Tel: 0300 456 2370
Email: pohwer@pohwer.net
Website: www.pohwer.net

Mind

Mental Health Advice and Support Tel: 3033 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Website: www.mind.org.uk

Rethink

Rethink Mental Illness has an online directory of advocacy services across the UK on their website.

Each organisation can provide independent advocacy services to help you resolve issues or concerns you may have about your or a family member’s health and well- being, or your health and social care services.