The NHS Complaints Procedure
As an NHS patient, you may find yourself in a situation where you are unhappy with the care you have received. This could be for any one of many reasons: perhaps you had to wait an extremely long time for an appointment, were refused treatment unfairly or believe that you were treated badly by a medical practitioner. You may wish to register your dissatisfaction with the NHS complaints procedure.
If possible you should complain within six months of the incident in question. You can make a complaint by telephoning NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, or by contacting an advisor at your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) listed in your local telephone directory. Initially however, you are advised to direct your complaint to the specific organisation where the incident occurred. For example, if you have a complaint about your GP you could complain to the practice manager, if you have a complaint about a hospital service this could be addressed to the patient advice and liaison service (PALS) staff, or the hospital complaints manager.
In many cases, your complaint can be handled without further action. It is the duty of the person to whom you made the complaint to investigate it further and keep you informed of the progress of the enquiry. If you have had no response to your complaint within two weeks, consider sending a letter to the organisation in question, reminding them that you made a complaint and requesting a reply.
If you are not satisfied by the response you receive you may wish to pursue the case further by complaining to the Healthcare Commission, which is an independent body which aims to monitor healthcare and implement improvements. The Healthcare Commission can be contacted by telephone on 0845 601 3012 or via email on: complaints@healthcarecommission.org.uk.
If you are still dissatisfied you can contact the Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman provides an independent service, and can be reached by telephone on 0845 015 4033 or via email on: OHSC.Enquiries@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk.
