Making a complaint about NHS or private healthcare

If you believe something has gone wrong with the healthcare provided to you or a relative, the best place to start is almost always to discuss your concerns with the medical staff involved. If this doesn’t resolve things, the NHS has a formal complaints procedure for you to follow. If the care was provided privately, there will also be a procedure in place.

If something goes wrong with NHS treatment, your right to complain is protected under the NHS Constitution. The NHS complaints procedure is free to use and we encourage you to follow it if your concern hasn’t been resolved by speaking with the staff involved in your care. Complaints should be made as soon as possible and no later than 12 months after the incident, or from when you became aware of the cause to complain.

If you are unhappy about treatment you have received in a private hospital or clinic, you also have the right to complain about this, and to receive a full and prompt response to your complaint. Under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, private hospitals and clinics must operate a complaints procedure.

Our self-help guides explain the process for you in detail and are tailored to where you are in the UK. We have guides to help with dental cases, private healthcare, referring a complaint to the Ombudsman, and the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).